Examining the predictive relations between two aspects of self-regulation and growth in preschool children’s early literacy skills.

Abstract

There is strong evidence that self-regulatory processes are linked to early academic skills both concurrently and longitudinally. The majority of extant longitudinal studies, however, have been conducted using autoregressive techniques that may not accurately model change across time. The purpose of this study was to examine the unique associations between two components of self-regulation, attention and executive functioning (EF), and growth in early literacy skills over the preschool year using latent-growth-curve analysis. The sample included 1,082 preschool children (M-age = 55.0 months, SD = 3.73). Children completed measures of vocabulary, syntax, phonological awareness, print knowledge, cognitive ability, and self-regulation, and children’s classroom teachers completed a behavior rating measure. To examine the independent relations of the self-regulatory skills and cognitive ability with children’s initial early literacy skills and growth across the preschool year, growth models in which the intercept and slope were simultaneously regressed on each of the predictor variables were examined. Because of the significant relation between intercept and slope for most outcomes, slope was regressed on intercept in the models to allow a determination of direct and indirect effects of the predictors on growth in children’s language and literacy skills across the preschool year. In general, both teacher-rated inattention and directly measured EF were uniquely associated with initial skills level; however, only teacher-rated inattention uniquely predicted growth in early literacy skills. These findings suggest that teacher-ratings of inattention may measure an aspect of self-regulation that is particularly associated with the acquisition of academic skills in early childhood.

Self‐Regulatory Growth Effects for Young Children Participating in a Combined Social and Emotional Learning and Mindfulness‐Based Intervention

“…It is not surprising that students in both the control and treatment groups exhibited self‐regulatory growth, given that this is expected normal development for 3‐ and 4‐year‐olds (Lonigan, Allan, & Phillips, ). That said, the significant differences in the rate of growth on days when the intervention was present might indicate that the particular SEL and MBI intervention delivered in this study could either deepen normal maturation or mitigate against adverse learning or ecological circumstances.…”

Self-Regulation and Academic Measures Across the Early Elementary School Grades: Examining Longitudinal and Bidirectional Associations

“…In addition, in some studies, behavioral self-regulation has predicted higher concurrent levels of, but not longitudinal growth in, reading abilities Schmitt et al, 2017). Although HTKS scores predicted growth in two literacy measures based on elision (requiring the child to indicate what word results from omitting a word, syllable, or phoneme) and alphabet tests within the preschool year (Lonigan et al, 2017), HTKS scores did not predict growth in eight of ten literacy and language outcomes. One study even found an opposite pattern, such that high self-regulation was negatively associated with growth in math achievement (e.g., , children with high self-regulation showed slower growth in math).…”

“…The association between various measures of self-regulation and academic achievement is generally robust (see a meta-analysis of concurrent studies by Allan et al, 2014, and a review by Clements et al, 2016; see Appendix 1 for a summary research literature included hereinafter). Behavioral self-regulation has predicted children's math (e.g., Blair & Razza, 2007;Blair, Ursache, Greenberg, Vernon-Feagans, & Family Life Project Investigators, 2015;Brock, Rimm-Kaufman, Nathanson, & Grimm, 2009;Clark, Pritchard, & Woodward, 2010;McClelland et al, 2007;Ponitz, McClelland, Matthews, & Morrison, 2009;Schmitt, Geldhof, Purpura, Duncan, & McClelland, 2017) and reading skills (e.g., Becker, McClelland, Loprinzi, & Trost, 2014;Bohlmann, Maier, & Palacios, 2015;Fuhs, Nesbitt, Farran, & Dong, 2014;Lonigan, Allan, & Phillips, 2017;McClelland et al, 2007;Schmitt et al, 2017), concurrently as well as across time. However, some studies, particularly longitudinal studies, have obtained null or less robust findings (e.g., Brock et al, 2009;Clark et al, 2010;Connor et al, 2016;Duncan et al, 2007;Liew, Chen, & Hughes, 2010).…”

Cognitive, Intervention, and Neuroimaging Perspectives on Executive Function in Children With Reading Disabilities

“…Phonological skills are multifaceted and develop in complexity over childhood (e.g., Anthony et al., ; Lonigan et al., ). Other early skills (print awareness, letter identification, environmental exposure) help bootstrap phonological skills in the preschool years (e.g., Lonigan, Allan, & Phillips, ; Whitehurst & Lonigan, ). There is recognition that phonological training impacts reading itself, but that it does so in a more forceful way when print is incorporated (National Reading Panel, ).…”