Investigation of the Development of Pre-Academic Skills for Preschoolers in Head Start

Abstract

This study modeled the time-dependent nature of pre-academic skills development for a multi-lingual sample of 382 preschoolers attending Head Start. A two-slope latent variable model accurately described the trajectories, which included five assessment points obtained throughout the school year for both pre-literacy and pre-numeracy variables. Classroom quality and child demographic variables including age, gender, native language (Spanish or English), and disability status served as predictors of growth. Results revealed a reversal effect such that steeper growth from October to March was offset, although not completely, by less growth from March to May. Similar interaction effects were observed for predictor variables and their interaction terms across the two slopes. IEP status predicted less growth, while Spanish-language status predicted increased growth, despite the fact that both were associated with low initial achievement. The complexity of the relationship between classroom quality, native language, disability status, and pre-academic growth is discussed.     

Trying to Make a Lever Work at Ages 1 to 4: The Development of "Functions" (Logico-mathematical Thinking)

To find out if children could make functions before age 4, 73 children aged 1 to 4 were encouraged to imitate the use of a lever to make a beanbag fly up. Functions are mental relationships that preoperational children can make between 2 things at a time in a unidirectional way (Piaget, Grize, Szeminska, &; Bang, 1968 Piaget, J., Grize, J.-B., Szeminska, A. and Bang, V. B. 1977. Epistemology and psychology of functions, Boston: Dreidel. (Original work published 1968)[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]/1977). The child's construction of the following 3 functions was hypothesized and confirmed: (a) As a function of being pushed down, the up end of the board (the lever) goes down; (b) as a function of this descent, the down end of the board goes up; and (c) as a function of this ascent of the board, the beanbag flies up. Three developmental levels were found, and educational implications are discussed.