Ann Marie Berghout Austin

Family Home Care Providers’ and Parents’ Beliefs and Practices Concerning Mathematics with Young Children †

Three studies are reported which describe aspects of the early childhood environment surrounding the development of mathematics concepts. Study 1 examined the beliefs and attitudes of family home day care providers concerning mathematics. Although providers rated math skills lower in importance than other skills, they thought that math skills were acquired in the same way as other skills. In Study 2 both parent and family day care providers reported similar frequencies for engaging children in math activities. In Study 3 we addressed the question of whether the beliefs and reported activities of parents and providers predict childrens performance on the Test of Early Mathematics Ability‐2. The frequency of math activities reported by parents or family day care providers was not significantly correlated with childrens mathematics achievement scores in either age group. It appears that some mathematical activities do occur in childrens homes and in family day care, but the frequency and scope of these experiences is limited. †This paper is based on research first reported at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, 1997; and the Southwestern Society for Research in Human Development, 1998. The research was supported by the Marie Wilson Howells Endowment to the Department of Psychology and by the Utah State University Agriculture Experiment Station.

Peer Relationships of the Academically Gifted: A Review:

After Terman (1925) first challenged the folk notion that gifted children are social isolates, peer relationships among the gifted has received greater attention, especially since the 1940s. These studies have not been in agreement: many studies support Terman’s contention of gifted popularity; others refute or modify this social picture. In addition to the inconsistency in the data we do have, there are age groups of gifted children that have hardly been studies, e.g., preschoolers and adolescents. Most of what we know about

The Relationship Among Peer Acceptance, Social Impact, and Academic Achievement in Middle Childhood

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of academic achievement to four categories of social status including popular, rejected, isolated, and amiable, and to the variables of peer acceptance and social impact. Subjects were 145 elementary school children, grades 3 through 6. The children responded to a questionnaire designed to assess peer acceptance as well as rejection. Data consisted of (a) acceptance scores based on the predominance of either acceptance or rejection responses from peers and (b) social impact scores based on the number of children who mentioned a given child either positively or negatively. These scores were correlated with each child’s Iowa Test of Basic Skills composite score. Pooled-within correlations indicated that acceptance correlated positively and significantly with academic achievement, whereas social impact correlated negatively and significantly with achievement. Children above average in achievement were significantly more often considered amiable or popular than rejected or isolated. They were just as likely to be considered amiable as popular. Students below average in achievement were significantly more often rejected than were above average students. When they were given positive mention, these youngsters were more often considered amiable than popular.

Mediators of preschoolers’ early mathematics concepts

The purpose of this study was to extend existing research relative to the predictors of early mathematics skills. Using Vygotskian theory as a framework, our primary goal was to determine whether social skills or letter awareness skills served as better mediators between receptive language and early mathematics concepts. The secondary goal was to examine possible differences in children’s early mathematics, language, letter awareness, and psychosocial skills for two different childcare settings, centre and family childcare. Participants included 109 children (48 girls) all of whom attended out‐of‐home childcare at least 13 hours each week and who would be attending kindergarten the following year. Sixty‐one children were enrolled in out‐of‐home family childcare and 48 in out‐of‐home centre childcare. Relative to our first goal, letter awareness fully mediated between receptive language and early mathematics (Sobel z‐value = 2.92, p = .003). This suggested that when children are able to understand a system of symbols for sounds and if they have sufficient receptive language skills, they are able to understand a system of symbols for number. Teaching early mathematics skills as frequently as letter awareness skills might reinforce more efficient acquisition of both. Relative to our second goal, children in centre‐based care outscored children in home‐based childcare on early mathematics and letter awareness skills. This suggested that some differential trainings for centre childcare providers versus home care providers might be appropriate so as to provide the highest quality environment for both groups of children.

Cognitive Development and Home Environment of Rural Paraguayan Infants and Toddlers Participating in Pastoral del Niño, an Early Child Development Program

Abstract Participants included 106 infants and toddlers living in rural Paraguay and their primary caregiver. Children ranged in age from birth to 24 months and belonged to two distinct groups, including 46 children who had never participated in Pastoral del Niño, an early child development program, and 60 children who had participated in Pastoral for at least half the childs life. This article describes a study comparing the cognitive development and caregiving environment of rural Paraguayan infants and toddlers, from birth to 24 months, who were participating in Pastoral del Niño with that of children who were not participating in Pastoral programs. Cognitive (BSID-II) scores differed between the two groups, with Pastoral infants and toddlers scoring signifcantly higher at 0–4 months and 20–24 months. IT-HOME scores were signifcantly higher for Pastoral children at 0–4 months, 5–9 months, 10–14 months, and 15–19 months. Overall, best predictors for BSID-II scores included health, nutrition, and education variables, while best predictors for IT-HOME scores included caregiver education, lingualism, and community participation.

Cooperative Games and Children's Positive Behaviors.

Participants included 39 children, 20 boys and 19 girls, ranging in age from 4 years 0 months to 4 years 6 months. Childrens behaviors during cooperative and competitive games were documented using the Observation Checklist of Childrens Behavior [OCCB; Grineski, 1989b]. Children participated in a six week treatment period of cooperative and competitive games. More positive behaviors were observed during cooperative games than competitive games. More negative behaviors were observed during competitive games, but only during the first week of competitive games. Teachers’ warmth and nurturance was measured using the CIS [Arnett, 1989], but these scores did not impact childrens positive and negative scores in any statistically significant way. Results are explained using Tharp and Gallimores [1998] work on classroom climate and Gottman ef a#sh.’s [1997] work on interactional set‐points within a classroom.

Determinants of Children's Satisfaction with their Child Care Providers

The purpose of this study was to assess childrens satisfaction in alternative child care utilizing the Child Care Game Assessment (CCGA), a child interview tool developed by Godfrey (1992). Seventy‐seven children (38 girls and 39 boys) ranging in age from 3 years 11 months to 6 years 1 month (mean = 4 years 5 months) participated in this study. The children attended one of six child care centers randomly selected for study. Although child care centers varied according to scores on the ECERS, childrens expressions of satisfaction regarding teacher interactions were not related to quality of child care. Rather, children were more positive about teacher interactions in the day care center when maternal responses on PSI Life Stress Scale (Abidin, 1986) indicated fewer recent life stress events for the family. Additionally, higher maternal education levels predicted more positive child perceptions of teacher interactions. Poorer classroom adjustment predicted more negative child perceptions of teacher intera...

Computer Affect of Preschool Children and Perceived Affect of Their Parents, Teachers, and Peers

Abstract Preschool children (N = 35) from a university child development laboratory participated in this study that focused on the affect of children of differing intellectual levels toward computer usage. The study also assessed the affect of parents, teachers, and peers toward computer usage as perceived by the children. Affect was measured by the amount of contact each child initiated with the computer in the preschool classroom and in an experimental activity and through administration of the Computer Affect Assessment, an instrument developed for this study. Children who were more cognitively mature as indicated by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) used the computer for longer periods of time during the experimental activity and were also more likely to attribute positive father and teacher affect to computer usage. Most children had initial positive affect toward computer usage, which continued or increased after four weeks of contact with the computer in the classroom.

Provider Stress and Children's Active Engagement

This study explored provider stress and provider-accumulated training as predictors of child active engagement in child care programs. Providers from 19 child care programs participated in a self-report of stress levels, using an adaptation of the Parent Stress Index-Short Form. Child psychosocial factors were assessed using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment. Classroom observations of child engagement were assessed through direct observation using a modification of the Engagement Check II and E-Qual III. Results indicated that high provider stress and accumulated provider training hours are predictors of child engagement during free play in child care programs. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between provider training and provider stress, with accumulated training hours predicting high child engagement for those providers with high levels of stress. Thus, high training hours tended to assuage provider stress to a degree. Our results suggest the potentially mitigating effects of state-regulated child care training hours. They also suggest the need to address child care systematically during training and outreach programs.

Conditions of Caregiving, Provider Nurturance and Quality Care.

Participants included 36 licensed family day care providers from six rural counties who had been providing care for a mean of 8.3 years (SO = 6.8 years). Fourteen of the providers had earned high school diplomas; twenty‐two had some post high school education. At least one child from an economically strained home (as measured by AFDC receipt) was present in 44.4% of the FDC homes. Dependent measures included: The Caregiver Interaction Scale (Arnett, 1989); Elaboration Scale from The Family Day Care Rating Scale (FDCRS, Harms and Clifford, 1989); FDCRS Total Score; and FDC program structure (e.g. frequency of enrichment activities, Kontos and Riessen, 1993). Professional self‐perceptions and perceptions of job significance were assessed by self‐report (adapted from Whitebook, Howes and Phillips, 1990). Provider nurturance was influenced by the presence of children from economically strained homes and by provider education levels. Positive provider self‐perceptions negatively influenced program structure. W...