On the association between serial naming speed for letters and digits and word‐reading skill: towards a developmental account

The current study examined several alternative explanations of the association between serial naming speed within fourth‐grade children by determining the extent to which the association between word reading and naming speed for letters and numbers is mediated by global processing speed, alphanumeric symbol processing efficiency and phonological processing ability. Children were given multiple measures of key constructs, i.e. word‐level reading, serial naming of both alphanumeric and non‐alphanumeric items, phonological processing ability, articulation rate and global processing speed. The robust association between alphanumeric naming speed and reading within fourth‐grade children was largely mediated by phonological processing ability. Markedly different patterns of results were observed for naming speed for letters and digits and naming speed for colours and pictures in children of this age. Relative to the latter, alphanumeric naming speed better assesses an underlying phonological processing ability that is common to word‐reading ability. We argue that item identification processes contribute little to individual differences in alphanumeric naming speed within relatively proficient readers and that the extent to which alphanumeric naming speed primarily reflects phonological processing is likely to vary with the level of overlearning of letters and numbers and their names.     

A good measure of safety

Each year, fifteen thousand children die from accidents—more than from cancer, congenital malformations, pneumonia, heart disease, meningitis, and homicide combined. As a day care center provider or a parent, you are responsible for the safety and well-being of children in your care. You need to know how to make your home safe for children and how to prevent accidents. Young children view things as interesting to taste or touch—not as safe or dangerous. Children do not even begin to understand the concept of danger until the age of two. Protecting them is your job. Annette Lubchenco is the principal writer for the Spoonful of Lovin'video series and its Manual for Day Care Providers.This article is excerpted from the Manualthat can be obtained from the Agency for Instructional Television, Box A, Bloomington, IN 47402.     

A comparison of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities with preschool children

The purpose of the present study was to determine the degree to which performance on the McCarthy Scaies of Children's Abilities correlated with performance on the Stanford-Binet for a group of preschoolers. The sample consisted of 44 children ranging in age from 3–11 to 5–4. It was found that the General Cognitive Index scores of the McCarthy Scales correlated well with the Stanford-Binet IQ scores, r^xy = .90. However, 40 of the 44 subjects scored higher on the Stanford-Binet than on the McCarthy Scales.     

Changing school culture： From deficiencies to strengths An intervention study about school culture

This research project focuses on the question： Which effects do teachers＇ attitudes have on students＇ academic self-concept and students＇ competences？ The study is informed by the theoretical perspective that competences and individual skills can be improved especially when students and teachers are confident about the possibility of change of these variables and when teachers make this explicit as a central theme. In our intervention study, we investigate whether a change in the teaching and learning setting （moving from a focus on deficits to a focus on strengths） is able to enhance students＇ academic self-concept and students＇ competences, even across domains.