Preschool executive control on the Shape School task: Measurement considerations and utility.

Abstract

Executive functions (EF) necessary for purposeful goal-directed activities undergo rapid change and development during the preschool years. However, of the few psychometrically valid measures of EF suitable for use with preschoolers, information on task sensitivity and predictive validity is scant. The neurodevelopmental correlates of early executive difficulties are also largely unknown. In this study, the discriminant and predictive validity of the recently developed Shape School task (Espy, Bull, Martin, & Stroup, 2006) was examined with data from a regional sample of 209 preschool children at age 4 years. A 2-tiered measurement approach was used, with task completion examined in addition to efficiency. Children's performance was also examined in relation to functioning in a range of neurodevelopmental domains. The Shape School task showed some usefulness in capturing expected differences between at-risk and typically developing children. Performance loaded heavily on language and global cognitive abilities. However, several other factors were also implicated, including attention, motor skills, and ocular control. In addition, task completion and efficiency scores appeared to reflect different aspects of performance, and their associations with neurodevelopmental function and later academic achievement on the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement at age 6 years also differed. Implications for the application of the Shape School task are discussed.

Cognitive predictors of academic achievement in young children 1 year after traumatic brain injury.

“…To begin with, the findings provide initial support for the utility of measures of verbal memory and executive function in predicting which children are at risk for difficulties with academic achievement following early TBI. Therefore, further refinement of these measures for clinical use may prove beneficial in answering need for neurocognitive measures for use with preschool children (Pritchard & Woodward, 2011). Ultimately, the findings may contribute to the development of specific academic interventions designed to mitigate the negative impact of TBI on later academic development.…”

“…This may be due, in part, to the paucity of developmentally-appropriate neurocognitive measures for young children. However, despite this challenge, recent research with typically developing preschool children has demonstrated that specific neurocognitive skills, such as memory and executive functions, are involved in the development of future academic skills (Bull, Espy, & Wiebe, 2008; Clark, Pritchard, & Woodward, 2010; Espy et al, 2004; McClelland et al, 2007; Pritchard & Woodward, 2011). The identification of specific neurocognitive deficits that contribute to academic difficulties following TBI may have particular importance for children injured during the preschool years, given their heightened vulnerability to negative academic outcomes.…”

Refining the Preschool Self‐regulation Assessment for Use in Preschool Classrooms

“…In concert with these assertions, a growing body of work has emphasized the impact of children's self-regulatory skills on their social competence and academic success (Denham, Brown, & Domitrovich, 2010). For example, self-regulation is found to be related to preschoolers' social competence (Bierman, Nix, Greenberg, Blair, & Domitrovich, 2008;Blair, Granger, & Razza, 2005;Raver et al, 2011), as well as their early math ability and literacy (Altemeier, Abbott, & Berninger, 2008;Bierman et al, 2008;Blair & Razza, 2007;Espy et al, 2004;Ponitz, McClelland, Matthews, & Morrison, 2009;Pritchard & Woodward, 2011;Sesma, Mahone, Levine, Eason, & Cutting, 2009;Welsh, Nix, Blair, Bierman, & Nelson, 2010).…”

Simians in the Shape School: A comparative study of executive attention

“…For example, EF regulates and modulates other cognitive processes and because these processes may develop at different points and rates throughout childhood, difficulties in assessment arise when development of each facet is not completed. Poor EF performance may reflect only one underdeveloped component rather than EF in its entirety, obscuring estimations of EF abilities for other aspects that are developed or developing (Pritchard & Woodward, 2011;Wiebe et al, 2011).…”