scholarly journals Cognition in Context: Validating Group-Based Executive Function Assessments in Young Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sammy F. Ahmed ◽  
Jennie K Grammer ◽  
Frederick J. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Reading Achievement ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Kindergarten Students ◽  
Group Settings ◽  
Young Students

The current study describes and validates a set of group-based executive function (EF) assessments for use with young children. These situational tasks involve instructing groups of young students to march to music while completing tasks that place demands on their EF abilities. These efforts were motivated by providing researchers with a set measures that assess EF subcomponents while also accounting for the dynamic social processes present in group settings. These assessments take place in schools, are relatively simple to administer, and include multiple EF indicators. Drawing on a diverse sample of 283 Kindergarten students (Mage = 5.8 years; SD = 0.38 years), we found that group-based EF assessments were significantly related to individually-assessed EF measures, and differentially predicted children’s performance on standardized tests of math and reading achievement. Overall, this study represents a first step towards developing a set of group-based EF measures that are appropriate for use with young children.

Relations between Executive Function and Social Understanding in Young Children

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart I. Hammond ◽  
Max B. Bibok ◽  
Dana P. Liebermann ◽  
Ulrich Mueller ◽  
Jeremy Carpendale
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Social Understanding

Family, Neighborhood, and School Settings across Seasons: When Do Socioeconomic Context and Racial Composition Matter for the Reading Achievement Growth of Young Children?

2010 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. 1338-1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Benson ◽  
Geoffrey D. Borman
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Reading Achievement ◽  
Young Children ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
School Entry ◽  
Reading Growth ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Achievement Growth ◽  
Nationally Representative

Background/Context Seasonal researchers have developed a theory and hypotheses regarding the importance of neighborhood and school contexts for early childhood learning but have not possessed nationally representative data and precise contextual measures with which to examine their hypotheses. Purpose/Research Questions This empirical study employs a seasonal perspective to assess the degree to which social context and race/ethnic composition—in neighborhoods and schools—affect the reading achievement growth of young children. The authors ask, Were there specific seasons when context and/or composition were particularly salient for reading achievement? Also, did accounting for context and composition challenge established appraisals of the relationship between family factors and achievement? Population Data for a nationally representative sample of students proceeding through kindergarten and first grade came from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K). Neighborhood social and race/ethnic measures came from the 2000 Census. Research Design: This quantitative study employs a three-level model that assesses reading achievement at school entry and during three subsequent seasons. The model represents reading achievement as a time-varying process at level 1, conditional upon family socio/demographic factors at level 2, and dependent on social context and race/ethnic composition at level 3. Findings/Results Neighborhood social context mattered substantially for students’ reading achievement levels at school entry and for their reading achievement growth during the summer. The proportion of neighborhood residents from minority race/ethnic groups was not associated with reading achievement at school entry or during the summer season. During the school year, school social context was associated with reading growth during kindergarten, and school social context and race/ethnic composition were associated with reading growth during first grade. Conclusions/Recommendations The magnitude and frequency of contextual effects found in this national sample have considerable implications for achieving educational equality in the United States. The authors recommend that policy makers attend to the quality of neighborhood and school settings as a means of promoting literacy development for young children.

scholarly journals Supporting Executive Function Skills in Early Childhood: Using a Peer Buddy Approach for Community, Confidence, and Citizenship

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen I. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Community Building ◽  
Classroom Community ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Cognitive Decision ◽  
Positive Social Skills

<p>This article provides a descriptive overview of a peer buddy program designed to develop and support young children’s executive functioning in early childhood classrooms. The author defines and categorizes executive function skills and analyzes their development in early childhood and benefits in the continued academic success of young children. The steps in creating a peer buddy program are explained, and a framework is provided for teachers to help the entire class develop effective executive function skills while facilitating positive social skills for classroom community building and citizenship. By supporting young children in their efforts to develop stronger executive function skills, teachers build resilience and help them discover their strengths for facilitating social interactions, problem-solving skills, and confidence in cognitive decision making to be successful citizens at home and in school.</p>

The relationships among verbal ability, executive function, and theory of mind in young children with cochlear implants

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 881-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meizhu Liu ◽  
Lingxiang Wu ◽  
Weijing Wu ◽  
Guangdi Li ◽  
Taisheng Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Verbal Ability

Testing Policy as Part of Kindergarten Entrance Procedures

1993 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 549-565
Author(s):  
C. Kenneth Tanner ◽  
Julia Carol James ◽  
Charles Stephen White
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Educational Policy ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Kindergarten Students ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Administrative Policy ◽  
Special Instructional Assistance

At issue in this study was educational policy supporting the testing of kindergarten students. The ABC Inventory and the Developing Skills Checklist (DSC) are brought into question as appropriate instruments for identifying or labeling kindergartners for special instructional assistance. Data were collected on 92 subjects that included participants in a special instructional assistance program and a comparison group. The findings indicated that using the ABC and DSC for identifying students for special instructional assistance is inappropriate. Therefore administrative policy allowing the labeling of young children as a result of testing should be challenged.

The Relationship between Symbolic Play and Executive Function in Young Children

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Kelly ◽  
Cheryl Dissanayake ◽  
Elfriede Ihsen ◽  
Sabine Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Symbolic Play ◽  
The Relationship

Bilingual effects on cognitive shifting and prefrontal activations in young children

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 729-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Moriguchi ◽  
Kanda Lertladaluck
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Nursery School ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Neural Processing ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Cognitive Shifting

Aims and objectives: Bilingual children constantly experience spontaneous switching between languages in everyday settings, and some researchers suggest that this experience leads to an advantage in task performance during executive function tasks. Neural processing during executive function tasks remains largely unknown, especially in young bilingual children. Methodology: Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, this study examined whether young children who attended an immersion second-language program demonstrated enhanced cognitive shifting and lateral prefrontal activation. Data and analysis: We recruited children ( N = 24) who attended an international nursery school, and examined whether their performance on cognitive shifting, and whether the oxygenated hemoglobin changes in the prefrontal regions during the task, were correlated with the children’s second-language verbal age and the length of time the children had been speaking the second language. Findings: Results revealed that the verbal age of the second language and the length of time speaking it were significantly correlated with behavioral performances of cognitive shifting tasks. However, they were not correlated with the activations in the lateral prefrontal regions. Originality: We examined the neural correlates of bilingual effects on cognitive shifting and prefrontal activations in young children. Implications: The results suggest that second-language experience may not be directly related to neural processing in the lateral prefrontal cortex, at least in young children.

scholarly journals Adaptation of a Developmental Test to Accommodate Young Children with Low Vision

2017 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-111
Author(s):  
Viviana Ferreira ◽  
Cristina P. Albuquerque
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
C Language ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Visual Contrast ◽  
Developmental Test ◽  
And Control

Introduction This study analyzed the effects of accommodations for children with low vision in the Griffiths Mental Development Scales–Extended Revised (GMDS-ER). Methods The sample comprised 25 children with low vision and chronological ages between 28 and 76 months. There were two assessment phases: in the first, the Griffiths Scales were administered according to the procedures described in the manual; about two to four weeks later, a second assessment was performed with the same instrument that had been adapted for low vision. Results The results indicated that there were some favorable differences in the use of item accommodations for children with low vision, including statistically significant improvements of scores in sub-scales A, locomotor; C, language; and E, performance, as well as in the full scale. All children, except one, increased their full scale score; in the subscales, the number of children that increased their scores varied. The combination of different types of accommodations (materials, administration conditions, and success criteria) generated the best results. Still, many children increased their scores with only accommodations to materials (for instance, enhancement of contours and greater visual contrast). Discussion The results demonstrated the importance of adapting developmental standardized tests for children with low vision. Future studies should increase the sample size and control variables related to type of visual impairment. Implications for practitioners Test developers and test users should consider accommodations for young children with low vision. That way, the developmental level could be described more precisely and intervention could be better adjusted to each child's abilities. Furthermore, a more accurate developmental assessment of effective child's competencies and difficulties may be useful in terms of eligibility criteria for special education services.

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