Associations Between Early Family Risk, Children’s Behavioral Regulation, and Academic Achievement in Portugal

This study examined concurrent associations between family sociodemographic risk, self-regulation, and early literacy and mathematics in young children from Azores, Portugal (N ¼ 186). Family sociodemographic risk was indexed by low maternal education, low family income, and low occupational status. Behavioral aspects of self-regulation were assessed using a direct measure called the Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders task. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that family sociodemographic risk had significant negative effects on behavioral regulation and academic achievement. Behavioral regulation was positively associated with academic achievement when we adjusted for the influence of family sociodemographic risk and child verbal IQ. Furthermore, behavioral regulation mediated the association between family sociodemographic risk and mathematics achievement. Practice or Policy: The results suggest the detrimental effect of family socioeconomic risk in Portugal and the potential importance of behavioral regulation for school success for Portuguese childreninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Examining the Validity of Behavioral Self-Regulation Tools in Predicting Preschoolers' Academic Achievement

The current study investigated the predictive utility among teacher-rated, observed, and directly assessed behavioral self-regulation skills to academic achievement in preschoolers. Specifically, this study compared how a teacher report, the Child Behavior Rating Scale, an observer report, the Observed Child Engagement Scale, and a direct assessment, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task, relate to early math and literacy skills. The sample consisted of 247 children from 31 preschool classrooms. Trained research assistants observed a subsample of 104 children. Results indicated significant, positive relationships for teacher-rated and directly assessed behavioral self-regulation for early math and literacy skills. Teacher ratings were the strongest predictors of literacy, and the direct assessment emerged as the strongest predictor of math. Observed behavioral self-regulation was not significantly related to either academic domain. Discussion focuses on domain specificity of behavioral self-regulation assessments and the importance of utilizing multiple measurement tools when assessing behavioral self-regulation and relations to early achievement.Keywords: behavioral self-regulation, measurement, academic achievemen

Growing Up with Assets and Risks: The Importance of Self-Regulation for Academic Achievement

This study examined children’s self-regulation, demographic risks [English Language Learner (ELL) status, being from a low-income family], and academic achievement longitudinally across four time points (fall and spring of the prekindergarten and kindergarten years). Findings suggested that assets such as high self-regulation in the fall of prekindergarten were significantly related to children’s academic achievement in prekindergarten and during the transition to kindergarten. The effect of self-regulation on achievement did not vary as a function of risk. Higher self-regulation significantly predicted higher academic skills regardless of risks. Discussion highlights the importance of assets, such as strong self-regulation, for early academic achievement

Do Older Parents have More Self-Regulated Children?

Strong self-regulation in early childhood is a key predictor of academic and social success from elementary school through college (McClelland et al., 2012). This study analyzed the influence of the age of the child’s parent on the child’s self-regulation as measured by the HTKS (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders) measure. Relations between children’s self-regulation scores and their parent’s age were initially examined and then were tested again after controlling for family income and child age. Higher child self-regulation was significantly related to having older parents. However, this correlation lost significance after family income (Head Start status) and child age were controlled. These results suggest that although parent age and child self-regulation are significantly related, family income and child age are stronger predictors of children’s self-regulation

Frequent Family Mobility and Child Self - Regulation

Children’s self-regulation has been found to be an important predictor of later school success. This study examined relations between family mobility and children’s self-regulation in preschool. Using a diverse sample of 477 preschool children, results indicated that the number of moves a family made in the past five years was significantly related to lower self-regulation scores in children. The same pattern of results was found after controlling for child gender, age, and Head Start status. These results indicate that higher family mobility is associated with lower self-regulation skills in young children and document the importance of housing stability for children’s positive development.Keywords: Self - Regulation, Family Mobilit

Relations between Parental Marital Status, Residential Mobility, and Children’s Academic Achievement and Self-Regulation in Kindergarten

Children’s self-regulation and academic achievement are important factors in predicting school readiness and later academic outcomes. This study examined relationships between parental marital status and residential mobility on children’s academic achievement and self-regulation in kindergarten. Using a diverse sample of 131 kindergarten children, results indicated that the number of family moves was related to lower literacy skills at the beginning of kindergarten In addition, being a single parent was significantly related to lower self-regulation in children

Cooperation and achievement in preschoolers

According to recent research, children’s learning related skills, such as cooperation, self-regulation, responsibility, and independence, are closely related to their academic outcomes (McClelland, Acock, Morrison 2006). While self regulation during preschool and it’s related skills are predictors of later academic achievement, it might be beneficial to determine a simple screening tool that would identify children who might need to be assessed more in-depth to determine if they would benefit from interventions. Specifically, cooperation with peers is an easily observable behavior, and a predictor of achievement (Ladd, Birtch, and Buhs, 1999), which can be measured with the Observed Child Engagement Scale (Rimm-Kaufman, Curby, Grimm, Nathanson, and Brock, 2009). Scores for preschoolers’ peer cooperation in on the OCES have been found to be related to scores on a self-regulation measure, the Head Toes Knees Shoulders (HTKS) task. Additionally, performance on the HTKS task can be predictive of later academic performance (Ponitz, McClelland, Matthews, and Morrison, 2009). Given the close nature of these relationships, it might be beneficial to further explore the connections between cooperation and achievement. This study attempts to determine those connections by exploring the relationship between observed instances of cooperation with peers as scored on the OCES and academic achievement scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery III Tests of Achievement Applied Problems and Letter-Word Identification subscales (Woodcock and Mather, 2000). The study investigates the following question: (1) What is the relationship between instances of observed cooperation with peers on the OCES and scores Woodcock-Johnson III achievement tasks

Parental marital status and child self-regulation

Parents play an essential role in their child’s development of the skills needed for self-regulation. The current study examined the relationship between parental marital status and child self-regulation. Analyzing a sample of 328 preschool children, results indicate having married parents is related to higher self-regulation in children. These results suggest that living in a single-parent or married parent househol