Early Childhood Assessment Research Articles

The cost of long-term follow-up of high-risk infants for research studies.

Neonatal intensive care is expensive, and thus it is essential that its long-term outcomes are measured. The costs of follow-up studies for high-risk children who survive are unknown. This study aims to determine current costs for the assessment of health and development of children followed up in our research programme. Costs were determined for children involved in the research follow-up programme at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, over the 6-month period between 1st January 2012 and 30th June 2012. The time required for health professionals involved in assessments in early and later childhood was estimated, and converted into dollar costs. Costs for equipment and data management were added. Estimated costs were compared with actual costs of running the research follow-up programme. A total of 134 children were assessed over the 6-month period. The estimated average cost per child assessed was $1184, much higher than was expected. The estimated cost to assess a toddler was $1149, whereas for an 11-year-old it was $1443, the difference attributable to the longer psychological and paediatric assessments. The actual average cost per child assessed was $1623. The shortfall of $439 between the actual and estimated average costs per child arose chiefly because of the need to pay staff even when participants were late or failed to attend. The average costs of assessing children at each age for research studies are much higher than expected. These data are useful for planning similar long-term follow-up assessments for high-risk children.

Is greater improvement in early self-regulation associated with fewer behavioral problems later in childhood?

The aim of this study was to determine whether the extent of improvement in self-regulation achieved between ages 4 and 6 years is associated with the level of behavioral problems later in childhood. Participants were 4-year-old children (n = 510) attending preschools in South Australia. Children's level of self-regulation was assessed using the parent-completed Devereux Early Childhood Assessment when children were aged 4, 5, and 6. Children's level of behavioral problems was assessed using total, internalizing, and externalizing scores on parent- and teacher-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs) when children were 6 years old. Random effects regression was used to describe the changes to children's self-regulation between 4 and 6 years. Linear regression models were then used to determine the strength of the association between the extent of self-regulation improvement and level of behavioral problems. Greater improvement in self-regulation, adjusted for family characteristics and baseline self-regulation scores, was associated with lower levels of parent- (B = -3.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-4.49, -2.65]) and teacher-rated SDQ total difficulties scores at 6 years (B = -2.42, 95% CI [-3.50, -1.34]). These effects remained after adjustment for level of parent-rated behavioral problems at 4 years. Similar effects were found for internalizing and externalizing scores at age 6 years. The results highlight the importance of improvements in self-regulation from 4-6 years for childhood behavioral problems during the early school years. Children with lower levels of improvement in self-regulation early in life are at risk for higher levels of behavioral problems both at home and at school.

A AVALIAÇÃO NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: FUNDAMENTOS, INSTRUMENTOS E PRÁTICAS PEDAGÓGICAS

O presente artigo apresenta fundamentos, instrumentos e práticas acerca da avaliação pedagógica no âmbito da Educação Infantil, bem como o relato de experiências avaliativas vivenciadas pelas autoras, em seus estágios supervisionados, durante a graduação em Pedagogia, em duas escolas da rede municipal de Campinas. A pesquisa tem como referência metodológica a abordagem qualitativa de pesquisa e teve como principais referências teóricas Hoffmann (2000), Bondioli (2004) e Micarello (2010). Estes estudos nos permitem considerar que o processo avaliativo realizado em sala de aula deve ser entendido como elemento essencial do planejamento docente, por revelar as principais necessidades e avanços dos alunos, nas suas relações com o ensino e a aprendizagem. Esperamos, com este estudo, reafirmar a importância da avaliação na primeira infância na busca pelo sucesso da educação escolar na sociedade contemporânea.http://dx.doi.org/10.14572/nuances.v25i3.3048

Facets of diagnostics of mentalization in children

Clinical relevance of variations within the ability to mentalize is usually reported in the field of psychopathology in adults. This might be due to difficulties in methods for empirical assessment of this capacity in children. In this short report the author discusses facets and abilities of how to engage the inner world of young children with story stem techniques and especially how to register variations in the ability to mentalize. Ideas for assessment in early childhood are presented and illustrated along two clinical vignettes. This paper gives a short impression of clinical diagnostics of mentalization in childhood.

Montessori Public School Pre-K Programs and the School Readiness of Low-Income Black and Latino Children.

Within the United States, there are a variety of early education models and curricula aimed at promoting young children's pre-academic, social, and behavioral skills. This study, using data from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP; Winsler et al., 2008, 2012), examined the school readiness gains of low-income Latino (n = 7,045) and Black children (n = 6,700) enrolled in two different types of Title-1 public school pre-K programs: those in programs using the Montessori curricula and those in more conventional programs using the High/Scope curricula with a literacy supplement. Parents and teachers reported on children's socio-emotional and behavioral skills with the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), while children's pre-academic skills (cognitive, motor, and language) were assessed directly with the Learning Accomplishment Profile Diagnostic (LAP-D) at the beginning and end of their four-year-old pre-K year. All children, regardless of curricula, demonstrated gains across pre-academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral skills throughout the pre-K year; however, all children did not benefit equally from Montessori programs. Latino children in Montessori programs began the year at most risk in pre-academic and behavioral skills, yet exhibited the greatest gains across these domains and ended the year scoring above national averages. Conversely, Black children exhibited healthy gains in Montessori, but demonstrated slightly greater gains when attending more conventional pre-K programs. Findings have implications for tailoring early childhood education programs for Latino and Black children from low-income communities.

Early Childhood Assessment: Implications for the Development of Responsive Readiness Skills, Child Care and Early Intervention in Nigeria

The assessment process is a significant event for families and their children; the outcome of this process could mean specialized interventions that could significantly change a child’s developmental course. Assessment, of course, is important for eligibility determination but also equally important for programme planning, monitoring progress and programme evaluation. Since this process is so vital to families and professionals, it is equally imperative that materials and procedures for early childhood assessment are relevant and meaningful. in this paper, the writers attempted to discuss the policy and practice of early childhood education in Nigeria; principles behind taking assessment as pertained to policies and guidelines; the areas to be assessed in children were enumerated; purposes of assessment in early childhood education were discussed; the structure of the early childhood classroom in order to effectively facilitate social interaction were suggested and stakeholders and best practices in children assessment and intervention for professionals were recommended.

Early childhood assessment: observation, teacher ‘knowledge’ and the production of attainment data in early years settings

Since 2003 children in England have been formally assessed at the age of 5 after their first year in school, and their numerical scores reported to parents and analysed at school and national levels. The use of statutory assessment for this age group is unique in the UK, where other regions use less formal methods of assessment. It is also unusual internationally. This paper examines the peculiarity of this assessment system, the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, using data from two ethnographic case studies of classrooms of four- and five-year-old children in London. The study revealed tensions between the construction of teachers' knowledge, their ambivalence in relation to the numerical data they report, and the use of the data for school accountability purposes. Alternative methods of assessing this age group in other parts of the UK are used to consider the implications of the production of numerical assessment data in early childhood education.

Validation of the Preschool Child Observation Record: Does It Pass the Test for Use in Head Start?

Research Findings: This study provides the first independent investigation of the second most widely used multidimensional assessment in Head Start—the Preschool Child Observation Record, Second Edition (COR-2). We conducted a comprehensive investigation into the validity of the COR-2 using data from all children in an urban school district's Head Start program (N = 4,071). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a misfit between the 6 developer-defined categories and the data. Although exploratory analyses revealed a possible 4-factor solution, subsequent analyses indicated problems with this structure as well. Item response theory methods were used to determine whether there was support for the 5-point response scale of each item representing an appropriately sequenced set of skill points. Results indicated that nearly half of the COR-2 items had reversed or poorly spaced thresholds, suggesting potential problems with these items' functioning. Practice or Policy: Specific implications of the findings for the further development of the COR-2 in terms of its constructs and items as well as general implications for early childhood assessment are discussed.

Body composition assessment in infancy and early childhood: comparison of anthropometry with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in low-income group children from India

Anthropometry is a simple, inexpensive method of body composition assessment, but its validity has not been examined adequately in young children. The study therefore compared the body composition estimates using anthropometry with those using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in infants and young children. Body composition estimates using anthropometry and DXA were assessed and compared at 6, 12 and 18 months in a cohort of 137 infants enrolled at birth. Fat mass (FM) and body fat percent (%BF) estimates by anthropometry were lower than those using DXA. Mean differences (DXA-skinfold thickness) in FM, fat free mass (FFM) and %BF were highest at 6 months (350 g, -226 g and 4%, respectively); the differences reduced with increase in age and were lowest at 18 months (46 g, 56 g and 0%, respectively). Bland-Altman analyses showed good agreement between the FM, FFM and %BF estimates by the two methods only at 18 months. Accretion of FM and FFM during follow-up, estimated by the two methods, was significantly different, with agreement between the methods seen only for increment in FFM from 6 to 12 months. Substantial differences were found in the body composition estimates by anthropometry compared with DXA and also in the longitudinally assessed tissue accretion patterns by the two methods. As the body composition patterns may be influenced by the method used for body composition assessment, results of studies assessing body composition by anthropometry during infancy should be interpreted with caution.

Comparing Apples and Oranges

The assessment of young children in early childhood special education is a central area of educational practice. The results of child assessments often have significant implications for young children, their families, and the programs that serve them, including eligibility for special education services, instructional planning, and documentation of child outcomes. The array of early childhood assessment types and purposes can be challenging to disentangle at the practitioner and policy level. At this time, different types of assessment tools (e.g., norm-referenced and criterion-referenced) are being used to document the development and learning of children and little attention has been paid to the parallel information produced from different assessment types. The purpose of this study is to compare the assessment results from two types of developmental instruments commonly used ( Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System Second Edition [AEPS 2nd ed.] and Battelle Developmental Inventory II [BDI-2]) to determine their congruence in determining a child’s developmental status (e.g., “on track” or delayed). Results indicate substantive difference between the two measures highlighting the potential for mismeasurement and misinterpretation of child assessment data. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

معايير الإدراك البصري الحركي للأطفال من عمر 2 - 7 سنوات

نمو الطفل | مقاييس النمو البصري و الحركي | مقياس بيري للإدراك البصري و الحركي | التدخل المبكر للطفل | قياس نمو الطفل | القياس في الطفولة المبكرة | التشخيص النمائي المبكر | الإدراك البصري الحركي عند الطفل | Child Development | Visual Motor Development | Visual–Motor Integration | Beery Scales | Child Assessment | Early Childhood Assessment | Early Childhood Diagnosis

Evaluating the Adequacy of Social-Emotional Measures in Early Childhood

Technical adequacy and usability are important considerations in selecting early childhood social-emotional (SE) screening and assessment measures. As identification of difficulties can be tied to programming, intervention, accountability, and funding, it is imperative that practitioners and decision makers select appropriate and quality measures from the plethora of measures available. This study systematically reviewed and evaluated the technical adequacy and usability of 10 commonly used SE assessment and screening measures, using a framework for evaluating selected properties of measures (e.g., reliability, validity). Through this review, it was found that there are inadequacies in many commonly used SE measures, deserving the attention of both users and developers.

Preliminary Psychometric Properties of an Observation System to Assess Teachers’ Use of Effective Behavior Support Strategies in Preschool Classrooms

Challenging behaviors are one of the most common concerns of early educators, and preschool teachers continue to report feeling unprepared to meet the needs of children displaying challenging behaviors. Overall, traditional standardized classroom assessments have evaluated global classroom quality, but they may not capture the reciprocal and recursive nature of interactions present in preschool classrooms in a manner that can be easily quantified. The current investigation presents initial psychometric information for the Student Behavior Teacher Response (SBTR) observation scheme, a measure that captures instances of challenging behavior and the teacher’s response to the behavior. In a sample of 88 Head Start teachers, the observation system exhibited preliminary evidence of inter-rater score agreement and reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Implications for educators and early childhood assessments are discussed.

Restless leg syndrome in young children with orofacial cleft

Introduction Periodic limb movements (PLMs) and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) are related conditions which are increasingly being recognized in children. The prevalence of PLMs is believed to be approximately 8–12% in childhood although it occurs in up to 25% of children with attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Children with orofacial clefts are at increased risk of behavioral difficulties, including inattention and hyperactivity. However, no study has investigated the prevalence of PLMs or RLS in these children and the association with behavioral morbidity. The goal of the current study, therefore, was to investigate the frequency of PLMs and RLS in young children with orofacial cleft and to determine the relationship to inattentive and hyperactive behaviors. Materials and methods Families of children aged 2–6 years with orofacial clefts were invited to participate. All families completed the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) which included the following subscales: PLMS (6-items), snoring and sleepiness (4 items each). A total score ⩾ 0.33 on any subscale indicated a positive screen. Items about RLS and growing pains were also analyzed separately. In addition, families completed the Conners Early Childhood Assessment questionnaire which included several behavioral domains including hyperactivity/inattention. Results Thus far 36 children have been enrolled. Mean age was 5.0 ± 1.3 years, 53% were boys and 61% Caucasian. Overall 19% of children screened positive for PLMs and a positive response to the RLS and growing pains items was reported in 15% and 12% of children respectively. Children with PLMs had a higher sleepiness score than those without (0.32 vs. 0.06; p = 0.008). Those with RLS, compared to children without, tended towards a higher sleepiness score (0.25 vs. 0.09; p = 0.18), as did those with growing pains (0.25 vs. 0.07; p = 0.12). There were no associations between PLMs or RLS with snoring scores (0.25 vs. 0.21; p = 0.75 and 0.20 vs. 0.21; p = 0.97 respectively). Children with PLMs had higher inattention/hyperactivity scores than those without (66.7 ± 17.0 vs. 53.9 ± 13.5; p = 0.039), as did children with RLS (70.4 ± 19.1 vs. 54.1 ± 13.6; p = 0.026). Conclusion Daytime sleepiness and inattentive/behavioral problems are associated with symptoms of PLMs and RLS in young children with orofacial cleft. Screening for such sleep problems may be important in this pediatric population. Acknowledgements Dr. Moraleda-Cibrian is supported in part by Fundacio Universitaria Agusti Pedro i Pons.

Relationship between emergent literacy and early social–emotional development in preschool children from low-income backgrounds

Sixty-one preschool children and their parents and teachers participated in a cross-sectional study of the social–emotional correlates of emergent literacy skills. The children's emergent literacy skills were assessed with the standard language and literacy tests: Expressive Vocabulary Test, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (third edition), and Test of Early Reading Ability (third edition). These tests measure oral language (expressive language and receptive language) and print awareness. The children's positive and negative behaviours were measured by the standard behaviour rating scales: the Behavior Assessment System for Children (second edition) and the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment. These behaviours are grouped into four subcategories, namely, externalising behaviour, internalising behaviour, approaches to learning, and interpersonal skills. Results showed a wide range of significant associations between the components of emergent literacy and social–emotional development. Age and sex were found to moderate these significant correlations in different ways. Implications for educational practitioners and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Family Partnership in Early Childhood Assessment

Assessment is a process of arranging and evaluating information, which is gathered from different kinds of evidence about young children. The general purpose of assessment is evaluating infants and children to determine whether the development of the child is normal or needs assistance. Assessment is a comprehensive process of setting high expectations for student learning and provides discussion and feedback to improve student learning. Assessment of early childhood years needs more parents and family partnerships. In other words, family could be considered as one of the most important assessment supporters for educators. The purpose of this paper is to examine family-school partnerships in terms of assessment and evaluation. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n3p679

The validity of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for culturally and linguistically diverse Head Start children

The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) is a social-emotional assessment widely used by early childhood educational programs to inform early identification and intervention efforts. However, its construct validity is not well-established in independent samples of children from low-income backgrounds. We examined the construct validity of the teacher report of the DECA using a series of confirmatory factor analyses, exploratory factor analyses, and the Rasch partial credit model in a large sample of culturally and linguistically diverse Head Start children (N=5,197). Findings provided some evidence for consistency in the factor structure of the three Protective Factors subscales (Initiative, Self-Control, and Attachment); however, the factor structure of the Behavioral Concerns subscale was not replicated in our sample and demonstrated poor fit to these data. Findings suggested that the 10 items of the published Behavioral Concerns subscale did not comprise a unidimensional construct, but rather, were better represented by two factors (externalizing and internalizing behavior). The use of the total Behavioral Concerns score as a screening tool to identify emotional and behavioral problems in diverse samples of preschool children from low-income backgrounds was not supported, especially for internalizing behavior. Implications for the consequential validity of the DECA for use as a screening tool in early childhood programs serving diverse populations of children and directions for future research are discussed.

Incremental Validity in the Clinical Assessment of Early Childhood Development

The authors demonstrate the increment of clinical validity in early childhood assessment of physical impairment (PI), developmental delay (DD), and autism (AUT) using multiple standardized developmental screening measures such as performance measures and parent and teacher rating scales. Hierarchical regression and sensitivity/specificity analyses were used to identify the differential impact of each domain the scales measure. Significant findings include (a) self-help domains in either parent or teacher questionnaires are more significant contributors than social-emotional domains to early detection, (b) performance measures are stronger predictors than parent or teacher questionnaires in detecting physical impairment or developmental delay, and (c) parent questionnaires measuring self-help skills are a stronger predictor of autism than performance measures. These results support the combined use of parent and teacher rating scales and provide important implications in choosing instruments for different developmental disorders when time and resources are limited.

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.

Reliability and Validity of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) as a Function of Parent and Teacher Ratings

This study examined reliability and validity of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), based on samples of parents and teachers’ ratings of 1,145 entering kindergartners in the Southwest. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that DECA presented good reliability and validity for manifest variables, corroborating previous findings. Three latent variables (initiative, self-control, and attachment) substantiated reliability estimates but showed insufficient discriminant validity because of multicollinearity among latent variables. We recommended caution in interpreting and applying results of DECA assessments in practice because of a lack of discriminant validity. Thus, these findings addressed the need for researchers, educators, and policy makers to consider alternative instruments for early identification of social and emotional problems in young children until new research and a revised DECA model show evidence for the validity of outcomes.