Childrens academic performance predicted with a raisin and a plastic cup
A toddlers future academic performance can be predicted with a simple test involving a raisin and a plastic cup. This is the conclusion of a new study led by researchers from the UKs University of Warwick. Senior study author Prof. Dieter Wolke, from the Department of Psychology at Warwick Medical School, and colleagues publish their findings in The Journal of Pediatrics.
The test - which measures how long a 20-month-old child can refrain from picking up a raisin that is placed under an opaque cup in front of them - was found to accurately predict toddlers attention and learning capabilities at the age of 8 years.
The researchers reached their findings by analyzing data of 558 children who were part of the ongoing Bavarian Longitudinal Study, which started in Germany in 1985.
Each child was born between 25-41 weeks of pregnancy, and upon reaching the age of 20 months, their self-control abilities were assessed with a behavioral observation test known as the raisin game.
In this test, a raisin was placed in front of each toddler, covered by an opaque plastic cup. Following three training tests, the toddlers were asked to refrain from touching and eating the raisin for 60 seconds.
Children who were born preterm - defined in the study as between 25-38 weeks gestation - were more likely to touch the raisin before the 60 seconds than those born full-term, at 39-41 weeks gestation. The earlier a child was born, the lower their self-control, according to the researchers.
The same group of children underwent psychological evaluation to measure attention skills around 7 years later, when they were around 8 years old, and their academic abilities - such as reading, spelling/writing and math - were assessed with standardized tests.
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