Poster #75 - The Relations of Social Skills Subscales and Preschool Math Skills

• In Event: Poster Session 07

Abstract

Researchers and educators alike understand the importance of social skills for children. Previous research has documented associations between social skills and achievement tests and grade point average (Gresham et. al., 2013), as well as with early math skills (Dobbs et al., 2006; Mackintosh & McCoy, 2019; Mackintosh & Rowe, 2021; Oberle et. al., 2014). This study is a direct extension of an earlier study which found social skills to be significantly associated to math skills in the spring of preschool (Zehner et al., in prep). The current study examined how each subscale of social skills (communication, cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, engagement, and self-control) predicted early math skills in preschool. We hypothesized that the learning-related social skills (McClelland & Morrison, 2003) of communication, cooperation, responsibility, engagement, and self-control were more closely associated with early math skills than empathy and assertion in the spring of preschool.

Data came from a state-funded prekindergarten evaluation study. Participants were children (48% female) from three cohorts (N=684) whose ages were 44.84-70.62 months old (M = 57.56 months, SD = 3.76) in the fall of preschool. Children were either enrolled in a state-funded preschool (N=456) or another community preschool (N=228). All children’s families lived at or below 127% of the federal poverty level.

Children were assessed on a large battery of measures in the fall and spring of preschool. Math was assessed using the Preschool Early Numeracy Screener (PENS) to measure early numeracy skills (Purpura et. al., 2015), and social skills was measured using the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSIS; Gresham & Elliot, 2008).

In examining how each social skills subscale predicted early math skills in the spring of preschool, we ran seven multiple regression models with each subscale as the predictors. Since many of the subscales were highly correlated, analyzing all seven in one model flipped the beta coefficients in the negative direction – thus, the need for separate models. We controlled for age, sex, preschool program, monthly family income, cohort, baseline numeracy skills, emergent literacy, executive function, and receptive vocabulary. Results are shown in Table 1. As hypothesized, communication, cooperation, and responsibility were significantly associated with early math skills. Engagement, self-control, assertion, and empathy were not found to be related to math.

This study suggests that the social skills essential for cooperative group-learning are associated with preschool math skills. Surprisingly, engagement and self-control showed no significant relations to early math. This may be attributed to children appearing to be disengaged or not participating, yet still absorbing information through listening. Regarding self-control, this was measured by ratings of child behavior that do not commonly appear during math learning (e.g. uses appropriate language when upset; resolves disagreements with you calmly). Implications of this study include the need for preschool educators to explicitly teach clear communication skills, provide opportunities for cooperative small group learning, and scaffold opportunities for children to practice age-appropriate responsibilities.

Authors

• Tracy Zehner, University of Oregon, Eugene
  Presenting Author

• Tanya Maria Paes, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Memphis

• Brianna Devlin, University of Oregon

• Elyssa A Geer, University of Oregon

• German E Posada, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Robert Duncan, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• David James Purpura, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Sara Anne Schmitt, University of Oregon