ATTENTION-DEFICIT AND READING-ACHIEVEMENT

A model for estimating possible reciprocal relationships between attention deficit and reading achievement is proposed. This model is fitted to data for a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied at 10 and 12 years on measures of attention deficit and reading achievement. Model estimates suggest that at the age of 12 years the predominant direction of causality is that attention deficits influence reading achievement and there is no evidence to suggest that reading achievement influenced attention deficit levels. The implications of these findings are discussed.