29 research outputs found
P.R.I.D.E.: Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education
Racism negatively affects children of color in the United States, particularly Black children. Theirs is a history of marginalization since the slavery era, and the impacts are cognitive, social, and psychological. Additionally, Black children face unique challenges upon entering formal education, resulting in disturbing academic outcomes. Yet, adults can facilitate Black children’s development of positive racial identity to help them handle the negative implications of experiencing racism across their lifespan. A description of the research related to positive racial identity is provided along with presentation of the P.R.I.D.E. program, a Pittsburgh-based effort that is designed to help adults build the knowledge and skills needed to support Black children with this aspect of healthy development, thereby interrupting the cycle of racial oppression. A developmental framework for exploring race and child development is introduced. Strategies for teacher growth and classroom application are described along with suggestions for future direction
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Measuring behavioral regulation in young children
Early behavioral regulation has been identified as an important component of school readiness, yet few easy-to-administer measures exist that directly assess this skill in young children outside of the United States (U.S.). In this dissertation, two studies were conducted to examine the reliability and validity of a direct measure of behavioral regulation in preschoolers. Study 1 examined the psychometric properties of the Head-to-Toes Task (HTT) for 3.5-year-old Taiwanese children, including relations to early math and vocabulary skils. Results indicated that the HTT captured maturational differences, and significantly predicted early math and vocabulary skills when controlling for child age, parent education level, and teacher ratings of behavioral regulation. The task however, was not significantly related to teacher ratings of behavioral regulation. Study 2 examined the reliability and validity of a more complicated version of the HTT the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders Task (HTKS) for preschoolers in the U.S., Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Consistency was found on the task across all four samples where the HTKS captured maturational differences and significantly predicted early academic skills. Some differences were also found in the ages that the task was best-suited for, and in its relations to teacher ratings of behavioral regulation which were significant in the U.S. and South Korea but not in Taiwan and China. Overall, these studies lay the foundation for the use of the HTT and HTKS in four societies as measures that predict early achievement and can be used to help children to be successful in early school settings
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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
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Behavioral Self-Regulation and Relations to Emergent Academic Skills among Children in Germany and Iceland
The present study investigated a direct assessment of behavioral self-regulation (the Head-Toes-Knees- Shoulders; HTKS) and its contribution to early academic achievement among young children in Germany and Iceland. The authors examined the psychometric properties and construct validity of the HTKS, investigated gender differences in young children’s behavioral self-regulation, and explored relations between the HTKS and a teacher report of behavioral self-regulation (the Child Behavior Rating Scale; CBRS) and emerging academic skills. Findings supported the construct validity of the HTKS when used with young German and Icelandic children. Multilevel analyses revealed gender differences, particularly on the CBRS teacher-rated measure. Finally, higher levels of behavioral self-regulation were related to higher academic skills after important background variables were controlled, although some cross-cultural differences in the predictive utility of the HTKS and CBRS were observed. Overall, these results extend prior psychometric work on the HTKS to samples of young European children and support the importance of understanding of the role behavioral self-regulation in young children’s development.Keywords: Academic achievement, Europe, School readiness, Behavioral self-regulation, Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders Task (HTKS), Early childhoo
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Early Behavioral Self-Regulation, Academic Achievement, and Gender: Longitudinal Findings from France, Germany, and Iceland
A growing body of research suggests that behavioral self-regulation skills are critical for early
school success. However, few studies have explored the links between self-regulation and
academic achievement among young children in Europe. This study examined the contribution of
behavioral self-regulation to academic achievement gains among young children in France,
Germany, and Iceland. Gender differences in behavioral self-regulation skills were also explored.
A total of 260 children were followed longitudinally over one to two years (average age at Wave
1 was 74.5 months). Behavioral self-regulation was assessed using a structured direct observation
(Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task) and teachers assessed how well children could apply
behavioral self-regulation in the classroom. Multilevel analyses revealed that higher levels of
directly assessed and teacher ratings of behavioral self-regulation predicted higher academic
skills after controlling for gender, age, maternal education, and previous achievement, but the
relations depended on the cultural context. Also, teacher ratings of behavioral self-regulation
were more consistently related to achievement gains than directly assessed behavioral self-regulation.
Girls outperformed boys only in the Icelandic sample, which may explain the
noticeably large gender differences in later academic achievement in this country. We discuss
universal and culture-specific findings as well as implications for educational practices.Keywords: Behavioral self-regulation, Academic achievement, Europe, School readiness, Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS
Gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: The United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China
The current study investigates gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Directly assessed individual behavioral regulation (Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders, HTKS), teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation (Child Behavior Rating Scale, CBRS) and a battery of school readiness assessments (mathematics, vocabulary, and early literacy) were used with 814 young children (ages 3–6 years). Results showed that girls in the United States had significantly higher individual behavioral regulation than boys, but there were no significant gender differences in any Asian societies. In contrast, teachers in Taiwan, South Korea, as well as the United States rated girls as significantly higher than boys on classroom behavioral regulation. In addition, for both genders, individual and classroom behavioral regulation were related to many aspects of school readiness in all societies for girls and boys. Universal and culturally specific findings and their implications are discussed
Racial Disproportionality in the School-to-Prison Pipeline
For Black children, experiences with school discipline are often not an opportunity to learn, they are a pathway into the criminal justice system. At every step along the way, this pathway is faster and even more consequential for Black students than for their White peers. Implicit and explicit biases result in Black children’s behavior being managed more harshly, perceived as more dangerous, and more often deemed sufficient to justify expulsion in comparison to their White peers. There are formal and informal pathways for removal, starting in preschool, and the consequences for Black children in particular are stark. Policies often allow racial disproportionality in the school-to-prison pipeline to be ignored, or even facilitated. This chapter reviews the factors driving disproportionality in the pipeline and the current policy landscape. It also identifies ways in which schools, districts, and preservice teacher preparation programs can disrupt and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.</p
Gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: The United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China
The current study investigates gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Directly assessed individual behavioral regulation (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders, HTKS), teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation (Child Behavior Rating Scale, CBRS) and a battery of school readiness assessments (mathematics, vocabulary, and early literacy) were used with 814 young children (ages 3-6 years). Results showed that girls in the United States had significantly higher individual behavioral regulation than boys, but there were no significant gender differences in any Asian societies. In contrast, teachers in Taiwan, South Korea, as well as the United States rated girls as significantly higher than boys on classroom behavioral regulation. In addition, for both genders, individual and classroom behavioral regulation were related to many aspects of school readiness in all societies for girls and boys. Universal and culturally specific findings and their implications are discussed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
Measuring Behavioral Regulation in Four Societies
The present study examined the psychometric properties of scores from a direct measure of behavioral regulation, the Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders task (HTKS) with 3- to 6-year-old children in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Specifically, we investigated (a) the nature and variability of HTKS scores, including relations to teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation; and (b) relations between the HTKS and early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills. Higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher teacher ratings of classroom behavioral regulation in the United States and South Korea but not in Taiwan and China. Also, higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills beyond the influence of demographic variables and teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation. These initial findings suggest that HTKS scores may be interpreted as reflecting early behavioral regulation in these 4 societies and that behavioral regulation is important for early academic success in the United States and in Asian countries.The present study examined the psychometric properties of scores from a direct measure of behavioral regulation, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS) with 3- to 6-year-old children in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Specifically, we investigated (a) the nature and variability of HTKS scores, including relations to teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation; and (b) relations between the HTKS and early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills. Higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher teacher ratings of classroom behavioral regulation in the United States and South Korea but not in Taiwan and China. Also, higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills beyond the influence of demographic variables and teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation. These initial findings suggest that HTKS scores may be interpreted as reflecting early behavioral regulation in these 4 societies and that behavioral regulation is important for early academic success in the United States and in Asian countries