A predictive validity study of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children with the California Achievement Test

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) was administered to 44 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-grade students. Six months later, all students received the California Achievement Test (CAT). Significant positive correlations were obtained between K-ABC variables and CAT scores. CAT subtest scores and total score correlated higher with the K-ABC ACHV scale than with the K-ABC SEQ, SIM, or MPC scales on 8 of the 12 comparisons. The results support the predictive utility of the K-ABC, and also provide support for the differential validity of the K-ABC achievement vs. mental processing scales.     

Validation of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children with a sample of preschool children

The validity of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) (Kaufman & Kaufman, 1983) was investigated with a sample of preschool-age children. The sample consisted of 50 subjects aged 21/2 through 4 who were distributed roughly equally by age, sex, and race according to the 1980 census. The validity of the K-ABC was examined using the Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) (Slosson, 1982) and the Classroom Behavior Inventory-Preschool Form (CBI) (Schaefer & Edgerton, 1978) as criterion measures. The SIT and CBI-Preschool Form Verbal Intelligence Scale were found to correlate significantly (p<.01) with the global scales of the K-ABC. The K-ABC did not differentiate between age or sex groups, but blacks scored lower than whites. The findings are supportive of previous validity studies (Kaufman & Kaufman, 1983) and two-factor theories of intelligence (e.g., Das, Kirby, & Jarman, 1975).     

A comparison of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and the Stanford-Binet IV for the assessment of gifted children

The K-ABC and the Stanford-Binet IV (abbreviated test battery) were administered in a counterbalanced order to 32 gifted third- and fourth-grade students. It was found that the Stanford-Binet IV produced scores that were an average of eight points higher than those on the K-ABC. The concurrent validity coefficient of .70 indicated a high degree of association between test performance on these two tests. When the diagnostic heuristic of +2 SDs is used to identify gifted children, 68.6% concordance was found between these tests. Eighty percent of the discordance involved cases in which the Binet IQ was above +2 SDs and the K-ABC was below +2 SDs. Implication for the assessment of gifted children is discussed.     

Convergent and discriminant validity of the mental processing scales of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

Convergent and discriminant validity of the Mental Processing Scales of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) were examined using 51 first-grade children. Convergent validity was assessed using the Reading Recognition and Comprehension subtests of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. Discriminant validity was assessed using a measure of anxiety/self-esteem, the Child Anxiety Scale, and a measure of hyperactive behavior, the Hyperactivity scale of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Results supported the convergent validity of the K-ABC; correlations with reading achievement were fairly large. The discriminant validity received only partial support. The K-ABC did not correlate with the Child Anxiety Scale, but did show rather large correlations with the measure of hyperactive behavior. Implications for understanding what the K-ABC Mental Processing Scales are measuring are discussed.     

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) in the assessment of learning disabled children

The authors of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) assert that, in addition to a discrepancy between learning potential and academic achievement, learning disability is characterized by poor sequential relative to simultaneous processing skills. The present study was designed to determine whether the K-ABC could discriminate between learning disabled and normal children on the basis of these characteristics. Forty-three LD pupils from 7 to 12 years of age and 20 normally achieving children of similar age were administered the K-ABC. Results indicated that, for both the LD and the normal children, scores on the Sequential Processing Scale were significantly lower than on the Simultaneous Processing Scale. In addition, the aiscrepancy between Simultaneous and Sequential scale scores was similarly distributed in both groups. The LD group scored lower and the normal group higher on the Achievement Scale than on the Mental Processing Composite. The results, therefore, indicated that the K-ABC differentiated LD from normal children in terms of Achievement relative to M.P.C. scores; however, it failed to reveal a unique profile pattern related to simultaneous vs. sequential processing skills for the LD group. Further analyses of the relationship between K-ABC processing scale scores and WISC-R scores, as recategorized by Bannatyne, revealed significant correlations between measures, indicating similar underlying theoretical constructs.     

Increasing the Reliability of Ability-Achievement Difference Scores: An Example Using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

In this study, we focused on increasing the reliability of ability-achievement difference scores using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC) as an example. Ability-achievement difference scores are often used as indicators of learning disabilities, but when they are derived from traditional equally weighted ability and achievement scores, they have suboptimal psychometric properties because of the high correlations between the scores. As an alternative to equally weighted difference scores, we examined an orthogonal reliable component analysis, (RCA) solution and an oblique principal component analysis (PCA) solution for the standardization sample of the KABC (among 5- to 12-year-olds). The components were easily identifiable as the simultaneous processing, sequential processing, and achievement constructs assessed by the KABC. As judged via the score intercorrelations, all three types of scores had adequate convergent validity, while the orthogonal RCA scores had superior discriminant validity, followed by the oblique PCA scores. Differences between the orthogonal RCA scores were more reliable than differences between the oblique PCA scores, which were in turn more reliable than differences between the traditional equally weighted scores. The increased reliability with which the KABC differences are assessed with the orthogonal RCA method has important practical implications, including narrower confidence intervals around difference scores used in individual administrations of the KABC.     

Sense of School Community for Preschool Teachers Serving At-Risk Children

Research Findings: Challenging the development of high-quality preschool education is the instability of the preschool teacher workforce, blamed in part on workplace conditions including isolationism, perceived lack of career reward, and lack of preparation. Little attention has been given to whether a preschool's organizational climate can mitigate these challenges, despite demonstrated workplace climate effects on teachers' attitudes, commitment, and practices in kindergarten–Grade 12 teachers. This study investigated preschool teachers' perceptions of a positive workplace climate (i.e., sense of school community); predictors of these perceptions (teacher qualifications and organizational features); and relationships among teachers' sense of community, classroom teaching quality, and attitudes toward teaching in a sample of 68 preschool teachers serving at-risk 4-year-olds. Overall, teachers provided high ratings for their sense of school community, although moderate interprogram variability and moderately large to large intraprogram variability existed. Teacher qualifications and preschool affiliation did not predict teachers' sense of community, but preschool size predicted perceptions of collegial support. Perception of collegial support and program influence was significantly related to positive attitudes toward teaching; only perceptions of program influence were related to classroom quality. Practice or Policy: We discuss the potentially important role of work environment in bolstering the quality and stability of the preschool teacher workforce.     

Profile analysis of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children,Second Edition,with African American and Caucasian preschool children

This study used profile analysis to investigate the interpretability of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC‐II), in terms of the Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll (CHC) theory among ethnically diverse preschool children. Forty‐nine African American and 49 Caucasian preschool children from a Midwestern city were included in the study and were matched for age, sex, and level of parental education. The profile analysis examining CHC broad abilities showed that the African American and Caucasian preschool children had similar patterns of highs and lows and performed at the same level with no significant difference between the two groups in their overall mean IQ. Profile analysis of the KABC‐II subtests found that although the African American and Caucasian groups performed overall at a similar level, they did not show the same pattern of highs and lows in subtest performance. Specifically, Caucasian preschoolers scored significantly higher than their African American counterparts on the Expressive Vocabulary subtest. Overall, the two groups displayed remarkably similar performance on the KABC‐II. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A Study of the Development of the Concept of Mechanical Stability in Preschool Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether preschool children (aged 4.5–6 years) can construct the concept of mechanical stability through structured hands-on activities involving the building of a tower on an inclined plane and through the use of cans of various sizes and weights. The data derived mainly from direct observation and the visual component of video tape recordings of thirty-seven children. These children formed three treatment groups which participated in structured-guided, structured-unguided and unstructured-unguided activities respectively. There is strong evidence that appropriately structured activities involving children's action on objects and the objects immediate reaction, as well as children's opportunity to vary this action, complemented with a scaffolding strategy can help children construct the concept of mechanical stability and apply it in other similar contexts. The paper also presents a theoretical framework for the teaching and learning of physics in the early years.     

略论学前儿童养成教育

中国现今对于养成教育还存在着普遍重视不够、教育方法简单、理论不够深入、研究结果实践性不强的问题。通过分析,从实效性方面探究养成教育的方式,为开辟儿童养成教育的新思路提供帮助。     

Effects of a Computer-Based Early Reading Program on the Early Reading and Oral Language Skills of At-Risk Preschool Children

This study examined the effects of a computer-based early reading program (Headsprout Early Reading) on the oral language and early reading skills of at-risk preschool children. In a pretest–posttest control group design, 62 children were randomly assigned to receive supplemental instruction with Headsprout Early Reading (experimental group) or Millie's Math House (control group) for 30 min each school day for 8 weeks. Children using Headsprout Early Reading made greater gains in early reading skills as measured by the Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA-3), F(1, 59) = 39.35, p < 0.01, and in oral language skills as measured by the Test of Language Development-Primary (TOLD-P:3), F(1, 59) = 37.03, p < 0.01. Effect sizes were large for the gains in both measures (TERA-3, η² = 0.24; TOLD-P:3, η² = 0.17). Teachers' responses to an open-ended interview indicated that the program was perceived as a desirable instructional aid. Educational considerations for preventing future reading difficulties and issues about implementation integrity are discussed.     

提高自闭症幼儿装扮游戏能力的教育干预研究

为探索提高自闭症幼儿装扮游戏能力的教育干预方法和途径 ,采用了变异 -个案研究法 ,对两名实际年龄为 5 9、6 1个月 ,心理年龄为 30、31个月的自闭症幼儿 ,进行了为时 11个月的教育干预研究。通过量和质的分析检验 ,证明了教育干预的有效性。结果表明 ,教师和家长以及同伴与自闭症幼儿能每天在一起进行 30 - 40分钟的装扮游戏 ,并在这个过程中给予积极的情感支持和鼓励行为 ,能有效地促进自闭症幼儿装扮游戏水平的提高。     

从儿童发展视角看学前儿童玩具的设计和选择

儿童的生活离不开玩具.儿童在身体发育、认知发展等方面与成人明显不同,在探索玩具方面具有独特性.在为学前儿童设计、选择玩具时要注意玩具的年龄适宜性和年龄跨度,重视对儿童非言语指标的观察和评估,以便为儿童提供符合其发展需要的玩具,促进儿童发展.     

视力障碍儿童学前教育课程设置探索

学前教育对于残疾人的终生发展具有重要意义."十五"期间,国家明确提出在大中城市和经济发达的农村地区,残疾儿童学前教育水平要有大幅度提高.本文从叙述我国视障儿童学前教育发展滞后的现状入手,阐述了视障儿童学前教育课程内容的基本特性;并拟订了在当前国情下,内地盲校开展视障儿童学前教育(一年制)应当设置的课程内容.     

阅读障碍的生理机制及其高危儿童的早期筛选

阅读障碍是最普遍的学习障碍,具有复杂的生理机制.从发展认知神经科学视角简述了阅读障碍生理机制研究进展,指出语音加工缺陷是阅读障碍的普遍潜在机制.重点介绍了阅读障碍高危儿童早期筛选的行为学及事件相关电位(ERP)方法.研究表明,MMN可以作为阅读障碍高危儿童筛选的ERP候选指标.通过将行为学和ERP技术相整合,有助于在学前阶段发现阅读障碍高危儿童,并及时根据神经可塑性原理对其实施早期干预,从而获得最佳的矫治效果.     

Preschool Student Learning in Literacy and Mathematics: Impact of Teacher Experience,Qualifications, and Beliefs on an At-Risk Sample

Few studies investigating the impacts of teacher characteristics and beliefs about the importance of early skill learning have included measures of children's learning outcomes. This study investigated how teachers' educational attainment, experience, and beliefs impact the development of letter identification and number concepts (enumeration, cardinality, and numeral identification). One hundred thirty-eight 4-year-old children from low-income homes attending public preschool programs were the focus of a study based on findings that early learning is impacted by family characteristics and teachers' perceptions of children's eagerness to learn (West, Denton, & Germino Hausken, 2000 West, J., Denton, K. and Hausken, Germino E. 2000. America's Kindergartners (NCES 2000–070), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics..  [Google Scholar]). Children's skills were assessed fall and spring, with more change found in spring measures of letter identification than in measures of number concept skills. Teachers' educational attainment was found to strongly influence development of letter identification, with teacher experience a weaker influence. For number concepts, teacher education and experience were equivalent influences. Teachers' beliefs about literacy and mathematics were weakly related to children's learning outcomes, but added to the variance accounted for beyond the influence of teacher education and experience in the development of numeral recognition. More information is needed from studies focusing on children learning across the school year on how structural and process features influence young children's learning.     

Vocabulary Assessment of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children From Infancy Through the Preschool Years

The purpose of this article is to inform researchers and practitioners about potential challenges in the selection, administration, and interpretation of results of measures of vocabulary assessment when working with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. This article reviews methods that can be used to assess vocabulary of children through the age of 5 years, including naturalistic observation, parent report measures, and standardized vocabulary tests. The authors also describe procedures to assess word-learning processes available to children to facilitate vocabulary acquisition. General cautions regarding the use of assessment tools with deaf and hard-of-hearing children are reviewed, as well as cautions for specific assessment measures. Finally, based on available research, suggestions are offered regarding what each assessment test can tell us about deaf and hard-of-hearing children's vocabulary development.     

学前儿童修辞性语言的出现与培养

修辞性语言代表语言运用的高位水平,修辞的运用有利于儿童认知、情感及审美的发展,并能为其社会性发展创造更为有利的情境,应将之作为儿童语言教育目标的重要组成部分。学前儿童已经能够运用真正的修辞性语言,为促进其修辞能力的发展,教师应做到顺应儿童修辞天赋与提供适当刺激的统一,引导儿童分析语言外在形式与感受内在意蕴的统一,鼓励儿童自由使用语言与培养其“择语“意识的统一。