Associations Between Use of Scaffolds and Preschooler’s Accuracy and Working Memory During Early Geometry Instruction

• In Event: Novel Approaches to Strengthening Young Children's Math and Executive Functioning Skills

Abstract

Children with strong early math and executive function (EF) skills are more successful throughout their schooling (e.g., Duncan et al., 2007) and providing high-quality math instruction in early childhood may simultaneously support the development of both (Clements et al., 2016). A Vygotskian (1978) approach suggests that high-quality instruction is focused on having children learn in their zone of proximal development (ZPD) by providing support or scaffolding for children to accomplish challenging tasks. Vygotsky’s theory further stresses the importance of speech as a tool for transferring knowledge and providing scaffolding. In the present study, we examine how adjusting the difficulty of instruction (through providing more or less challenging problems) and provision of scaffolding through questioning is related to children’s accuracy and use of working memory during early geometry instruction.

A team of experts selected What Shape am I Touching (WSAIT) as an activity with the potential to support both early geometry and EF. WSAIT involves children taking turns feeling foam shapes hidden inside a box and identifying them by either matching them to visible, model shapes (easiest, matching version), naming them (intermediate, naming version) or describing their characteristics so their partner can name them (most challenging, describing version). The team then reviewed and included suggestions for scaffolding children’s engagement with the math content and/or EF during the activity (Table 1). Teachers were also able to adjust the difficulty of the game to an appropriate level for the dyad by using the different versions of the game and by selecting more or less challenging shapes.

From January through April, teacher-researchers (n = 3) videotaped themselves implementing the activity with dyads (n = 15) of preschoolers. A team of research assistants coded the use of scaffolds, children’s response accuracy, and instances of children demonstrating low, medium, or high working memory (Cohen’s  = .84 for scaffolds, Cohen’s  = .90 for accuracy, and Cohen’s  = .85 for EF). We used linear regression models, using session-level data (n = 102) with standard errors corrected to account for the covariance of sessions nested within dyads, to examine associations between teachers’ adjustment of challenge and use of questioning and children’s accurate or inaccurate responses and observed working memory.

Regression results (Table 2) indicated that increased use of all versions of the game, as well as asking “how do you know” questions, were associated with more accurate responding. Furthermore, the naming version of the game was associated with lower observed working memory while asking “how do you know” questions was associated with observations of moderate working memory. Finally, easier (exemplar) shapes were associated with higher frequencies of observations of high working memory and conversely more challenging (variant) shapes were associated with less frequent observations of high working memory. Results suggest that adjusting the challenge of early geometry instruction through the use or more or less challenging problems as well as scaffolding may support children’s math and EF learning, although the lack of temporal sequencing in analysis limits our ability to conclude the direction of influence.

Authors

• Christina Mulcahy, University of Denver
  Presenting Author

• Holland Banse, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
  Non-Presenting Author

• Douglas H Clements, University of Denver
  Non-Presenting Author

• Crystal A Day-Hess, University of Denver
  Non-Presenting Author