Age of Entry to Kindergarten and Children's Academic Achievement and Socioemotional Development

Research Findings: Data on more than 900 children participating in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care were analyzed to examine the effect of age of entry to kindergarten on children's functioning in early elementary school. Children's academic achievement and socioemotional development were measured repeatedly from the age of 54 months through 3rd grade. With family background factors and experience in child care in the first 54 months of life controlled, hierarchical linear modeling (growth curve) analysis revealed that children who entered kindergarten at younger ages had higher (estimated) scores in kindergarten on the Woodcock—Johnson (W-J) Letter-Word Recognition subtest but received lower ratings from kindergarten teachers on Language and Literacy and Mathematical Thinking scales. Furthermore, children who entered kindergarten at older ages evinced greater increases over time on 4 W-J subtests (i.e., Letter-Word Recognition, Applied Problems, Memory for Sentences, Picture Vocabulary) and outperformed children who started kindergarten at younger ages on 2 W-J subtests in 3rd grade (i.e., Applied Problems, Picture Vocabulary). Age of entry proved unrelated to socioemotional functioning.

Practice: The fact that age-of-entry effects were small in magnitude and dwarfed by other aspects of children's family and child care experiences suggests that age at starting school should not be regarded as a major determinant of children's school achievement, but that it may merit consideration in context with other probably more important factors (e.g., child's behavior and abilities).     

Regulatory Contributors to Children's Kindergarten Achievement

The present study sought to examine whether preschool children's emotion regulation, problem behaviors, and kindergarten behavioral self-regulation in the classroom were predictors of kindergarten achievement scores. The children (N = 122, 47% male and 63% European American) who were participating in an ongoing longitudinal study, were seen at both a preschool and kindergarten assessment. The present study examined the relation between parent report, teacher report, and laboratory measures of regulation and children's achievement test scores. Children's emotion regulation and behavioral self-regulation in the classroom were related to all measures of achievement. The relation between preschool emotion regulation and kindergarten achievement was mediated by behavioral self-regulation in the kindergarten classroom. In addition, all measures of regulation were correlated, suggesting that some children who have difficulty regulating their behavior in one setting (such as home) may also have difficulty with regulation in other settings (such as school).     

Regulatory Contributors to Children's Kindergarten Achievement

The present study sought to examine whether preschool children's emotion regulation, problem behaviors, and kindergarten behavioral self-regulation in the classroom were predictors of kindergarten achievement scores. The children (N = 122, 47% male and 63% European American) who were participating in an ongoing longitudinal study, were seen at both a preschool and kindergarten assessment. The present study examined the relation between parent report, teacher report, and laboratory measures of regulation and children's achievement test scores. Children's emotion regulation and behavioral self-regulation in the classroom were related to all measures of achievement. The relation between preschool emotion regulation and kindergarten achievement was mediated by behavioral self-regulation in the kindergarten classroom. In addition, all measures of regulation were correlated, suggesting that some children who have difficulty regulating their behavior in one setting (such as home) may also have difficulty with regulation in other settings (such as school).     

Kindergarten Children's Executive Functions Predict Their Second-Grade Academic Achievement and Behavior

Whether and to what extent kindergarten children's executive functions (EF) constitute promising targets of early intervention is currently unclear. This study examined whether kindergarten children's EF predicted their second-grade academic achievement and behavior. This was done using (a) a longitudinal and nationally representative sample (N = 8,920, M_age = 97.6 months), (b) multiple measures of EF, academic achievement, and behavior, and (c) extensive statistical control including for domain-specific and domain-general lagged dependent variables. All three measures of EF—working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control—positively and significantly predicted reading, mathematics, and science achievement. In addition, inhibitory control negatively predicted both externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors. Children's EF constitute promising targets of experimentally evaluated interventions for increasing academic and behavioral functioning.     

Children's Competencies in Process Skills in Kindergarten and Their Impact on Academic Achievement in Third Grade

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factorial structure of kindergarten children's mathematics and science process skills and the impact of children's competencies in process skills on their performance on mathematics and science achievement tests in 3rd grade. A subset of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten cohort data set (n = 8,731) was analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling. Results demonstrated that science and mathematics process skills were highly related at the construct level but not at the indicator level, as was anticipated. Kindergarten children's competency in mathematics process skills was a strong predictor of their performance on science and mathematics achievement tests in the 3rd grade. However, children's competency in science process skills was only a significant predictor of their performance on a science achievement test in the 3rd grade. Moreover, socioeconomic status and gender were statistically significant predictors of process skills and performance on achievement tests. Practice or Policy: The findings of the present study suggest that the development of children's science and mathematics process skills should be supported utilizing integrated inquiry-based science and mathematics activities to help children recognize the connection between mathematics and science and to contribute to their science and mathematics achievement in later grades.     

幼儿的入园焦虑及其影响因素

梯度入园模式能够在一定程度上缓解幼儿的入园焦虑,但幼儿个体差异较显著,尤其表现在入园第一周与家长分离时.本研究以118名新入园的托班幼儿为被试.探讨不同焦虑类型幼儿的分离焦虑水平以及入园前的交往水平对幼儿入园焦虑类型的影响,为缓解幼儿入园焦虑提供应对依据.结果发现:(1)各入园焦虑类型的幼儿按分离焦虑由高到低依次排列是:缠人型、狂暴型、封闭型和一般型,前三种类型幼儿的分离焦虑水平显著高于一般型幼儿.(2)幼儿与陌生成人的交往水平显著高于与同伴的交往水平,封闭型幼儿的两种交往水平均显著低于其他类型的幼儿.缓解幼儿的入园焦虑应根据不同类型幼儿的焦虑表现作不同的应对.关注入园前幼儿交往能力的培养,尤其是与同伴交往能力的培养,有助于幼儿更好地适应幼儿园生活.     

Cognitive Control Predicts Academic Achievement in Kindergarten Children

Children's ability to shift behavior in response to changing environmental demands is critical for successful intellectual functioning. While the processes underlying the development of cognitive control have been thoroughly investigated, its functioning in an ecologically relevant setting such as school is less well understood. Given the alarming number of children who face failure in the U.S. school system, the purpose of this project is to determine whether subtly different measures of cognitive control differentially predict academic achievement. Sixty‐five kindergarten children were given two versions of a Dimensional Change Card Sort task—a geometric version followed by a linguistic version. Educational outcomes consisted of a standardized measure of academic achievement as well as assessments used by the school district. Results revealed that cognitive control, particularly as assessed by the linguistic variant, predicted children's academic performance on math and school‐based assessments, thereby suggesting that deficient cognitive control negatively impacts educational success.     

Teacher-Rated Family Involvement and Children's Social and Academic Outcomes in Kindergarten

This study examines the relation between teachers' report of family involvement in school and children's social and academic competencies during kindergarten, after accounting for the contribution of socioeconomic status and early maternal sensitivity. Teachers reported on the family involvement for 223 children. Two dimensions of family involvement with school were measured: families' attitudes toward schools and families' activities with schools. Children's social and academic competence was assessed through classroom observations and teachers' reports. Results describe the contribution of socioeconomic status and maternal sensitivity in predicting some aspects of kindergarten competence, and the association of family involvement and child competence after accounting for these covariates. Findings suggest that teachers' reports of family attitudes are a more consistent predictor of outcomes than teachers' reports of family involvement activities. These findings support the position that families and schools can collaborate and provide a social resource to children in kindergarten.     

创设适宜幼儿独立性发展的幼儿园环境

幼儿独立性是幼儿自我发展的内在动力,是个性品质的基础和关键。3-6岁是幼儿自主性、独立性迅速发展的时期,而幼儿园是培养幼儿独立性的重要场所。幼儿独立性对幼儿未来的发展有着重要的影响。幼儿园的环境分为精神环境和物质环境两种,因此要从这两个环境中培养和促进幼儿独立性的发展。     

家庭文化氛围与子女的学业发展

家庭文化氛围对孩子的学业成绩有重大的影响,因此父母要善于营造家庭良好的文化氛围：精心装扮居室,携同孩子一起学习,与孩子在一起玩出学问,端正自己的言行举止。     

大班幼儿谦让行为的发展现状与培养策略

谦让行为是幼儿的亲社会行为之一,是促进幼儿与他人良好互动的重要途径。研究者选取了武汉市某一幼儿园大班幼儿为研究对象,利用观察法与访谈法,重点考察了大班幼儿谦让行为数量、谦让者性别、谦让对象、谦让行为动机、谦让行为主题内容、表现方式等,进一步整理分析发现大班幼儿的谦让行为呈现如下特点:幼儿谦让行为的动机以非功利型为主;幼儿谦让行为的主题内容以玩具谦让为主;由女孩发起的谦让明显多于由男孩发起的谦让;幼儿谦让行为主要发生在关系较为亲密的同性同伴之间;幼儿谦让行为表现方式以非言语型为主。影响幼儿谦让行为的因素主要有幼儿自身因素、活动因素、教师因素。据此,研究者提出促进幼儿谦让行为发展的相关建议。     

Effects of Simulated Interventions to Improve School Entry Academic Skills on Socioeconomic Inequalities in Educational Achievement

Randomized controlled trial evidence shows that interventions before age 5 can improve skills necessary for educational success; the effect of these interventions on socioeconomic inequalities is unknown. Using trial effect estimates, and marginal structural models with data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 11,764, imputed), simulated effects of plausible interventions to improve school entry academic skills on socioeconomic inequality in educational achievement at age 16 were examined. Progressive universal interventions (i.e., more intense intervention for those with greater need) to improve school entry academic skills could raise population levels of educational achievement by 5% and reduce absolute socioeconomic inequality in poor educational achievement by 15%.     

Patterns of Close Relationships and Socioemotional and Academic Adjustment Among School‐Age Children with Learning Disabilities

This study examined patterns of close relationships among school‐age children with learning disabilities (LD) as manifested in their attachment style, their self‐perceived loneliness, their sense of coherence, and teacher ratings of their academic functioning. In line with resilience theory, this study also aimed to further explore predictors of positive adjustment for children with LD. The sample comprised 98 children with LD from regular classes in four Israeli public elementary schools, and 98 non‐LD children from the same classes. Significant group differences emerged in attachment styles and adjustment. Attachment style significantly correlated with socioemotional adjustment but not with academic functioning. In addition, a subgroup of resilient children emerged among the LD children. Discussion focused on the value of attachment patterns for understanding social and emotional adjustment among school‐age children with LD.     

Systems and Cascades in Cognitive Development and Academic Achievement

A large‐scale (N = 552) controlled multivariate prospective 14‐year longitudinal study of a developmental cascade embedded in a developmental system showed that information‐processing efficiency in infancy (4 months), general mental development in toddlerhood (18 months), behavior difficulties in early childhood (36 months), psychometric intelligence in middle childhood (8 years), and maternal education either directly or indirectly (or both) contribute to academic achievement in adolescence (14 years).     

家园合作纠正幼儿不良行为习惯的途径

幼儿健康的生活行为和习惯对于后续的学习和生活具有重要影响.幼儿园和家庭作为儿童成长的主要场所,只有通过家园合作形成正向、积极的教育合力,才能共同帮助儿童养成良好的生活行为习惯.针对影响幼儿不良行为、习惯产生的家庭因素,也需要构建有效的家园合作机制,对幼儿进行补偿性的个别化教育,才能纠正幼儿不良的行为习惯.     

说明性讲述活动与幼儿的学业语言发展

哈佛大学教育研究院的C.E.Snow于2010年提出了“学业语言(Academic Language)”这一概念,并指出学业语言与儿童未来的发展成就相关.研究者详细分析了学业语言对学前儿童发展的重要意义,并试着结合幼儿园的说明性讲述活动,探讨发展幼儿学业语言的可能性以及促进幼儿学业语言发展的策略.     

幼儿园对儿童创造力发展的教育支持质量初探

为调查幼儿园日常教育活动及其环境对幼儿创造力发展的支持状况,对两所幼儿园两个大班的环境创设、集体教学活动及课程设置等方面进行为期两周的观察,研究发现:在环境创设上,幼儿园各区域投放的高结构材料更多,低结构材料不到一半。阅读区不同类型的图书投放比例不均衡,班级图书随时间变化的更换率不高。教师提问以封闭式问题为主,开放性问题偏低。教师简单重复、回避、否定、打断或不理会等无效回应较多。幼儿园的课程结构平均得分处于最低标准与中等水平之间。     

家园通力合作,促进幼儿入园适应——从家长视角得到的启示

本研究通过对家长在幼儿入园前的问卷调查,以及幼儿入园两个月后对家长进行的访谈,深入了解家长对幼儿入园适应的预期及准备情况,以及家长对幼儿园及教师的期望与要求、对幼儿入园适应的担心和适应期过后的看法与感受.在此基础上,研究者对教师应如何协同家长为幼儿入园适应进行准备以及家长应如何与教师进行沟通等方面提出建议.     

Creativity and Academic Achievement

Abstract

The present classroom experiment used an analysis of variance for a 2x3x2 factorial experiment to investigate the relative effectiveness of inductive and deductive methods and to determine interaction among ability, sex, and method variables. Data were derived from a recognition and transfer criterion administered immediately after the 5 week instruction period and 2 weeks later. Obtained F values favored the inductive treatment (p.<.01) in each case and method by sex interaction was noted for the total score variable of the delayed test (p.<.05). It was concluded that the inductive method is superior in the teaching of morphological and syntaxical concepts regardless of Ss’ verbal ability level, and an investigation of the treatment by sex interaction suggests that inductive methods may be more effective with female Ss.