A Longitudinal Study of the Influence of Joint Attention in Infancy on Academic Skills in 2nd and 8th Grade

Around their first birthday, infants can understand that others\u27 actions are intentional, and begin initiating and responding to bids for joint attention (Tomasello, 1995). Joint attention has been found to be a basis for early cognitive skills. Research indicates that infant ability to engage in joint attention is positively related to language development through 18 months (Morales, et al., 2000) and school readiness at 5 years (Martoccio, et al., 2014). The purpose of this study was to examine infants\u27 joint attention at 14 months in relation to math and literacy skills at 2nd and 8th grade. Joint attention data was collected from 10-minute video-recorded mother-child interactions at 14 months (N=143). Trained observers recorded directed looking for mother and child and merged data into sequences of timing and direction of attention. Joint attention was defined as time infants looked at a toy when mothers looked at the toy. Children were followed through 2nd (n=90) and 8th grades (n=83), and were tested with math and language subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson (WJ-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989). Associations between infant joint attention at 14 months and scores of the WJ-R at 2nd and 8th grade were calculated using Pearson\u27s correlations. Regression analyses were used to test mediation by 2nd grade scores on the relationship between joint attention and 8th grade scores. Results indicate that there are significant associations between joint attention at 14 months and WJ-R scores in 2nd and 8th grade. Some 2nd grade scores mediated relationships between joint attention and 8th grade scores. To date, no other research has examined the longitudinal relationship between joint attention in infancy and later academic abilities across 2nd and 8th grade using a sample of non-disabled children. It is important that research is done that further explores early attention in relation to children\u27s later academic skills