Individual Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Predicting Gains in Pre-K Math Skills from Executive Function, Self-regulation, and Language

Fri, March 22, 3:00 to 4:30pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 3, Room 342

Integrative Statement

Identifying factors that relate to acquisition of early math skills is a priority for early care and education given the growing focus on science, technology, engineering and math for society in general. Executive functioning (EF) has been implicated as playing an important role given the need for skills like cognitive flexibility in math (Blair & Razza, 2007), with preschool EF skills predicting math learning in preschool and early elementary years (Fuhs et al., 2014). Closely linked to EF, the ability to regulate classroom behaviors is shown to improve math and other academic skills (Blair et al., 2015). Finally, while less examined, language skills appear to play an important role in preschool acquisition of math skills (Purpura & Ganley, 2014). To date, few studies have examined all three factors simultaneously. The current study seeks to examine the contributions of EF, self-regulation, and language to gains in math skills during the pre-K year.

The sample includes 455 children from 63 rural, state-funded Prekindergarten (pre-K) classrooms. Only children with fall and spring data available were included in analyses (N = 361), 49% of whom were male, 36% were African American, 37% were Hispanic, and 34% were from Spanish-speaking homes (as reported by a parent). EF was assessed in the child’s home language using a Flanker task as a measure of attention and inhibitory control and Dimensional Change Card Sort task as a measure of cognitive flexibility from the NIH toolbox. A self-regulation score was generated with a factor analysis of items from the Teacher-Child Rating Scales (TCRS) and the Learning Behaviors Scale (LBS), which were both completed by each child’s teacher. Language skills were assessed using the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) in the child’s home language (English or Spanish). Math skills were examined with the Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems subtest.

To examine these associations and account for nesting within classrooms, two types of HLM analyses using raw or w scores were conducted, each of which accounted for nesting of children in classrooms. Model 1 (Table 2) included the child’s fall math skills as a covariate and spring math scores from fall EF, language, and self-regulation skills, with gender, home language, and age at entry to PK included as covariates. Results suggest residualized gains on WJ AP were significantly larger when children entered PK with higher language skills and cognitive flexibility and marginally larger when they entered with higher levels of self-regulation.

Model 2 (Table 2) predicted change in math skills from change in executive function, self-regulation, and language skills. This technique is more rigorous in that it reduces potential selection bias. Results from these analyses support the conclusion that gains in language skills predict gains in math skills. Neither gains in EF skills nor self-regulation were related to gains in math skills.

These results suggest that language skills should be included in models examining the effect of EF and self-regulation on pre-K math skill acquisition, and that language may be a school readiness skill to target during the pre-K year.

Authors