Approaches to learning and school readiness in Head Start: Applications to preschool science

Bustamante, Andres S.; White, Lisa J.; Greenfield, Daryl B.

doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2016.10.012

Cited by 54 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…They found that while executive functioning predicted gains in academic school readiness across the preschool year in early literacy, vocabulary, math, and science, executive functioning predicted gains in science more strongly than the other readiness domains. Bustamante, White, & Greenfield [8] demonstrated a very similar pattern of results using approaches-to-learning as the predictor in a highly similar population of children. Approaches-to-learning predicted gains across the Head Start school year in the domain of early science, more so than in math and early literacy skills.…”

Section: Early Science and Engineering Are A Natural Fit With Domain mentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Science education is posited to be an ideal context to foster creativity and imagination [34]. Finally, science and engineering are ideal for fostering approaches-to-learning and executive functioning [7,8,35].…”

Section: Early Childhood Science and Engineeringmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Early childhood science and engineering education offers a prime context to foster approaches-to-learning and executive functioning by eliciting children's natural curiosity, providing a unique opportunity to engage children in hands-on learning experiences that promote critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, persistence, and other adaptive domain-general learning skills [7,8]. Indeed, while engaging in a science experience or designing an engineering solution to a problem, children make observations and predictions, engage in collaborative conversations with teachers and peers, and think flexibly in planning and carrying out investigations to answer their questions, and design engineering solutions to their problems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Early Childhood Science and Engineering: Engaging Platforms for Fostering Domain-General Learning Skills

2018

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Early childhood science and engineering education offer a prime context to foster approaches-to-learning (ATL) and executive functioning (EF) by eliciting children’s natural curiosity about the world, providing a unique opportunity to engage children in hands-on learning experiences that promote critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, persistence, and other adaptive domain-general learning skills. Indeed, in any science experiment or engineering problem, children make observations, engage in collaborative conversations with teachers and peers, and think flexibly to come up with predictions or potential solutions to their problem. Inherent to science and engineering is the idea that one learns from initial failures within an iterative trial-and-error process where children practice risk-taking, persistence, tolerance for frustration, and sustaining focus. Unfortunately, science and engineering instruction is typically absent from early childhood classrooms, and particularly so in programs that serve children from low-income families. However, our early science and engineering intervention research shows teachers how to build science and engineering instruction into activities that are already happening in their classrooms, which boosts their confidence and removes some of the stigma around science and engineering. In this paper, we discuss the promise of research that uses early childhood science and engineering experiences as engaging, hands-on, interactive platforms to instill ATL and EF in young children living below the poverty line. We propose that early childhood science and engineering offer a central theme that captures children’s attention and allows for integrated instruction across domain-general (ATL, EF, and social–emotional) and domain-specific (e.g., language, literacy, mathematics, and science) content, allowing for contextualized experiences that make learning more meaningful and captivating for children.

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Section: Early Science and Engineering Are A Natural Fit With Domain mentioning

confidence: 73%

Section: Early Childhood Science and Engineeringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Early Childhood Science and Engineering: Engaging Platforms for Fostering Domain-General Learning Skills

2018

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“…However, existing studies concerning informant discrepancies have focused primarily on school‐aged children in Western contexts (Major et al, 2015). The current study was situated in the Chinese preschool context and aimed at examining informant discrepancies between parent and teacher ratings of preschoolers' approaches to learning—a set of learning styles and behaviours, such as motivation, persistence, and disposition towards learning, which influence how children approach learning situations (Bustamante, White, & Greenfield, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informant discrepancies in the rating of Chinese preschoolers' approaches to learning: Looking for the role of parent–teacher relationships

Ren

Fan

2020

Infant and Child Development

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Ratings from multiple informants, such as parents and teachers, are often used in child development research. Although informant discrepancies have been the rule rather than the exception, factors that may contribute to such discrepancies are not well understood. This study examined the role of parent–teacher relationships in the discrepancies between parents' and teachers' ratings of approaches to learning in Chinese preschoolers. Data were collected from the parents and teachers of 354 Chinese children (Mage = 5.26 years). Discrepancies between parents' and teachers' ratings were analysed, and poor agreement was found. Better parent–teacher relationships slightly contributed to smaller parent–teacher discrepancies on ratings of children's attention/persistence and competence motivation. The findings suggest that strategies promoting parent–teacher relationships may improve the consistency between parents' and teachers' view on children's learning behaviours to some degree. The observed discrepancies also imply that multi‐informant ratings are imperative to achieve comprehensive understandings of children's behaviour. This study examined the role of parent–teacher relationships in cross‐informant discrepancies on ratings of Chinese preschoolers' approaches to learning. Remarkable discrepancies were found between parents' and teachers' ratings. Better parent–teacher relationships were related to smaller discrepancies. Improving parent–teacher relationships can help families and schools achieve a more congruent perception of young children's learning behaviours.

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“…Research on the interplay between executive function (EF) and early academic achievement has largely centered on reading and math achievement (Best et al, 2011;Clark et al, 2010;Fuhs et al, 2014;McClelland et al, 2014). However, a body of research is beginning to emerge regarding the association between EF and science, particularly in the early elementary grades (Bustamante et al, 2017;Nayfield et al, 2013). During this developmental period, often called the "five-to-seven-year shift," children across cultures develop increasingly sophisticated cognitive and social capacities (Sameroff & Haith, 1996).…”

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confidence: 99%

Executive functions and science achievement during the five-to-seven-year shift

Mh¹,

Bousselot²,

Ahmed³

2020

Preprint

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Executive functions (EF) are domain-general cognitive skills that predict school success. However, less is known about the relation between EFs and science achievement. The present study examined the bidirectional associations between science achievement and children’s cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory in a nationally representative sample of children in the United States (N = 18,166). Using cross-lagged panel modeling, results revealed significant bidirectional associations between EF and science: Kindergarten (Mage = 6.1 years) EF predicted first grade (Mage = 7.1 years) science achievement (Bs = .08–.12), and kindergarten science achievement predicted first grade EF (Bs = .10–.23). Promoting early science competencies may be an effective way to enhance domain-general cognitive skills.

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Approaches to learning and school readiness in Head Start: Applications to preschool science

Cited by 54 publications

References 28 publications

Early Childhood Science and Engineering: Engaging Platforms for Fostering Domain-General Learning Skills

Early Childhood Science and Engineering: Engaging Platforms for Fostering Domain-General Learning Skills

Informant discrepancies in the rating of Chinese preschoolers' approaches to learning: Looking for the role of parent–teacher relationships

Executive functions and science achievement during the five-to-seven-year shift

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