Thinking skills and school achievement in children
Cognition and Achievement
Looks at how different thinking skills and missed school from breathing illnesses relate to reading and math for children from preschool through middle school.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Spelman College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11084291 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your child would join a long-term effort to understand what helps children learn to read and do math. Researchers follow an original group of about 198 children first seen in preschool and add a new group who will be tested three times during elementary and middle school. The team measures thinking skills (like reasoning, attention and memory, and learned knowledge) and tracks respiratory illnesses and school absences to see how those things link to classroom progress. The goal is to learn how child skills and life circumstances together shape learning over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children in elementary and middle school (roughly ages 5–14) from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, including those with a history of respiratory illnesses that cause missed school, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Adults, older teens beyond middle school, or children whose concerns are unrelated to cognitive development or respiratory illness are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help schools and health providers target supports for children whose thinking skills or illness-related absences put them at risk for falling behind.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked thinking skills and socioeconomic factors to school achievement, but combining long-term tracking with the effects of respiratory-illness absences is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Spelman College — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blankson, Araba Nayena — Spelman College
- Study coordinator: Blankson, Araba Nayena
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.