Effects of Early Intervention on Intellectual and Academic Achievement: A Follow-up Study of Children from Low-Income Families

Follow-up data, obtained 4–7 years after intervention ended, are presented for the Carolina Abecedarian Project, an experimental study of early childhood educational intervention for children from poverty families. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention conditions: educational treatment from infancy through 3 years in public school (up to age 8); preschool treatment only (infancy to age 5); primary school treatment only (age 5–8 years), or an untreated control group. Positive effects of preschool treatment on intellectual development and academic achievement were maintained through age 12. School-age treatment alone was less effective. Results generally supported an intensity hypothesis in that scores on cognitive and academic achievement measures increased as duration of treatment increased.     

Effects of an Early Family Intervention on Children's Memory: The Mediating Effects of Cortisol Levels

Developmental psychologists have long been concerned with the ways that early adversity influences children's long-term outcomes. In the current study, activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis of medically at-risk (e.g., preterm) infants was measured as a result of maternal participation in a novel cognitively based home visitation program (versus a Healthy Start home visitation program). Maternal participation in the cognitive intervention predicted lower basal cortisol levels among infants—with reduced levels of maternal avoidance/withdrawal serving as a mediator of this relation. Lower cortisol levels in infancy, in turn, predicted higher verbal short-term memory (STM) at age 3. STM represents a cognitive ability that has importance for children's later educational outcomes. Findings provide experimental evidence concerning the pathway by which an early intervention may produce hormonal changes that can, in turn, influence children's learning outcomes.     

Intervention with preterms: Is it educational enough?

Preterm infants are at risk for developmental deviances, both in the motor and the social realms. The need for interventions in preterms has been long recognized, resulting in various approaches. The most telling criticism of these intervention studies is the lack of theoretical models, which could provide guidance in the what, when, where and how of intervention. Two recent developmental theories are described that may fill this need, the first a general developmental theory, the dynamic systems approach, and the other a more educational perspective of development elaborated by Valsiner from the work of Vygotsky. These theories can be integrated resulting in a theoretical perspective with didactical implications. This approach makes it possible to predict an effect of intervention on specific functions at specific points in development, which can be subsequently measured. It stresses the highly interrelated character of infant and parental parameters and plies for multi-perspective and longitudinal research with more attention to the specific didactical functions in parental behaviour.     

The use of the McCarthy scales of children's abilities to assess moderately mentally retarded children

The performance of a sample of moderately mentally retarded children on the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was investigated by comparing their obtained mental age (MA) scores with their Stanford-Binet MAs and Minnesota Child Development Inventory (MCDI) developmental ages (DAs). All three MA estimates correlated significantly, and there were no significant differences among mean MAs. However, valid MSCA Index scores could not be obtained for these moderately retarded children, using the current normative tables. Therefore, the MSCA cannot be recommended for measuring the intellectual level of retarded children for educational classification purposes.     

Opportunities for Neurodevelopmental Plasticity From Infancy Through Early Adulthood

Multiple and rapid changes in brain development occur in infancy and early childhood that undergird behavioral development in core domains. The period of adolescence also carries a second influx of growth and change in the brain to support the unique developmental tasks of adolescence. This special section documents two core conclusions from multiple studies. First, evidence for change in brain‐based metrics that underlie cognitive and behavioral functions are not limited to narrow windows in development, but are evident from infancy into early adulthood. Second, the specific evident changes are unique to challenges and goals that are salient for a respective developmental period. These brain‐based changes interface with environmental inputs, whether from the child's broader ecology or at an individual level.     

Early Peer Interaction: A Research Agenda

We propose and discuss several hypotheses concerning the unique developmental status of peer relations in the first three years of life. We then suggest how these developmental differences might translate into hypotheses regarding early individual differences. The integrating questions revolve around whether individual differences in toddler and early preschool peer relations mean the same thing to young children as they do to older children, and whether they carry the same weight and serve the same functions in toddler peer groups as in peer groups among older children. Specifically, we suggest three ways that peer relations in the first three years are fundamentally different from later childhood peer relations: 1) they are likely to be more directly linked to and determined by temperament and attachment relationships; 2) limits in self and other understanding in the early years we likely to constrain both individual interaction skills and the formation of relationships with peers; 3) because emotion regulation in very young children is different from childhood emotion regulation, its role in governing peer relations will likely be different as well. Together, these proposals lead to the conclusion that individual differences in toddler peer relations must carry different meaning than in later childhood. A developmental perspective on individual differences suggests both continuities and discontinuities between toddler peer relations and childhood peer relations, and we offer several predictions.     

Early Peer Interaction: A Research Agenda

We propose and discuss several hypotheses concerning the unique developmental status of peer relations in the first three years of life. We then suggest how these developmental differences might translate into hypotheses regarding early individual differences. The integrating questions revolve around whether individual differences in toddler and early preschool peer relations mean the same thing to young children as they do to older children, and whether they carry the same weight and serve the same functions in toddler peer groups as in peer groups among older children. Specifically, we suggest three ways that peer relations in the first three years are fundamentally different from later childhood peer relations: 1) they are likely to be more directly linked to and determined by temperament and attachment relationships; 2) limits in self and other understanding in the early years we likely to constrain both individual interaction skills and the formation of relationships with peers; 3) because emotion regulation in very young children is different from childhood emotion regulation, its role in governing peer relations will likely be different as well. Together, these proposals lead to the conclusion that individual differences in toddler peer relations must carry different meaning than in later childhood. A developmental perspective on individual differences suggests both continuities and discontinuities between toddler peer relations and childhood peer relations, and we offer several predictions.     

The construction of experience: a longitudinal study of representation and behavior

Continuity in relationship representation and developmental links between relationship representation and behavior from infancy to late adolescence were examined using longitudinal data from a risk sample (N = 185). Significant correlations were found among diverse representational assessments (e.g., interview, drawing, projective narrative) and between representational and concurrent observational measures of relationship functioning. Structural equation models were analyzed to investigate the relations among caregiving experience in infancy; relationship representation and experience in early childhood, middle childhood, and early adolescence; and socioemotional functioning in adolescence. A model representing interactive contributions of representational and behavioral experience represented the data significantly better than a model representing noninteractive contributions. Findings support an organizational developmental view that socioemotional adaptation arises from the progressive construction of mutually informing expectations and experience.     

Recognizing early childhood as a critical time for developing and supporting self-regulation

Metacognition and Learning - Research in educational and developmental psychology offers evidence that children are developing basic capacities (i.e., executive functions) for self-regulating long...     

Promoting the development of resilient academic functioning in maltreated children

This study examined (a) the extent of heterogeneity in the patterns of developmental trajectories of language development and academic functioning in children who have experienced maltreatment, (b) how maltreatment type (i.e., neglect or physical abuse) and timing of abuse explained variation in developmental trajectories, and (c) the extent to which individual protective factors (i.e., preschool attendance, prosocial skills), relationship protective factors (i.e., parental warmth, absence of past-year depressive episode, cognitive/verbal responsiveness) and community protective factors (i.e., neighborhood safety) promoted the development of resilient language/academic functioning trajectories. Longitudinal data analyses were conducted using cohort sequential Growth Mixture Model (CS-GMM) with a United States national representative sample of children reported to Child Protective Services (n = 1,776). Five distinct developmental trajectories from birth to age 10 were identified including two resilient groups. Children who were neglected during infancy/toddlerhood or physically abused during preschool age were more likely to be in the poorer language/academic functioning groups (decreasing/recovery/decreasing and high decreasing) than the resilient high stable group. Child prosocial skills, caregiver warmth, and caregiver cognitive stimulation significantly predicted membership in the two resilient academic functioning groups (low increasing and high stable), after controlling for demographics and child physical abuse and neglect. Results suggest that it is possible for a maltreated child to successfully achieve competent academic functioning, despite the early adversity, and identifies three possible avenues of intervention points. This study also makes a significant contribution to the field of child development research through the novel use of CS-GMM, which has implications for future longitudinal data collection methodology.     

The stability of attachment security from infancy to adolescence and early adulthood: general discussion

For over three decades, critics of the developmental and psychometric paradigms have argued that individual differences are neither stable, coherent, nor clinically significant. The present studies extend a long line of research demonstrating the coherence of individual development in attachment security. They make it clear that attachment security can be stable from infancy through early adulthood and that change in attachment security is meaningfully related to changes in the family environment. The task now is to better understand the roles of cross-age consistency in caregiver behavior and the structure of mental representations of early experience in stability and change.     

Learning novel phonological representations in developmental dyslexia: associations with basic auditory processing of rise time and phonological awareness

Across languages, children with developmental dyslexia are known to have impaired lexical phonological representations. Here, we explore associations between learning new phonological representations, phonological awareness, and sensitivity to amplitude envelope onsets (rise time). We show that individual differences in learning novel phonological representations are related to individual differences in both rise time categorization and rise time discrimination when non-verbal IQ and short-term memory skills are controlled. This is consistent with the developmental claim that difficulties in the basic auditory processing of rise time cause difficulties in setting up the phonological lexicon from infancy, leading to impairments in phonological awareness.     

Long-term hospitalization of failure-to-thrive infants: Developmental outcome at three years

The present study documented later developmental outcome in a group of 29 failure-to-thrive (FTT) infants who received extended hospitalization in infancy as an intervention for their growth failure. All infants were seen at approximately 3 years of age and were given standardized assessments of intellectual and physical development. A standard interview documented demographic variables, health problems, placements subsequent to hospitalization and additional psychological and medical treatment. Infants were divided into three groups dependent on medical and treatment factors. Means and percentages of occurrence of outcome variables were compared through either one-way ANOVAS or single sample chi-square tests with post hoc analyses. Correlational analyses were used to understand the relationships between outcome and relevant demographic, medical, and treatment variables. In general, the infants manifest persistent intellectual delays at follow-up despite maintenance of weight gains achieved during early hospitalization. More than half the group suffered from chronic health problems. A large percentage of infants had been removed from parental custody at the time of follow-up. Several demographic, medical, and treatment factors bore moderate relationships to developmental outcome. Infants who achieved more optimal growth tended to be full-term at birth, later born and without a question of physical abuse in their social histories. Intellectual functioning was related only to parental and caretaker socioeconomic status. Infants placed in foster care were unlikely to return to their families of origin. The findings suggest the need for further investigation into the determinants and outcome of extended hospitalization as a treatment for FTT.     

脑的可塑性研究及其对教育的启示

大脑是一个复杂而动态的系统,受学习、训练以及各种经验等因素的影响,其结构和功能都会出现动态的修复或重组,也就是体现出所谓的可塑性。当前认知神经科学研究表明,在个体发展的生命全程中枢神经系统都具有一定的可塑性,如儿童大脑、成人大脑以及非正常人大脑均具有可塑性。由于在个体发展的不同阶段可塑性是动态变化的,而且不同脑区在不同时间其功能活性以及可塑性本身也不一样,所以,在制定相关的教育方案或干预措施时,必须综合考虑影响大脑可塑性的这些因素,加强教育的针对性和实效性,实现科学的保护脑、使用脑、开发脑;充分利用大脑的可塑性,重视早期教育;提供丰富而适宜的教育环境,全面开发大脑的潜能,促进大脑的整合式发展;全面了解影响大脑可塑性的因素,寻求大脑可塑性与教育的最佳结合点。     

Executive functions in learning processes: Do they benefit from physical activity?

As executive functions play an essential role in learning processes, approaches capable of enhancing executive functioning are of particular interest to educational psychology. Recently, the hypothesis has been advanced that executive functioning may benefit from changes in neurobiological processes induced by physical activity. The present research explored this hypothesis by systematically identifying and reviewing intervention studies targeting the relationship between physical activity and executive functions, distinguishing between different types of intervention and of executive function. The review found considerable evidence for beneficial effects of physical activity on executive functions, with performance benefitting more consistently in inhibition tasks than in dual task coordination, shifting tasks, or combined tasks. Possible physiological explanations are discussed. Open questions for application and future research concern the sustainability of effects, the design of physical activity interventions, and the role of individual differences. Possible interventions applicable to educational settings are discussed.     

On the Relevance of Research Findings in Cognitive Neuroscience to Educational Practice

In their target article, Byrnes and Fox (1998) argue that many of the recent findings from the field of cognitive neuroscience have particular importance for education. In our commentary, we lend support to their contention by reporting on some of our work that has potential relevance to the proposed interface between cognitive neuroscience and education. Specifically, we discuss the findings from several studies investigating the neuropsychology of intellectual giftedness, and sex differences in the brain, each of which suggest a unique functional organization that differentiates gifted from average ability adolescents, as well as males from females. We further propose that the translation of cognitive neuroscience findings into specialized classroom instructional methods which capitalize on the plasticity of the brain, as well as the apparent individual differences in its functional organization, may be the most significant challenge facing those in the front-lines of educational practice.     

A comparison of European American and Puerto Rican parents’ goals and expectations about the socialization and education of pre‐school children

This article identifies similarities and differences between Head Start parents of European American and Puerto Rican backgrounds regarding their socialization goals and expectations concerning the early educational experiences of their pre‐school children. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 60 parents (30 European American and 30 Puerto Rican) in their homes. The results show that both groups of parents valued pro‐social skills, school readiness skills, and skills related to good behaviour. Both sets of parents considered creative and physical skills to be least important. However, differences between groups were found regarding the relative importance of skills in the different developmental domains. The findings suggest that to maximize the effects of early childhood programmes and interventions it is important that educators and policy makers recognize and respond to differences in parents’ goals and expectations.     

A longitudinal study of negative emotional states and adjustment from early childhood through adolescence

The relations among various negative emotional and behavioral characteristics (e.g., aggression, anxiety, undercompliance, depressive mood) and adjustment were examined through use of data from the 31-year-old New York Longitudinal Study. 75 white, middle-class children were rated on these negative characteristics from infancy to adolescence. Measures of family, peer, and personal adjustment were also obtained. Because of the longitudinal nature of the data, we were able to use structural equation models to address the following questions: (1) How stable are these negative behaviors from early life through adolescence? (2) What is the degree of relation between these emotional characteristics and adjustment in childhood and adolescence? and (3) To what degree do these emotional characteristics differentially predict multiple adjustment dimensions in adolescence? 2 factors of negative emotional behavior, labeled as Aggression and Affect, respectively, were identified in early and late childhood and were found to have relatively high stability of individual differences. Aggression significantly predicted adolescent maladjustment, whereas Affect had no independent prediction of maladjustment. Moreover, emotional problems provided better prediction of adolescent adjustment problems than did earlier childhood adjustment ratings.