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Effects of extreme prematurity and kindergarten neuropsychological skills on early academic progress

H Gerry Taylor1, Nancy Klein2, Kimberly A Espy3

  • 1Center for Biobehavioral Health.

Neuropsychology
|August 21, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Children born extremely preterm/extremely low birth weight (EPT/ELBW) show persistent academic weaknesses. Kindergarten neuropsychological skills predict early academic achievement and growth, highlighting the need for targeted preschool interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Extreme prematurity and extremely low birth weight (EPT/ELBW) pose significant challenges to child development.
  • Academic achievement trajectories in early school years for EPT/ELBW children require further investigation.
  • The predictive validity of early neurocognitive assessments for long-term academic success is an area of ongoing research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the long-term effects of extreme prematurity/extremely low birth weight on academic achievement growth throughout early schooling.
  • To determine if kindergarten-level neuropsychological skills can predict academic achievement and its growth in EPT/ELBW children.
  • To compare the academic achievement trajectories of EPT/ELBW children with normal birth weight (NBW) controls.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed 145 EPT/ELBW children and 111 NBW controls from kindergarten for two subsequent school years.
  • Mixed-effects modeling was used to analyze group differences in academic achievement growth.
  • Kindergarten neuropsychological assessments were analyzed as predictors of academic achievement and growth.

Main Results:

  • EPT/ELBW children consistently scored lower on all academic achievement tests compared to NBW controls.
  • Significant academic disparities between EPT/ELBW and NBW groups persisted, with limited catch-up in spelling.
  • Higher kindergarten neuropsychological scores predicted higher achievement levels and faster growth across academic domains, even after controlling for confounding factors.

Conclusions:

  • Findings confirm persistent academic deficits in EPT/ELBW children through early school years.
  • Early identification of children at risk for academic difficulties is possible through kindergarten neuropsychological assessments.
  • Interventions during the preschool years are crucial for improving academic readiness in EPT/ELBW populations.
Abstract

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