Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026
Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
Published on: June 12, 2017
Influence of Gestational Age and Working Memory on Math Skills in Children Aged 8 to 9 Years
Stephanie Brown1, Jon Quach2, Peter J Anderson3
1Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Children born prematurely show improved math skills with each week of increased gestational age (GA) after 34 weeks. This finding is independent of working memory (WM) and aids in identifying at-risk children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Pediatric neuroscience
- Educational psychology
Background:
- Prematurity impacts cognitive and math skills in children.
- Research on the association between gestational age (GA) spectrum and math skills is limited.
- Understanding the role of working memory (WM) in this relationship is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between gestational age (GA) spectrum and math skills in 8- to 9-year-old children.
- To investigate the role of working memory (WM) in the relationship between GA and math skills.
Main Methods:
- Population-based cohort of 1761 children aged 8–9 years.
- Gestational age (GA) measured by parent report.
- Math skills assessed using the Wide Range Achievement Test 4; working memory (WM) using the Automated Working Memory Assessment.
- Multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for WM and social risk indicators.
Main Results:
- Analyzable data from 1168 children (66%).
- Each weekly increase in GA beyond 34 weeks was associated with a 0.48 increase in math standard scores (p=0.01).
- A difference of 6.29 standard math scores was observed between the ≤34-week and ≥42-week gestation groups, independent of WM.
Conclusions:
- Increased gestational age beyond 34 weeks is linked to better math achievement in children aged 8–9 years.
- This association is independent of working memory capacity.
- Findings aid in identifying children at risk for poorer math skills.
Objective:
Prematurity affects children's functioning in domains such as cognitive skills and math skills. However, there is limited research examining math skills as gestational age (GA) increases weekly. We aimed at determining, in a population-based cohort of children aged 8 to 9 years, the association between the GA spectrum and math skills and working memory's (WM's) role in this relationship.
Methods:
Children aged 8 to 9 years in 2014 (n = 1761), from 44 primary schools in a metropolitan city, were recruited through the Memory Maestros study in 2012. GA was measured using the parent report. Math skills were measured using the Wide Range Achievement Test 4 math computation subtest (mean, 100; SD, 15), and WM was measured using 2 subtests of the Automated Working Memory Assessment. The method of analysis was multivariate linear regression, with adjustment for both WM measures and social risk indicators as potential confounders.
Results:
A total of 1168 children (66%) had analyzable data. Compared with children of ≤34-week gestation, there was a mean difference increase of 0.48 in math standard scores per weekly increase in GA (95% confidence interval, 0.11-0.85%; p = 0.01). This equates to a difference of 6.29 (0.42 SD) standard math scores between the ≤34- and ≥42-week group. The relationship was independent of WM.
Conclusion:
Weekly increases in GA beyond 34 weeks are associated with higher mathematics achievement scores for children aged 8 to 9 years, independent of the child's WM. This assists with identification of individuals at risk of poorer math skills.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
01:29Factors Influencing Attraction V: Social Skills
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption