Preschool Children\u27s Development in Number, Geometry, and Executive Function: A Cross-Lagged Examination

Children develop rapidly during early childhood, and this includes their mathematics and executive function (EF) skills. Past research has focused on connections between early mathematics and EF, but more work was needed to fully understand these relations. In particular, past studies have generally used numeracy-based measures to assess early mathematics, although professional guidelines indicate a more comprehensive construct that includes geometry. The research herein addresses some of the gaps of previous work as it examines unique connections between early number, geometry, and EF. One hundred eighteen preschool children from urban and rural communities, being an average age of 53 months at the beginning of the preschool year, were assessed at both the beginning and end of the preschool year. Using the TEAM, a measure of early mathematics inclusive of number and geometry, and the Head Toes Knees Shoulders (HTKS), a measure of early EF with elements of working memory, inhibition, and cognitive shift, relationships between number, geometry, and EF were examined across the preschool year, using a cross-lagged panel model. Three-way ANOVAs were also used to examine differences based on demographic factors, specifically gender, maternal education, household income, and urbanicity (defined by USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes). Findings indicate demographic factors played a limited role; household income was significantly associated with number skills and urbanicity with EF skills at the beginning of the preschool year. No other significant relationships based on demographic variables were found. Number skills at Time 1 universally contributed to number, geometry, and EF performance at Time 2; geometry at Time 2 was universally influenced by number, geometry, and EF at Time 1. EF played a mixed role; Time 1 EF significantly predicted Time 2 geometry, and Time 2 EF was significantly predicted by Time 1 number skills. These findings suggest that geometry is an important area of early mathematics to consider, and the relationship between mathematics and EF may be more nuanced than previously understood

Preschool Mathematics Performance and Executive Function: Rural-Urban Comparisons across Time

This longitudinal study examined the relationship between executive function (EF) and mathematics with rural and urban preschool children. A panel of direct and indirect EF measures were used to compare how well individual measures, as well as analytic approaches, predicted both numeracy and geometry skill. One hundred eighteen children, ages 39 to 68 months, were given EF and mathematics assessments twice, approximately six months apart, concurrent to their teachers completing an indirect assessment of EF for each child. Results suggest: (1) the child’s age determines if a panel of direct EF measures is a better predictor of numeracy and geometry skills than a single EF measure, (2) geometry and numeracy skill are influenced differently by contextual factors, and (3) the EF-geometry link may develop about six months later than the EF-numeracy connection. As the relationship between preschool age EF and mathematics is better understood, efforts can be made to improve the aspects of EF connected to mathematics skill, which may aid in performance

A Capacious Fluid Model of Leader(ship) Identities

Presentation given by Chrys Egan, Constance Campbell, S. Lynn Shollen, Kelly Fisher, Wendy Fox-Kirk, Karen Longman, Brionne G. Neilson at the Women and Leadership Affinity Group Conference

A Bioecological Approach to Leadership Identity Construction

Presentation given by Kelly Fisher, Wendy Fox-Kirk, Chrys Egan, S. Lynn Shollen, Constance Campbell, Karen A. Longman, and Brionne G. Neilson at Academy of Management annual meeting

Pre-conference Workshop: A Capacious Fluid Model of Leader(Ship) Identities

Presentation given by Chrys Egan, Constance Campbell, S. Lynn Shollen, Kelly Fisher, Wendy Fox-Kirk, Karen Longman, and Brionne G. Neilson at the International Leadership Association annual meeting