WJ IV Update Newsletter - The Gf-Gc Composite, the WIIIP, and the ECAD

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The WJ IV spring newsletter is now available via this link.  This will be posted at the WJ IV website in the next few weeks.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

11:16 AM

The WJ IV Early Cognitive and Academic Development (ECAD) battery technical ASB now available

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The ECAD (WJ IV Early Cognitive and Academic Development battery) technical ASB is now available for download at the WJ IV web site.  The ECAD is scheduled for publication this spring.

Conflict of interest disclosure:  I am a coauthor of the WJ IV and the new ECAD.

School readiness = self regulation learning competence?

Excellent review article on the relationship between the development of self-regulated learning strategies/competence and school readiness. Having worked in the schools as a school psychologist for 12 years, I would like to have a buck for every time a kindergarten teacher described children who where struggling in terms of self-regulation--although they did not use that term. A must ready for anyone working with preschool and early elementary students and stuff.

Click on images to enlarge. For more on self-regulated learning as per the Model of Academic Competence and Motivation (MACM), click here.










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Review of preschool cognitive tests

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Research Byte: How to make preschoolers smarter: Multiple meta-analyses provide direction

A complete copy of this article can be view at Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman's web page. Click on image to enlarge

 

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Research Byte: Cognitive-achievement relations and profiles study

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The Fuch's et al. continue to do some good cognitive-achievement LD related research. My concern is that never seem to try link this to the extant CHC cog-ach relations research that has been completed over the past 20 years (e.g., see McGrew & Wendling, 2010)






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Use of CART to predict SB5 preschool IQs

Interesting application of CART methids, methods that are unfortunately underappreciated in the behaviorial sciences. More information rgarding these execellent exploratory methods can be found at links below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_tree_learning

http://www.salford-systems.com/



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Research byte: New preschool executive function battery

Interesting, especially the strong correlations with achievement.

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Research Byte: Support for age dedifferentiation cognitive abilities hypothesis in young children

From the recent issue of Journal of Individual Differences. Got to love the figure:)

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intelligence IQ tests IQ testing IQ scores CHC intelligence theory CHC theory Cattell-Horn-Carroll human cognitive abilities psychology school psychology individual differences cognitive psychology neuropsychology neuroscience psychology special education educational psychology psychometrics psychological assessment psychological measurement IQs Corner general intelligence intelligent IQ testing validity dedifferentiation hypothesis BIS model

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Research bytes: Verbal ability and executive functioning in preschoolers

As per usual when I make a research byte/brief post, if anyone would like to read the original article, I can share via email---with the understanding that the article is provided in exchange for a brief guest post about it's contents. :) (contact me at iap@earthlink.net if interested). Also, if figure/images are included in the post, they can usually be made larger by clicking on the image.





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Research bytes 10-7-10: Preschool executive functions, general knowledge, attention & visual motor important for later school success

More research on possible early predictors of subsequent school success

Clark, C. A. C., Pritchard, V. E., & Woodward, L. J. (2010). Preschool Executive Functioning Abilities Predict
Early Mathematics Achievement. Developmental Psychology, 46(5), 1176-1191.

Impairments in executive function have been documented in school-age children with mathematical learning difficulties. However, the utility and specificity of preschool executive function abilities in predicting later mathematical achievement are poorly understood. This study examined linkages between children's developing executive function abilities at age 4 and children's subsequent achievement in mathematics at age 6, 1 year after school entry. The study sample consisted of a regionally representative cohort of 104 children followed prospectively from ages 2 to 6 years. At age 4, children completed a battery of executive function tasks that assessed planning, set shifting, and inhibitory control. Teachers completed the preschool version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Clinical and classroom measures of children's mathematical achievement were collected at age 6. Results showed that children's performance on set shifting, inhibitory control, and general executive behavior measures during the preschool period accounted for substantial variability in children's early mathematical achievement at school. These associations persisted even after individual differences in general cognitive ability and reading achievement were taken into account. Findings suggest that early measures of executive function may be useful in identifying children who may experience difficulties learning mathematical skills and concepts. They also suggest that the scaffolding of these executive skills could potentially be a useful additional component in early mathematics education.

Grissmer, D., Grimm, K. J., Aiyer, S. M., Murrah, W. M., & Steele, J. S. (2010). Fine Motor Skills and Early
Comprehension of the World: Two New School Readiness Indicators. Developmental Psychology, 46(5),
1008-1017.

Duncan et al. (2007) presented a new methodology for identifying kindergarten readiness factors and quantifying their importance by determining which of children's developing skills measured around kindergarten entrance would predict later reading and math achievement. This article extends Duncan et al.'s work to identify kindergarten readiness factors with 6 longitudinal data sets. Their results identified kindergarten math and reading readiness and attention as the primary long-term predictors but found no effects from social skills or internalizing and externalizing behavior. We incorporated motor skills measures from 3 of the data sets and found that fine motor skills are an additional strong predictor of later achievement. Using one of the data sets, we also predicted later science scores and incorporated an additional early test of general knowledge of the social and physical world as a predictor. We found that the test of general knowledge was by far the strongest predictor of science and reading and also contributed significantly to predicting later math, making the content of this test another important kindergarten readiness indicator. Together, attention, fine motor skills, and general knowledge are much stronger overall predictors of later math, reading, and science scores than early math and reading scores alone.

Technorati Tags: Psychology, school psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, neuropsychology, special education, developmental psychology, intelligence, cognitive abilities, cognition, intelligence theories, CHC theory, CHC, Cattell-Horn-Carroll, intelligence, cognition, preschool, school readiness, Gq, Grw, Gv, executive functioning, visual-motor, Gv, reading, math

Disseration Dish: Preschool inhibitory control and kindergarten academic achievement

Inhibitory control in preschool children: Does it predict academic achievement in kindergarten? by Gonik, Ilana, Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology, 2008 , 108 pages; AAT 3370855

Abstract

Inhibitory control is a self-regulatory, prefrontal cognitive function which begins to develop during the first year of life and continues developing rapidly through the preschool years. Children's cognitive development has also been shown to increase rapidly in the preschool years. Additionally, early childhood is a sensitive period for the development of important academic skills such as literacy, mathematics, and language skills. This study examined the relationship between different types of inhibitory control abilities in preschool-age children and academic achievement, including both reading and math skills. Participants included 347 4- and 5-year-old children who were given a battery of tasks which tapped into three domains of inhibitory control (delaying gratification, slowing down/inhibiting motor activity, and initiating and suppressing a response to signal). Academic achievement was assessed using three subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement including the Letter-Word Identification, Passage Comprehension, and Quantitative Concepts subtest. Using structural equation modeling, the results indicated that the observed inhibitory control measures at ages 4 and 5 were not measuring common latent factors and the individual variables were substantially different. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that suppressing/initiating a response to signal tasks (Tower at age 4 and Knock and Tap at age 5) and the delay of gratification task at age 5 (Gift Delay) were significantly related to math achievement at age 5. Additionally, the Knock and Tap task at age 5 partially mediated the relationship between the Tower task at age 4 and math achievement. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, developmental psychology, preschool, kindergarten, achievement, learning, executive function, inhibitory control, neuropsychology, intelligence

IQ Research bytes # 6: Friday PM intelligence factor analysis fest

Friday afternoon factor analysis fest!

• I just posted information on a CFA study examining the constructs of broad cognitive processing speed (Gs) and sustained attention (SA). A few other factor-analysis based articles caught my eye in my e-inbox.

• Blaga et al. have an "in press" study in the journal Intelligence that examined the continuity of the structure of cognitive development from infancy to preschool with a longitudinal research design. Support was found for strong continuity of cognitive development. To learn more...

• Also in press in Intelligence is a very intriguing article by Demetriou et al. that attempts to go beyond the hot research topic/hypothesis that fluid reasoning (Gf) or g (general intelligence) may be strongly influenced by working memory (Gsm-MW) and indirectly by broad cognitive processing speed, Gs (the developmental cascade hypothesis). Their study suggests a hierarchical organization of sub-processes (speed of processing or Gs, perceptual discrimination, perceptual control, conceptual control, working memory, information integration) that are causally related in a sequence that explains Gf or g. To learn more...
  

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, g, general intelligence, developmental, cognition, IQ, continuity, IQ stability, CFA, factor analysis, CHC theory

Dissertation dish: K-ABC II, SB5, WJ III CHC factor analysis studies

Two new CHC-based dissertations I stumbled across this weekend.

A joint-confirmatory factor analysis using the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Ability and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales: Fifth Edition with high-achieving children by Williams, Tasha H., Ph.D., Ball State University, 2005, 206 pages; AAT 3176652

• Abstract: A considerable about of research has concentrated on studying the performance of high achieving children on measures of intellectual functioning. Findings have indicated high achieving children display differences in performance patterns as well as in the cognitive constructs measured when compared to their average peers. The conceptualization of intelligence has evolved over time and contemporary theories of intelligence have described cognitive ability as consisting of multiple constructs which are often interrelated. Currently, one of the most comprehensive and empirically supported theories of intelligence is the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory (Cattell, 1941; Horn, 1968; Carroll, 1993). The multidimensional and hierarchical CHC theory has served as the foundation for the development and recent revisions of cognitive ability measures such as the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability - Third Edition (WJ-III COG; McGrew & Woodcock, 2001) and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales - Fifth Edition (SBS; Roid, 2003b). The purpose of this study was to explore the construct validity of the WJ-III COG and SBS with a sample of high achieving children. Individual confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using the WJ-III COG and SBS. Additionally, a joint confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using both the WJ-III COG and SBS. The results indicated an alternative six-factor WJ-III COG and four-factor SBS models provided the best fit to the data of a high achieving sample, supporting previous research suggesting high achieving children display differences in cognitive constructs when compared with their average counterparts. The joint-confirmatory factor analysis indicated the best measures for the CHC factors measured by both the WJ-III COG and SB5 to help guide cross-battery assessments with high functioning children. Clinical applications of the findings are discussed.

The validity of intelligence tests using the Cattell-Horn-Carroll Model of intelligence with a preschool population by Morgan, Kimberly Elaine, Ph.D., Ball State University, 2008, 219 pages; AAT 3303357

• Abstract: Individual differences in human intellectual abilities and the measurement of those differences have been of great interest to the field of school psychology. As such, different theoretical perspectives and corresponding test batteries have evolved over the years as a way to explain and measure these abilities. A growing interest in the field of school psychology has been to use more than one intelligence test in a "cross-battery" assessment in hopes of measuring a wider range (or a more in-depth but selective range) of cognitive abilities. Additionally, interest in assessing intelligence began to focus on preschool-aged children because of initiatives to intervene early with at-risk children. The purpose of this study was to examine the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB-V) and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II) in relation to the Cattell-Hom-Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence using a population of 200 preschool children. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted with these two tests individually as well as in conjunction with one another. Different variations of the CHC model were examined to determine which provided the best representation of the underlying CHC constructs measured by these tests. Results of the CFAs with the SB-V revealed that it was best interpreted from a two-stratum model, although results with the KABC-II indicated that the three-stratum CHC model was the best overall design. Finally, results from the joint CFA did not provide support for a cross-battery assessment with these two particular tests.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, KABC II, SB5, WJ III, IQ tests, intelligence, factor analysis, CHC, CHC theory, cross-battery, Woodcock-Johnson, Stanford-Binet

Early childhood assessment: Nacational Academies Press pre-pub announcement

The National Academies Press has just announced pre-publication access to Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What and How? Electronic and hard copy versions can be ordered now. In addition, if you don't mind reading pdf files on your computer, you can read the entire text for free on-line. A free copy of the Executive Summary is available (click here).

psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, early childhood, assessment, testing, National Academies Press, National Research Council, preschool

Dissertation Dish: WJ III K-ABC preschool CHC cross-battery factor study

Yet another WJ III CHC-organized dissertation has found its way to IQ's Corner (see Disseratation Dish index for others). This dissertation is a cross-battery confirmatory factor analysis of the K-ABC and WJ III in a preschool sample. The abstract is below.

A joint confirmatory factor analysis of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition, and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition, with preschool children by Hunt, Madeline S., Ph.D., Ball State University, 2007, 238 pages; AAT 3288307

Abstract

• The purpose of this study was to explore the construct validity of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II; Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004a) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition (WJ-III COG; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) with a sample of 200 preschool children, ranging in age from 4 years, 0 months to 5 years, 11 months, and attending preschool and daycare programs in and around a Midwestern city. This study attempted to determine if the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) factor structure represented on these tests can be identified with young children. Individual confirmatory factor analyses were conducted separately with the KABC-II and WJ-III COG. Moreover, a joint confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using both the KABC-II and WJ-III COG. The results of the individual KABC-II factor analyses indicated a two-tiered Gf-Gc model provided the best fit to the data, although the three-tiered CHC model also fit the data well. This suggests the underlying factor structure of the KABC-II is well represented by the CHC theory. The WJ-III COG was best represented by an alternative CHC model, in which the Gf factor and subtests had been removed, indicating not all CHC constructs represented on the WJ-III COG can be reliably identified among young children. The joint confirmatory factor analysis indicated the strongest measures of the shared CHC factors on the KABC-II and WJ-III COG, which can help to guide cross-battery assessment with preschool children. Overall, the results confirmed multiple CHC abilities can be assessed with young children, implying clinicians should be using preschool tests that provide scores for several cognitive abilities. This study also revealed the constructs of the CHC theory may be represented somewhat differently on preschool tests due to developmental influences. Strong correlations were evident between unrelated tasks, primarily because the verbal and linguistic demands of many subtests caused them to load unexpectedly on the Gc factor. Suggestions for future research include conducting the same study using preschool children with suspected disabilities, as well as with older children, examining other instruments that include a Gf factor, and conducting exploratory factor analysis with subtests from the KABC-II and WJ-III COG that contain significant components of more than one ability.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, K-ABC, WJ III, Woodcock-Johnson, CHC, CHC theory, cross-battery, preschool, intelligence, IQ tests, IQ scores, Ball State University

Bracken Basic Concepts Scale

Bruce Bracken, author of a number of psychoeducational assessment instruments, provided a nice description of one of his instruments (The Bracken Basic Concept Scale) on the NASP listserv today (12-13-06).

I recall being an early fan of the BBCS in my later years as a practicing school psychologist. I thought the BBCS was a much more comprehensive and technically sound measures than the then "top dog" measure of children's basic concepts (The Boehm). In addition, as Bruce mentions in his post, it had the additional feature of being linked to an intervention program.

Bruce was responding to a NASP thread regarding the "utility of cognitive testing." I've decided to reproduce his post below. It is followed by the list of references I have in my private IAP electronic reference database.

Bruce Bracken wrote, on the NASP listserv on 12-13-06 (NOTE - blogmaster snipped one phrase):

• An author's view - - part of the problem in considering the value of assessment is the dichotomizing of positions as right/wrong, good/bad, valid/invalid, and so on to promote a singular way of thinking. Assessment doesn't have to be dichotomized in such a manner. Before CBM, CBA, or RTI was bandied about, the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (1984) was published as a test designed to assess approximately 300 functional, teachable, relevant language concepts in a norm-referenced or criterion-referenced manner. In 1986 the Bracken Concept Development Program was published, which promoted the application of a test-teach-test model and a direct curriculum/assessment linkage (forerunner to CBM/CBA). The BBCS has been twice revised since the original edition and its multi-level functional assessment/intervention approach is equally relevant with an RTI model. BBCS content has been compared to the early childhood educational standards in all 50 states, and it exceeds the standards in every state (you may download the standards comparisons by copying and pasting the following URL: http://faculty.wm.edu/babrac/Standards.xls). There are highly reliable, highly valid, educationally relevant, developmentally appropriate, functional norm-referenced tests available to school psychologists, but some critics choose the weakest examples to make their points rather than acknowledge meaningful advances being made in psychoeducational assessment.

Bracken, B. A., Kuehn-Howell, K., & Crain, R. M. (1993). Prediction of Caucasian and African-American preschool children's fluid and crystallized intelligence: Contributions of maternal characteristics and home environment. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22 (4), 455-464.

Laughlin, T. (1995). The school readiness composite of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale as an intellectual screening instrument. Journal of Psychoducational Assessment, 13, 294-302.

Braden, J. P., Gottling, S. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (1993). Confirmatory factor analysis of the planning, attention, simultaneous, successive (PASS) cognitive processing model for a kindergarten sample. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 11, 259-269.

Mclntosh, D. E., Wayland, S. J., Gridley, B., & Barnes, L. L. B. (1995). The relationship between the Bracken Basic Concept Scale and the Differential Ability Scales with a preschool sample. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 13, 39-48.

McIntosh, D. E., Brown, M. L., & Ross, S. L. (1995). Relationship between the Bracken Basic Concept Scale and the Differential Ability Scales with an at-risk sample of preschoolers. Psychological Reports, 75, 219-224.

Bracken, B. A., & Howell, K. K. (1991). Ipsative subtest pattern stability of the Bracken Concept Scale and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children in a preschool sample. School Psychology Review, 20(2), 315-330.

Technorati Tags: psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, neuropsychology, education, learning, concepts, basic conceepts, Bracken Basic Concept Scale, testing, assessment, learning disabilities, LD

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