Child Development Research Study
Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital are conducting a study with a child aged 2–5 to learn more about early learning, school readiness, and the factors that influence children’s development.
Fast Facts
Child aged 2-5
Caregiver is aged 18+
Compensation
provided up to $150
Conducted in
Boston, MA
Study Background
Boston Children’s Hospital is conducting a study with children ages 2–5 to better understand early learning, social-emotional skills, and school readiness.
Children’s early learning, social-emotional skills, and school readiness are influenced by a combination of cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors. We aim to learn more about how these factors contribute to individual differences in learning and development in children aged 2–5. We also want to understand early abilities so that we can support children in reaching their full potential and help educators identify patterns that promote healthy development.
Eventually, the findings of this study may be useful for improving early education strategies and supporting children’s long-term learning and well-being.
Study Background
Boston Children’s Hospital is conducting a study with children ages 2–5 to better understand early learning, social-emotional skills, and school readiness.
Children’s early learning, social-emotional skills, and school readiness are influenced by a combination of cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors. We aim to learn more about how these factors contribute to individual differences in learning and development in children aged 2–5. We also want to understand early abilities so that we can support children in reaching their full potential and help educators identify patterns that promote healthy development.
Eventually, the findings of this study may be useful for improving early education strategies and supporting children’s long-term learning and well-being.
Additional Information
In this research study, we are trying to understand how early learning and school readiness develop in young children. We aim to better understand how cognitive, social, emotional, and environmental factors influence individual differences in children’s learning. Early skills in language, math, reasoning, and social-emotional development are connected to experiences at home, in the classroom, and in the community, and we will assess all of these. We also want to see how these early abilities relate to later success in school. To do that, we are using tablet-based assessments and caregiver questionnaires to measure children’s skills and experiences, which will help us identify patterns that support healthy development.
You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Child aged 2–5 years
- Parent or caregiver aged 18 or older
- From a primarily English-speaking household
Exclusion Criteria:
- Children with uncorrected vision or hearing difficulties
- History of prenatal, postnatal, or birth complications (e.g., extended NICU stay, low Apgar scores, significant infections)
- Diagnosis of genetic, metabolic, syndromic, or progressive neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy, Down or Rett Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis, Fragile X Syndrome)
- Currently enrolled in interventional clinical trials
The entire study lasts approximately 1 year. Once enrolled, participation involves:
In the lab:
- Four visits to our Boston Children’s Hospital lab in Brookline, MA.
- During each visit, your child will complete short tablet-based tasks to assess language, math, reasoning, and social-emotional skills.
- You, as the caregiver, will complete questionnaires about your child’s development, environment, and daily experiences.
- Each visit will last about one hour, and your child will receive a small toy at each visit.
From home:
- You may be asked to complete brief online questionnaires about your child’s development and activities between visits.
- These questionnaires are short and designed to give us additional insight into your child’s learning and daily experiences.
Participants may receive up to $150 for completing all study activities, including $25 for each lab visit your child completes and $25 for each set of questionnaires you complete. Your child will receive a small toy at each visit. We also provide travel reimbursement, parking vouchers, childcare for siblings if needed, and options for rides via Uber or other transportation to the lab.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.