The Interplay between Brain Development, Inhibitory Control, and Academic Achievement in Young Children

 Early infancy is a crucial time of rapid growth and development that establishes the groundwork for later academic achievement. Two recent research have clarified the complex links between young children's academic success, inhibitory control, and brain development.  This blog post will review the findings of Martha Ann Bell's article "Relations between frontal EEG maturation and inhibitory control in preschool in the prediction of children's early academic skills" and connect them to the study "Students' self-concepts of ability in math, reading predict later math, reading attainment" from the Society for Research in Child Development.

Bell's research examined the connection between preschoolers' early academic abilities, inhibitory control, and frontal EEG growth. Electroencephalography (EEG) was employed in the study to assess the frontal cortex's development, which is a region involved in executive function, planning, and decision-making. Using behavioral tests, inhibitory control—the capacity to restrain impulses and diversions—was evaluated. The findings indicated that toddlers had stronger early academic capabilities, such as math and reading comprehension when their frontal EEG patterns were more developed and their inhibitory control was improved.
These results imply that early children's scholastic success is greatly influenced by the frontal brain and inhibitory control development. Children perform better academically when their frontal cortex matures because it allows them to better control their impulses, working memory, and attention.

 The Society for Research in Child Development research "Students' self-concepts of ability in math, reading predict later math, reading attainment" examined the connection between students' self-perceptions of ability and their later academic success. According to the study, pupils' early primary school self-perceptions of their math and reading proficiency predicted their later academic success in these subjects. Higher self-conceptualized ability students performed better academically and were more willing to take difficult courses later in life.

Positive self-perceptions of one's own competence might therefore feed back on the growth of academic skills and inhibitory control, generating a positive feedback loop. Pupils who have confidence in their abilities to excel in math and reading are more likely to show stronger self-control, persevere through difficulties, and eventually obtain higher academic goals.

The two studies covered in this blog article demonstrate the intricate relationships between young children's academic success, inhibitory control, and brain development. According to the research, the frontal brain and inhibitory control grow at this crucial time in early life, laying the groundwork for future academic performance. Higher academic attainment can also result from the development of favorable self-concepts about one's own abilities, which can support the expansion of academic skills and inhibitory control.

Works Cited:

Society for Research in Child Development. "Students' self-concepts of ability in math, reading predict later math, reading attainment." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 September 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170919091005.htm>.

Whedon M, Perry NB, Bell MA. Relations between frontal EEG maturation and inhibitory control in preschool in the prediction of children's early academic skills. Brain Cogn. 2020 Dec;146:105636. doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105636. Epub 2020 Nov 13. PMID: 33197766; PMCID: PMC7754531.