Claudio Vezzani

Emergent Literacy and Early Writing Skills.

ABSTRACT In the present study, the authors aimed to assess the short- and long-term predictive power of the various components of an emergent literacy model on early writing abilities in a language with a mainly transparent orthography (Italian). Emergent literacy skills were assessed in 72 children (M age = 5.05 years, SD = ± .03) who were followed longitudinally from preschool to the end of the first grade of primary school. Their early writing abilities (orthographic correctness in writing individual words) and their advanced writing abilities (orthographic correctness in text writing) were tested at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Multiple stepwise and logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the predictive capacities of emergent literacy abilities on early and advanced writing competences. Results show that notational competence is a strong predictor of early writing skills and that phonological competence only has an effect insofar as it is integrated with notational competence. Emergent literacy competences do not significantly predict orthographic errors in advanced text writing. This research allows for reconsideration of the importance of phonological awareness and gives a central role to notational competence in predicting early writing competence.

Where is my attention? Children’s metaknowledge expressed through drawings

The aim of the present research is to assess the developmental pattern of the metacognitive knowledge of attention in Italian primary school students. Data were collected from 95 pupils divided into two age groups: the first (6–8 years) and second primary school cycles (8–10 years). The children were asked to perform two specific thematic drawings on attention vs inattention in the school context. The drawings were coded on the basis of the Children’s Awareness of Attention through Drawing, consisting of five scales which explore the behavioural, pragmatic, cognitive, emotional and social awareness of attention. The analysis of the thematic drawings reveals that from the early years of primary school, children are aware of some components of attention: behavioural awareness, pragmatic awareness and social awareness. Other components are instead acquired as of the age of eight.

Measuring the quality of the sibling relationship during middle childhood: The psychometric properties of the Sibling Relationship Inventory

To address a significant gap in the literature on sibling relationships, the present study examined the psychometric properties of the Sibling Relationship Inventory (SRI) in an Italian sample. The study had three main aims: (i) to investigate the factorial structure of the SRI; (ii) to evaluate the invariance of the SRIs factorial structure across birth order; and (iii) to test the SRIs validity. To this end 385 children, 213 first-borns and 172 second-borns (aged 6 to 12) were recruited. Confirmatory factor analyses showed a three-factor structure identical to that reported by the authors of the SRI. Critically, the SRI structure was stable when first- and second-borns were considered separately. Overall, the Italian version of the SRI showed good psychometric properties.

Metacognitive knowledge of attention in children with and without ADHD symptoms

Children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) experience difficulty in managing attention in school, but it is not sufficiently clear what their attentional beliefs are. Drawing is a means of expression that is habitually used to access knowledge or ideas of children regarding their classroom experience. The aim of this study is to verify whether children with ADHD use pictorial indicators analogous to children without ADHD (N-ADHD). 92 primary school students participated in this study, half of whom diagnosed with ADHD. Children were asked to produce two specific thematic drawings on attention vs. inattention; their pictorial representations were analyzed using the Childrens Awareness of Attention through Drawing (CAAD). The analysis showed principally that children with ADHD have a metacognitive awareness of attention similar to N-ADHD except for a delay in acquisition of the correct posture, for less maturation in the management of school materials and greater expression of negative feelings over time. Children with ADHD are aware of what is required in the school context but they are not able to pursue it. Behavioral intervention and structured learning are two targets of intervention that can help children with ADHD to adapt and to stay at school.

The Mediating Role of Conceptions of Learning in the Relationship Between Metacognitive Skills/Strategies and Academic Outcomes Among Middle-School Students

This study investigated the mediating role of conceptions of learning in the relationship between metacognitive skills/strategies and academic outcomes among middle-school students. The self-report “Learning Conceptions Questionnaire” (LCQ) and “Metacognitive questionnaire on the method of study” (QMS—in Italian) were administered to 136 middle-school students and their academic outcomes were collected. Correlation analyses revealed that within metacognitive skills/strategies only self-assessment was positively correlated with academic outcomes. Mediation analysis indicated that a conception of learning as internal attribution of success and failure was significantly involved as mediator in the relationship between metacognitive skills/strategies and academic outcomes. This study permitted to advance our knowledge about the relationship between metacognitive skills/strategies and academic outcomes and it has opened the way to practical implications.

Predicting Reading, Spelling, and Mathematical Skills: A Longitudinal Study From Kindergarten Through First Grade

This two-year longitudinal study contributes to the debate between the school readiness and emergent literacy approaches, individuating early markers for reading, spelling, and mathematical skills. Two hundred and two Italian children participated in this study (M age = 5.6years, SD = 0.3). In kindergarten, a wide range of children’s domain-general and domain-specific skills were assessed through standardized tests. In primary school, children’s reading, spelling, and mathematical competences were assessed through standardized tests. Results showed that domain-specific predictors contribute to the explanation of reading, spelling, and mathematical performances more than domain-general predictors do. Each primary school skill is mainly predicted by their respective domain-specific kindergarten skill, although some cross-domain relations exist, for example, phonological awareness contributing to both reading and mathematical performances.