Project IV: Reading and Math Co-Development in a Diverse Sample of Twins

摘要 项目4 阅读和数学问题代表了一个重要的公共卫生问题的儿童，因为他们是相关的 有各种各样的负面结果，包括学业失败，有限的职业成功，和青少年犯罪， （Geary等人，2012; Reynolds等人，2002年）。在美国四年级的学生中，四分之一的人甚至不能达到部分水平。 在阅读中，学生掌握了年级水平的知识，五分之一的学生未能达到部分掌握年级水平的水平 数学知识（NCES，2015年），突出了儿童时期阅读和数学困难的普遍性。 鉴于我们知道那些在阅读方面有困难的孩子通常在数学方面也有困难， 影响阅读和数学的发展。拟议研究的总体目标是 揭示突出的因素，包括遗传和环境的影响，这有助于共同- 阅读和数学表现的发展，在关键的发展点（小学）。我们将 通过拟议的国家项目确定第一个具有全国代表性的美国双胞胎样本， 双胞胎成就（NatPAT）。NatPAT样本将包括美国各地的7，668对双胞胎， 并将通过四个具体目标来实现拟议研究的总体目标 （SA）。首先，我们将利用一个全国性的大型数据库，其中包括全国各地学校的阅读和数学成绩。 国家确定的NatPAT双样本。从幼儿园开始使用队列顺序设计，我们将 检查整个小学的阅读和数学表现，以模拟遗传和 环境对阅读和数学（共同）发展的影响（具体目标1）。其次，我们将对 遗传和环境对阅读和数学困难的共同发生的影响，同时也测试 性别差异（具体目标2）。第三，我们将利用实验室可用的数据来描述 与阅读和数学表现（共同）发展相关的环境背景（具体目标3）。 最后，我们将捕捉重要的态度个体差异的维度，并研究它们是如何 与阅读和数学表现的（共同）发展相关（具体目标4）。

ABSTRACT Project 4 Reading and math problems represent an important public health issue for children in that they are associated with various negative outcomes including school failure, limited occupational success, and juvenile delinquency (Geary et al., 2012; Reynolds et al., 2002). Of US fourth-grade students, one-fourth fail to reach even partial mastery of grade-level knowledge in reading, and one-fifth fail to reach partial mastery of grade-level knowledge in math (NCES, 2015), highlighting the prevalence of reading and math difficulties in childhood. Given we know that children who struggle in reading often also struggle in math, it is important to identify influences on the development of both reading and math. The overall goal of the proposed research is to uncover salient factors, including genetic and environmental influences, which contribute to the co- development of reading and math performance, at a critical developmental point (elementary school). We will identify the first nationally-representative US twin sample through the proposed National Project on Achievement in Twins (NatPAT). The NatPAT sample will comprise 7,668 pairs of twins located across the US, and will be uniquely situated to address the overall goal of the proposed research through four specific aims (SA). First, we will utilize a large national database of reading and math performance from schools across the country to ascertain the NatPAT twin sample. Using a cohort-sequential design starting in kindergarten, we will examine reading and math performance across elementary school in order to model genetic and environmental influences on reading and math (co-)development (Specific Aim 1). Second, we will model the genetic and environmental influences on the co-occurrence of reading and math difficulties, while also testing for sex differences (Specific Aim 2). Third, we will capitalize on publically available data to characterize the environmental contexts related to the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 3). Finally, we will capture important attitudinal individual differences dimensions and examine how they are associated with the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 4).