# Project IV: Reading and Math Co-Development in a Diverse Sample of Twins

> **NIH NIH P50** · FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $262,609

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Project 4
Reading and math problems represent an important public health issue for children in that they are associated
with various negative outcomes including school failure, limited occupational success, and juvenile delinquency
(Geary et al., 2012; Reynolds et al., 2002). Of US fourth-grade students, one-fourth fail to reach even partial
mastery of grade-level knowledge in reading, and one-fifth fail to reach partial mastery of grade-level
knowledge in math (NCES, 2015), highlighting the prevalence of reading and math difficulties in childhood.
Given we know that children who struggle in reading often also struggle in math, it is important to identify
influences on the development of both reading and math. The overall goal of the proposed research is to
uncover salient factors, including genetic and environmental influences, which contribute to the co-
development of reading and math performance, at a critical developmental point (elementary school). We will
identify the first nationally-representative US twin sample through the proposed National Project on
Achievement in Twins (NatPAT). The NatPAT sample will comprise 7,668 pairs of twins located across the US,
and will be uniquely situated to address the overall goal of the proposed research through four specific aims
(SA). First, we will utilize a large national database of reading and math performance from schools across the
country to ascertain the NatPAT twin sample. Using a cohort-sequential design starting in kindergarten, we will
examine reading and math performance across elementary school in order to model genetic and
environmental influences on reading and math (co-)development (Specific Aim 1). Second, we will model the
genetic and environmental influences on the co-occurrence of reading and math difficulties, while also testing
for sex differences (Specific Aim 2). Third, we will capitalize on publically available data to characterize the
environmental contexts related to the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 3).
Finally, we will capture important attitudinal individual differences dimensions and examine how they are
associated with the (co-)development of reading and math performance (Specific Aim 4).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10003053
- **Project number:** 5P50HD052120-14
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sara Ann Hart
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $262,609
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-07-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10003053

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10003053, Project IV: Reading and Math Co-Development in a Diverse Sample of Twins (5P50HD052120-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10003053. Licensed CC0.

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