TY - JOUR
T1 - Moderating effects of executive functions and the teacher-child relationship on the development of mathematics ability in kindergarten
AU - The Family Life Project Investigators
AU - The Family Life Project Investigators
AU - The Family Life Project Investigators
AU - Blair, Clancy
AU - McKinnon, Rachel D.
AU - Vernon-Feagans, Lynne
AU - Greenberg, Mark
AU - Coxc, Martha
AU - Burchinal, Peg
AU - Willoughby, Michael
AU - Garrett-Peters, Patricia
AU - Mills-Koonce, Roger
AU - Ittig, Maureen
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank the many families and research assistants that made this study possible. Support for this research was provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grants R01 HD51502 and P01 HD39667 with co-funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse . The Family Life Project Key Investigators include Lynne Vernon-Feagans, The University of North Carolina, Mark Greenberg, The Pennsylvania State University, Martha Cox, The University of North Carolina, Clancy Blair, New York University, Peg Burchinal, The University of North Carolina, Michael Willoughby, The University of North Carolina, Patricia Garrett-Peters, The University of North Carolina, Roger Mills-Koonce, The University of North Carolina, Maureen Ittig, The Pennsylvania State University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2016/2/1
Y1 - 2016/2/1
N2 - Academic preparedness, executive function abilities, and positive relationships with teachers have each been shown to be uniquely important for school readiness and success in the early elementary grades. Few studies, however, have examined the joint influence of these readiness variables on early school outcomes. Using data from a prospective longitudinal sample of 1292 children and families in predominantly low-income and rural communities, we found that executive function at child age 48 months and a higher quality relationship with the kindergarten teacher each uniquely moderated the effect of math ability in preschool on math ability at the end of kindergarten. This effect was seen for math ability as measured by the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten (ECLS-K) mathematics assessment battery but not the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement Applied Problems subtest. For children with lower math ability in preschool as assessed by the ECLS-K Math battery, higher executive function abilities and a more positive relationship with the kindergarten teacher were each associated with a higher than expected level of math ability in kindergarten. Conversely, lowest levels of math ability in kindergarten were observed among children with low math ability in preschool and poor executive function or a less positive relationship with the kindergarten teacher.
AB - Academic preparedness, executive function abilities, and positive relationships with teachers have each been shown to be uniquely important for school readiness and success in the early elementary grades. Few studies, however, have examined the joint influence of these readiness variables on early school outcomes. Using data from a prospective longitudinal sample of 1292 children and families in predominantly low-income and rural communities, we found that executive function at child age 48 months and a higher quality relationship with the kindergarten teacher each uniquely moderated the effect of math ability in preschool on math ability at the end of kindergarten. This effect was seen for math ability as measured by the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten (ECLS-K) mathematics assessment battery but not the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement Applied Problems subtest. For children with lower math ability in preschool as assessed by the ECLS-K Math battery, higher executive function abilities and a more positive relationship with the kindergarten teacher were each associated with a higher than expected level of math ability in kindergarten. Conversely, lowest levels of math ability in kindergarten were observed among children with low math ability in preschool and poor executive function or a less positive relationship with the kindergarten teacher.
KW - Early childhood
KW - Executive functions
KW - Kindergarten
KW - Mathematics
KW - Self-regulation
KW - Teacher-child relationship
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84946100806&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84946100806&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2015.10.001
DO - 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2015.10.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84946100806
SN - 0959-4752
VL - 41
SP - 85
EP - 93
JO - Learning and Instruction
JF - Learning and Instruction
ER -