Assessment of growth and productivity of Scots pine provenance tests in the Arkhangelsk region in 39-year

Впервые для региона изучены выживаемость, рост и продуктивность климатипов сосны обыкновенной в 39-летних географических культурах государственной сети (Плесецкий район Архангельской области). Прослежены особенности перераспределения климатипов в коллекции, отобраны лучшие потомства для использования для лесовосстановления в пределах региона испытания. Установлено, что северные потомства (северная и средняя подзоны тайги), отличающиеся в I классе возраста высокой приживаемостью, во II классе возраста начали процесс дифференциации, который привел к снижению показателя почти в два раза. К концу II класса возраста наблюдается выравнивание потомств климатипов по высоте, при сохранении различий, связанных с происхождением, по диаметру. Наиболее крупные диаметры стволов имеют южнотаежные потомства, а также из северной подзоны смешанных лесов, отличающиеся самыми низкими показатели приживаемости и качеством стволов. Установлена прямая зависимость показателя Н/Д с приживаемостью, связанная с усилением роста климатипов по диаметру, увеличением сбежистости и искривленности стволов, формированием низкоопущенных крон. Показано, что в культурах II класса возраста сохраняются значительные корреляционные связи показателей роста и приживаемости с географическими координатами и климатическими характеристиками мест исходных насаждений, в то время как с запасом связь теряется. С использованием подхода оценки в единицах стандартного отклонения отобраны лучшие по продуктивности (запасу) климатипы: местный плесецкий, пинежский, вологодский, а также климатипы из Карелии. Исходные насаждения этих потомств входят в ареал, ограниченный 60–65° с.ш., 36–44° в.д. Для использования в лесовосстановлении в Архангельской области следует полностью исключить использование семян из насаждений Урала и Сибири. На европейской части страны рекомендовать к использованию семена, заготовленные в трех лесосеменных районах: Южнокарельский, Двинско-Мезенский и Верхнедвинский, ограничив перемещение семян на расстояние не более 300 км. For the first time for the region, the survival, growth and productivity of scots pine climates in 39-year-old provenance test of the state network (Plesetsk district of the Arkhangelsk region) were studied. Features of climate redistribution in the collection were traced, the best offspring were selected for use for reforestation within the test region. It has been established that northern offspring (northern and middle subzones of the boreal forest), differing in the I grade of age with high livability, in the II grade of age began the process of differentiation, which led to a decrease in the indicator by almost half. By the end of grade II of age, the offspring of provenance are equalized in height, while maintaining differences related to origin in diameter. The largest diameters of trunks have southern offspring, as well as from the northern subzone of mixed forests, which differ in the lowest rates of survival and quality of trunks. Direct dependence of H/D index with livability is established, which is connected with increase of provenance growth by diameter, increase of escape and curvature of trunks, formation of low-lowered crowns. It has been shown that in cultures of the II class of age, significant correlation of growth and livelihood indicators with the geographical coordinates and climatic characteristics of the places of the initial plantations remains, while with the reserve the connection is lost. Using the assessment approach, in units of standard deviation, the best climates in terms of productivity (reserve) were selected: local mold, Pinezhsky, Vologda, as well as climates from Karelia. The initial plantations of these offspring are included in the range, limited to 60–65° N, 36–44° E. For use in reforestation in the Arkhangelsk region, the use of seeds from plantations of the Urals and Siberia should be completely excluded. In the European part of the country, recommend the use of seeds harvested in three forested areas: South Karelian, Dvinsk-Mezensky and Verkhnedvinsky, limiting the movement of seeds for a distance of not more than 300 km.

Beyond words: An analysis of skills underlying reading and vocabulary acquisition in three foreign languages

To capture the complexity of foreign language literacy acquisition, we investigated cognitive skills underlying word reading, sentence reading, word vocabulary and sentence vocabulary in three different foreign languages. Students fluent in Dutch simultaneously acquired three foreign languages that differed in orthographic transparency and writing system (Spanish, French, Chinese). Cognitive skills at the start of literacy acquisition (Grade 7) were longitudinally related to literacy attainment in each of the foreign languages after two years of instruction (end of Grade 8). Structural equation regression models indicated that three areas (word and sentence vocabulary, and sentence reading) related most strongly to verbal and nonverbal intelligence, indicating the involvement of academic skills. For word reading the influence of cognitive skills appeared language specific. Across languages, native reading skills seemed to be employed to varying degrees of efficiency to decipher foreign words, more so for foreign languages with a smaller orthographic distance from the native language.

Effects of Screen Time and Season on Cardiovascular System Indicators in Primary Schoolchildren

Indicators of the cardiovascular system, including heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) variability parameters, were analyzed in primary school students with different computer screen times. The study included 4084 students of grades 1–4 (age 7–12 years) from 66 Moscow schools. The screen time at school and out of school was assessed by teachers, based on the national Sanitary Rules and Regulations: 0, no screen time; 1, screen time matching hygienic standards; 2, screen time at least twice greater than recommended. Physiological examinations were carried out by spiroarteriocardiorhythmography with a face mask, the conditions corresponding to the functional stress test (mild hypercapnia/hypoxia). Testing took place in spring and autumn (independent samples). Statistical data processing was performed using nonparametric criteria. It was revealed that the introduction of computer technologies in school lessons within the limits of hygienic standards was accompanied by an increase, within the normal range, of systolic BP in girls at the end of grade 2 and 4 and in boys at the beginning and end of grade 4. Screen time at least twice higher than the hygienic standard did not have an additional effect on BP, but provoked shifts in the function of autonomic regulation. Boys were more sensitive to the influence of this environmental factor. Their pattern of seasonal variability in total power (TP) of the HR variability spectrum was reversed compared to that of children who did not use computers at school; i.e., higher TP values were observed in spring. In grade 4, the process was accompanied by an increase in spontaneous arterial baroreflex sensitivity and a decrease in the relative power of the LF range in the variability spectrum of systolic BP. The changes were assumed to reflect the adaptive response to changes in educational environment.

Disentangling the Effects of SFON (Spontaneous Focusing on Numerosity) and Symbolic Number Skills on the Mathematical Achievement of First Graders. A Longitudinal Study

Research has established that Spontaneous Focusing on Numerosity (SFON) and symbolic number skills (e.g., counting out loud, counting objects, linking small magnitudes and numbers) are predictors of mathematical achievement in primary school. However, little is known about the relationship between SFON and symbolic number skills, or whether one of these factors is more influential on a child’s subsequent mathematical achievement. This study investigated the effect of SFON and symbolic number skills on mathematical achievement at the end of Grade 1 by controlling for first language, gender, working memory and nonverbal IQ. Participants were N = 1,279 first graders. SFON, symbolic number skills and control variables (first language, gender, working memory, and nonverbal IQ) were measured at the beginning of Grade 1. SFON was assessed with a verbally-based task. Data on mathematical achievement was collected at the end of Grade 1. Descriptive statistics demonstrated that the children’s SFON was relatively low at the beginning of Grade 1. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between SFON, symbolic number skills and mathematical achievement at the end of Grade 1. The results revealed a weakly significant correlation between SFON and symbolic number skills. SFON and symbolic number skills were significant predictors of mathematical achievement at the end of Grade 1. However, the effect of symbolic number skills on mathematical achievement was greater than the effect of SFON. It is therefore concluded that numerical skills are more important than SFON for predicting mathematical achievement over the course of first grade.

Do Reading and Arithmetic Fluency Share the Same Cognitive Base?

We examined the role of different cognitive-linguistic skills in reading and arithmetic fluency, and whether the effects of these skills are mediated by reading and arithmetic accuracy. One hundred twenty-six English-speaking Grade 1 children (67 females, 59 males; Mage = 6.41 years) were followed from the beginning of Grade 1 (Time 1) to the end of Grade 1 (Time 2). At Time 1, they were assessed on measures of non-verbal IQ, speed of processing, working memory, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming (RAN), and number sense. At Time 2, they were assessed on measures of reading and arithmetic accuracy as well as on measures of reading and arithmetic fluency. Results of path analysis showed first that when reading and arithmetic fluency were included in the model as separate outcomes, RAN was predictive of both and that speed of processing and working memory were predictive of only arithmetic fluency. Second, RAN, speed of processing, and working memory had both direct and indirect effects (via reading and arithmetic accuracy) on the covariation of reading and arithmetic fluency. Irrespective of how reading and arithmetic fluency were treated in the analyses, the effects of non-verbal IQ, phonological awareness, and number sense were all indirect. Taken together, these findings suggest that reading and arithmetic fluency draw on a broader network of cognitive-linguistic skills, whose effects can sometimes be indirect through reading and arithmetic accuracy.

Imparare la matematica con Number Worlds: un intervento quinquennale nella scuola primaria

The Number Worlds (NW) program is based on Case’s theory of cognitive development and conceptual learning, and it promotes the learning of mathematical concepts through playful-manipulative activities and respecting children’s level of development. This five years-research is meant to develop an Italian adaptation of the program, compare it with traditional teaching, and determine the impact of working memory (WM) on math learning. 56 primary school children participated in the research. Since grade I, 13 pupils (controls) followed traditional teaching of math; 43 children worked with NW, 3 hours a week for 7 months. The pupils were assessed with two WM tests, the Number Knowledge Test (NKT), and the Number Line Estimation Task (NLET) at the beginning of Grade I and at the end of each Grade. At the end of Grade V, the AC-MT battery was also administered. The experimental group improved more than controls on the NKT and NLET from Grade I to IV. At the end of Grade V, both groups showed a «ceiling effect» in the NKT and NLET performance. However, a difference in favour of the experimental group was found in some AC-MT tasks. WM, together with the curriculum, was predictive of mathematics performance up to class IV.

Parental Teaching of Reading and Spelling Across the Transition From Kindergarten to Grade 1

We investigated the longitudinal links between parental teaching of reading and spelling and children’s word reading and spelling skills. Data of 244 Lithuanian parent–child dyads were analyzed, who were followed across three time points: end of kindergarten (T1; Mage = 6.88; 116 girls), beginning of Grade 1 (T2), and end of Grade 1 (T3). The children’s word reading and spelling skills were tested, and the parents answered questionnaires on the frequency with which they taught their children reading and spelling. Overall, the results showed that the parents were responsive to their children’s skill levels across the domains of reading and spelling and across time (i.e., the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1 and across Grade 1). However, differences between the domains of reading and spelling were also observed. In particular, in the domain of reading and across the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1, the parents responded to their children’s skill levels by increasing the time spent teaching children with poor word reading skills, and decreasing the teaching time for the children with good word reading skills. In contrast, as spelling skills may require more time to develop, parents maintained similar frequencies of teaching spelling across the transition to Grade 1 for all children, and only parents of good spellers taught less spelling at the end of Grade 1 than parents of children with poor and average word spelling skills.

Visual argumentations in teaching trigonometry

In this paper, we study the possibility of building a learning path that allows students to develop trigonometric knowledge and skills by the end of Grade 10 of secondary science-based schools. In particular, we describe an action research experiment, in part done through distance learning, aimed at incorporating all trigonometry topics within the framework of the study of Euclidean geometry. The inquiry-based learning methodology and the support of dynamic geometry software with a laboratory teaching approach were used. The learning path is based on several “visual/dynamic proof” and is explained by an example lesson on the Cosines Law. The experiment could be extended by teachers into physical/virtual classrooms and could offer practical strategies and tools for teaching trigonometry.

Orthographic Knowledge, and Reading and Spelling: A Longitudinal Study in an Intermediate Depth Orthography

Orthographic knowledge is an important contributor to reading and spelling. However, empirical research is unclear about its long-lasting influence along with literacy development. We examined whether reading and spelling benefitted from an independent contribution of lexical and sublexical orthographic knowledge in European Portuguese, an intermediate depth orthography. This was investigated longitudinally from Grade 2 to 5 with two cohorts of Portuguese children, using common measures of orthographic knowledge, and word and pseudoword reading and spelling tasks. Regression analyses showed that lexical orthographic knowledge assessed at the beginning of Grade 2 predicted word reading at the beginning of Grade 3 (p < .05, variance explained = 6%), word spelling at the end of Grade 2 (p < .05, variance explained = 6%) and pseudoword spelling at the beginning of Grade 3 (p < .05, variance explained = 8%). They also revealed that lexical orthographic knowledge assessed at the beginning of Grade 4 predicted word spelling at the end of Grade 4 (p < .001, variance explained = 21%). Differently, sublexical orthographic knowledge evaluated at the beginning of Grade 2 and of Grade 4 only contributed to pseudoword spelling at the beginning of Grade 3 (p < .01, variance explained = 12%), and to pseudoword reading at the end of Grade 5 (p < .01, variance explained = 9%), respectively. Therefore, orthographic knowledge predicted spelling more often and earlier than reading. Furthermore, the results suggest that the influence of orthographic knowledge may vary during literacy development and, along with findings from other studies, that this influence at the lexical level may depend on orthographic consistency.

The arts in science? Using poetry to teach Chemistry in Grade 9

Modern science education the world over deliberately remains in the objective, rational, positivist paradigm. In South African classrooms, this paradigm is often alienating for young learners who then stop learning science at the end of Grade 9. Literature indicates that an arts-rich education improves learner engagement, attitudes and test scores, as evidenced by science Nobel laureates who engage more with the arts than other scientists. The research reported in this study involved the presentation of a lesson on acids and bases to 222 Grade 9 learners in 4 schools in the greater Tshwane region to establish whether their interest levels in the subject would improve when using a poem and video that characterise, describe and demonstrate scientific concepts. An in-class intervention of 40 minutes was used with identical Likert-scale, pre and post-tests analysed using the Wilcoxon and t-test. The results showed that the arts-rich lesson engaged learners in a manner which holistically improved their interest levels. The results were independent of gender, home language and the type of large, urban, government school that they attended. The results were not significant for the small, semi-rural, private school research site.