Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2025

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

85.9K

School Readiness Predictors of Early Academic Achievement in Children Born Very Preterm

H Gerry Taylor1,2, Rebekah A Benkart3, Daphne M Vrantsidis4

  • 1Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|June 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Children born very preterm (VPT) show more achievement difficulties linked to readiness skills. Deficits in spatial ability, executive function, and preacademic skills at age 4 predict later academic struggles in VPT children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Educational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Early childhood development is crucial for academic success.
  • Children born very preterm (VPT) often face developmental challenges.
  • Understanding school readiness predictors is vital for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between pre-entry school readiness and academic achievement in very preterm (VPT) and full-term (FT) children.
  • To identify specific readiness domains most associated with later academic outcomes in VPT children.
  • To compare these associations between VPT and FT groups.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 38 VPT and 30 FT children from age 4 to early school age.
  • Assessed readiness using global cognition, executive function, motor, and preacademic skills tests, plus caregiver ratings.
  • Measured academic achievement via math, reading, and spelling tests, controlling for socioeconomic status and siblings.

Main Results:

  • VPT children exhibited more pronounced achievement difficulties.
  • Readiness deficits in spatial ability, executive function, and preacademic skills were strongly associated with achievement problems in VPT children.
  • Some associations remained significant after controlling for global cognition at age 4, with some unique to the VPT group.

Conclusions:

  • Deficits in multiple readiness domains before school entry are linked to later academic achievement in both VPT and FT children.
  • Early identified readiness deficits in VPT children are key indicators of future academic challenges.
  • Further research is needed to improve school readiness assessments for VPT populations.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol19:32

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol

Published on: February 18, 2012

28.5K
Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development06:19

Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development

Published on: April 19, 2024

757

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
273
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
33
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
53
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
40
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
341
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
88