Here's Looking At You, Kid

By Linda Jacobson

Ten years ago, more than 1,000 newborn babies at hospitals in 10 cities across America were enrolled in a federally backed study like no other. It was to be an exhaustive investigation of children's development, and it promised to put childhood events—big and small—under the microscope.

When the infants were 1 month old, researchers affiliated with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development began a series of regular home visits, taking note of books in the house, observing the developing mother- child relationship, and even recording the number of ear infections. During these visits, which lasted up to two hours and continued until the children were 4½, parents and kids, and sometimes siblings, were asked to play games or do activities together. Occasionally, the children were brought to research labs for cognitive testing.

Once the children began school, the researchers broadened their investigation to include each child's classroom environment. Once a year, the NICHD researchers followed the children through a typical school day. Were they engaged in classes? What were their friends like? Did they respond more to basic-skills lessons or higher-thinking exercises? Teachers and principals, meanwhile, were peppered with lengthy surveys about their credentials and the schools' instructional programs and demographics. Earlier this year, the children were even asked to wear a small device around their waists for a week to...