Association of Child Poverty, Brain Development, and Academic Achievement

What is it about?

A large scale longitudinal study that included hundreds of scans of children from early in life through young adulthood. In addition to brain scans, academic achievement test scores were also collected on these children.

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Why is it important?

It has been long now that children in poverty tend to perform less well in school. And recent evidence suggested that poverty was affecting healthy brain growth. This study closed that loop, and demonstrates that delays in brain growth help explain why poverty is linked to poor educational performance. These effects are not tied to IQ, but to very changeable effects that disadvantage children in early life and lead to high cost of society.