Neuropsychological correlates of academic success among elementary school children.

Abstract

In this study age, sex and neuropsychological correlates of academic performance, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the Reitan-Indiana Neuropsychological Test Battery and the Stanford Achievement Tests were administered to 456 kindergarten (116 males, 114 females) and 2nd-grade (123 males, 103 females) students. Significant differences were found between younger and older children on most neuropsychological tests. Girls were superior to boys in verbal reasoning, language skills and serial perceptual matching skills; boys were superior on tests of spatial memory and motor skills. These age and sex differences were related to differences in academic achievement and are discussed in terms of the implications of findings for curriculum planning.