First-grade Pupils Research Articles

Sleep Disturbances are Associated With Reduced School Achievements in First-Grade Pupils

Several previous studies have demonstrated deteriorated scholastic achievements in school-aged children who experience sleep disturbances. In the current study, we examined the association between sleep disturbances during kindergarten (fifth to sixth year of children), and behavior, neurocognitive skills, as well as the children's future academic performance in first grade. The population included 98 kindergarten students who were scheduled to attend first grade. All children/parents filled out a sleep questionnaire and underwent one week of actigraphic sleep/wake study, as well as cognitive and behavioral assessments. Toward the end of first grade achievement evaluation in reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as teachers' evaluations were administrated. Of the 98 pupils, 6 failed the end of first grade's achievement tests (6.1%). When looking at their sleep patterns a year earlier, they had significantly longer sleep latencies (41 ± 14 vs. 21 ± 12 min, p < .05), increased arousals from sleep (4.1 ± 0.9 vs. 1.8 ± 1.1, p < .01), and lower sleep efficiencies (89.5 ± 1.1 vs. 94.3 ± 2.7%, p < .05) than pupils who passed the tests. There were significant correlations between sleep variables and cognitive and behavioral scores. The correlation between sleep efficiency in kindergarten and grades at the end of first year of school was r = .64 (p < .01). Children who failed first grade had significantly inferior sleep patterns. Sleep disturbances were associated with cognitive and emotional immaturity.

Психомоторное развитие как основное направление психолого-педагогического сопровождения младших школьников

The article examines the causes of academic failure in school: lack of background, operational and controlling components of learning activity; it presents The Space of Development innovation psychological and pedagogic programme, which bases on the modern concepts of ontogenetic regularities of brain and body formation and development of a child. The authors present the results of statistical analysis of the efficiency of prophylactic components introduction into first-grade pupil support programme and prove positive changes in Higher Mental Functions formation in the experimental group.

Barriers to compliance with the Daily Food Guide for Children among first-grade pupils in a rural area in the Philippine Island of Mindanao

To identify and address caregivers' perceived barriers to compliance with dietary guidelines for children. Information on family socioeconomic status, child's consumption frequency of nine food items, and caregiver's attitudes and behaviors regarding meal preparation were collected through structured interviews with caregivers (70 mothers, four grandmothers and one father) of first-grade children (39 boys and 36 girls) living in five barangays of New Corella, Mindanao Island, Philippines. If the child's intake did not reach the level recommended in the dietary guidelines, the reasons were investigated from the economic, social, cultural and environmental viewpoints. Their diet relied heavily on rice and others. The percentages of children who did not consume each of the food items on a daily basis were 77.3% for eggs; 57.3% for milk; 41.3% for fish/meat/poultry/dried beans/nuts (FMPDBN); 42.7% for fruits; 17.4% for green, leafy and yellow (GLY) vegetables; and 38.5% for other vegetables. The most reported reasons for the infrequent consumption of FMPDBN (87.1%), milk (81.4%) and eggs (36.2%) were 'no money to buy,' that of fruits (59.4%) was 'out of season' and that of GLY (61.5%) and other vegetables (55.2%) was 'child's dislike.' The expansion of homestead food production and the national feeding program contribute to increased animal food consumption. Nutrition education aimed at overcoming food preferences and increasing the awareness of micronutrient intake are perhaps the most effective means to promote vegetable intake.

Experience of Parent-related Negative Life Events, Mental Health, and Delinquent Behavior among Korean Adolescents

This study examined the relationship of parent-related negative life events with mental health and delinquent behaviors among Korean adolescents. A total of 2,976 high school first-grade pupils (1,498 boys & 1,478 girls) taking part in the third wave of Korean Youth Panel Survey completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding parent-related life events, depressive feelings, suicidal ideation, delinquent behaviors, demographic characteristics, parental socioeconomic status, social support, and social capital. Data analyses were conducted using multivariate logistic regression. After adjusting for all covariates, the more parent-related negative life events adolescents experienced throughout their whole life, the more likely adolescent were to have mental and behavioral problems. A significant dose-response relationship between them was more clearly observed in girls than in boys. The experience of parent-related negative events during childhood was significantly associated with suicidal ideation and delinquent behaviors for boys, and with depressive feelings for girls during adolescence. Indeed, parental social support, social capital, and having a close friend with delinquent behaviors, especially for girls, partially mediated the relationship between parent-related negative life events and both outcomes. The study showed a clear dose-response relationship of frequency of parent-related negative life events with poor mental and behavioral health for both genders. The residual effect of being exposed to parent-related events during childhood on mental health and delinquent behaviors during adolescence still remained.

Social learning and social abilities of first-grade elementary pupils in Greece: the importance of informal models of evaluation

The aim of this research is to examine how social learning is connected to the acquisition of knowledge and abilities. One hundred and nineteen ‘A’ grade students (60 boys and 59 girls) attending public primary school participated. The collection of data was carried out according to: (1) the ‘Athina’ Test (AT) and (2) teachers' evaluation. The students were divided into four groups according to the level of their social learning. A comparison between all the results of the AT evaluation and the teachers' evaluation is made. The results demonstrate a correlation between social learning and academic achievements.

Physical activity, leisure habits and obesity in first-grade children.

Overweight and obesity are already on the rise in early childhood years. The relationships between genetic factors, malnutrition and physical inactivity are the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we examine the association between body indices, motor abilities and active (sport) and passive (television/computer) leisure time activities in a cohort of first-grade pupils. The study group consisted of 344 children (51.5% male, 48.5% female). They were 6.8+/-0.4 years old, height was 123.9+/-4.9 cm, weight 24.8+/-5.0 kg, body mass index (BMI) 16.1+/-2.3 kg/m. After determination of the anthropometric data, a fitness test was performed in order to determine motor abilities. Parents were questioned about their children's leisure time activities, using a standardized questionnaire. Differences between BMI groups were evaluated using multivariate ANCOVA, adjusted for gender and age. Based on German BMI references, overweight and obesity were found in 12% of the children. They had poorer results with respect to endurance (P<0.001), leg strength (P=0.002), co-ordination and balance (P=0.045) and spent more leisure time in watching television and at the computer (each P<0.001). No differences were found between their active leisure habits such as club sports. Our examinations with first-grade children show no differences in active leisure habits between obese children and their counterparts, although the former had poorer results in motor abilities, but they spend more time on sedentary leisure habits like audiovisual media. A possible explanation is their fewer regular daily activities.

Factors associated with smoking and the intention to smoke in secondary school pupils: results of the ESFA project in Barcelona, Spain

To describe the factors asssociated with smoking and intention to smoke among a representative sample of first-grade pupils of secondary education (12-13 years old) in Barcelona. 37 secondary schools were randomly selected to evaluate the impact of a European-wide smoking prevention program (European Smoking prevention Frame Approach, ESFA project). In these schools, 1041 pupils of first grade of secondary education responded to a questionnaire designed at the University of Maastricht to study life-style attitudes and behaviours, mainly smoking. 9.8% of boys and 12.6% of girls declared to smoke either regulary or ocasionally. Among the no-smokers, 61.4% of the boys and 73.3% of the girls reported to have the intention to smoke in the future. Among the boys, factors associated with smoking included social norms (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-5.2), smoking by siblings (OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1-5.2), attitudes against smoking (OR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.6), practicing some sports in the leisure time (OR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7) and having more available pocket money (OR = 3.2; 95% CI, 1.5-6.8). Intention to smoke was only related to attitudes (OR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.5). Among girls, smoking was associated to perceived pressure to smoke (OR = 2.5; 95% CI, 1.2-5.0), consumption by friends (OR = 6.0; 95% CI, 2.4-15.4) and attitudes against smoking (OR = 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.4), while intention was only associated to attitudes (OR = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6) and hanging out in the street in the leisure time (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 0.3-3.5). The results stress the need to deal simultaneoulsy with the different factors associated to smoking initiation and attitude shaping, including cognitive factors, environmental factors, and patterns of leisure time utilization.

Epidemiology of fetal alcohol syndrome in a South African community in the Western Cape Province

This study determined the characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome in a South African community, and methodology was designed for the multidisciplinary study of fetal alcohol syndrome in developing societies. An active case ascertainment, 2-tier methodology was used among 992 first-grade pupils. A case-control design, using measures of growth, development, dysmorphology, and maternal risk, delineated characteristics of children with fetal alcohol syndrome. A high rate of fetal alcohol syndrome was found in the schools--40.5 to 46.4 per 1000 children aged 5 to 9 years--and age-specific community rates (ages 6-7) were 39.2 to 42.9. These rates are 18 to 141 times greater than in the United States. Rural residents had significantly more fetal alcohol syndrome. After control for ethnic variation, children with fetal alcohol syndrome had traits similar to those elsewhere: poor growth and development, congruent dysmorphology, and lower intellectual functioning. This study documented the highest fetal alcohol syndrome rate to date in an overall community population. Fetal alcohol syndrome initiatives that incorporate innovative sampling and active case ascertainment methods can be used to obtain timely and accurate data among developing populations.

Gender Differences in Reaction to Public Achievement Feedback

In this series of studies the author examined the achievement and interest of 226 first-grade pupils (6-7 years old) in performing a task and the changes in achievement and interest interventions, including various rewards. The children's task was to put a circle round the differences on the drawings they were given. The task was the same for all the children, but they were divided into four groups in respect of reward: Group 1 = not rewarded, Group 2 = rewarded by token, Group 3 = rewarded by a 'lucky dip' (contingent, salient, tangible reward), Group 4 = rewarded by public achievement feedback. After completing the first task, the children could choose whether to go to play in the school-yard or to ask for another similar exercise. The degree of intrinsic motivation is shown by the spontaneous activities performed without any rewards. The achievement was the number of correctly identified details in the first task. The results showed that in Groups 3 and 4 the intrinsic motivation was significantly reduced, while the quantitative indices of achievement rose. The series of experiments revealed gender differences: public feedback on achievement brought about a significant increase in achievement in both boys and girls, while, if feedback was withdrawn, the boys lost interest in the task significantly more than the girls. The author interprets this as being due to the greater social inclination and empathy typical of females, in contrast with males' typically greater inclination towards facts and higher motivation to achieve.

Stress on transfer from primary to secondary school: the contributions of A-trait, live events and family functioning

Transfer from primary to secondary school is one of the crucial events in pupils’ school lives and forms an important part of their development. This study explores the contributions of Trait Anxiety, Life Events and Family Functioning in predicting transfer stress. The sample consisted of 120 first-grade pupils attending a comprehensive school in outer London. The findings showed that anxiety as a personality characteristic was the best predictor of transfer stress followed by measures of family functioning. Somatic and affective characteristics differentiated best between high and low stress pupils. The study suggests that the family has an important role to play in assisting children in coping with transjier.

Hair lead levels related to children's classroom attention-deficit behavior.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between hair lead levels of children and their attention-deficit behaviors in the classroom. Scalp hair specimens were obtained from 277 first-grade pupils, teachers completed the abbreviated Boston Teacher's Rating Scale for rating classroom attention-deficit behavior, and parents completed a short questionnaire. The children's hair lead concentrations ranged from less than 1 to 11.3 ppm (microg/g). The striking dose-response relationship between levels of lead and negative teacher ratings remained significant after controlling for age, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. An even stronger relationship existed between physician-diagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and hair lead in the same children. There was no apparent 'safe' threshold for lead. Scalp hair should be considered a useful clinical and epidemiologic approach for the measurement of chronic low-level lead exposure in children.

Differences in the Ability to Concentrate in First-Grade Israeli Pupils of Low and High Socioeconomic Status

ABSTRACT In this study, we sought to determine whether differences exist between low and high socioeconomic status (LSES and HSES) first-grade pupils' ability to concentrate. We also explored the relationship between concentration and academic achievement. We tested 80 first graders (40 LSES and 40 HSES pupils) on reading and arithmetic skills, selective attention, sustained attention, and attentional capacity. The results of our study indicated that the LSES pupils scored significantly lower than the HSES pupils on academic achievement and on all of the concentration measures. The results of our study suggest that it is possible to distinguish between proximal ability to concentrate and distal performance on attention tasks. Furthermore, although the LSES pupils exhibited poorer proximal attending than the HSES pupils, the LSES pupils did not appear to have inferior distal concentration ability.

The Effect of School Entrance Age on Academic Achievement and Social-Emotional Adjustment of Children

Abstract The relationship between school entrance age and academic and social-emotional adjustment was examined for 104 first-grade pupils toward the end of the school year. The sample population included only the oldest and youngest pupils in the class (i.e., those born between January and March and between October and December of the same year). The oldest first graders surpassed their younger peers in all tests of reading and arithmetic skills. They were better adjusted both socially and emotionally and were more highly rated by their teachers. Younger girls showed a slight advantage over younger boys in the sociometric measure only.

Reducing the Gap in Reading Performance Between Israeli Lower- and Middle-Class First-Grade Pupils

Abstract This study investigated the impact of prompting to achieve a faster reading rate on the reading performance of 100 Israeli first-grade students from lower- and middle-class backgrounds. In both groups, reading comprehension and decoding skills improved under the fast-pace condition. However, the children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds showed the greatest degree of overall improvement. Having scored significantly lower at self-pace, disadvantaged pupils nearly attained the level demonstrated by advantaged children when reading at the faster pace. The enhanced reading skills exhibited under accelerated speed are explained.

Reliability and Factorial Validity of the Artes De Lenguaje

A total of 91 Spanish-speaking first-grade pupils was administered the Artes de Lenguaje (ADL)—a Spanish criterion-referenced test of language arts. Reliability analyses indicated that three of the four subscales were adequate. A principal factors analysis of the intercorrelation matrix of the nine objective scores revealed two main factors. The findings provided some support for the reliability and validity of the ADL. Several limitations of the instrument are discussed.

Self-control behavior in hyperactive and nonhyperactive children.

This study was aimed at evaluating the self-control behaviors of hyperactive (HA) and nonhyperactive ( NHA ) first-grade pupils under conditions of repeated failure on a previously learned concept formation task. Subjects were divided into HA and NHA groups on the basis of their scores on the Conners (1969) Teacher Rating Scale. During the training stage of the experiment the children learned a concept formation task under a schedule of contingent positive reinforcement. In the test stage they performed the same task but under a negative noncontingent reinforcement schedule. The results revealed no differences in initial rate of learning the task between the groups. After the introduction of the negative noncontingent reinforcement schedule, however, the HA group showed a marked decrease in the use of effective problem-solving strategies. The HA children's performance on the concept formation task was accompanied by the emission of negative self-evaluations and solution-irrelevant statements. The NHA group used significantly more statements showing useful goal-directed cognitive mediations than the HA children. The results suggested that HA children may have deficits in self-control skills.

Validity and Reliability of the Vowel Matching Test

Validity and reliability evidence is presented for the Vowel Matching Test (VMT), an instrument that measures primary grade children's ability to discriminate medial vowel sounds. The VMT consists of a series of seven picture sets, each set containing a stimulus picture and three item pictures. Based on the responses of 43 first-grade pupils, the results indicated that the VMT correlated .76 with a word recognition test. It exhibited an internal consistency coefficient of .78. The VMT may be useful for researchers studying early reading acquisition or for learning disability specialists diagnosing children referred for reading problems.

The Relationship between Attitude toward Reading and Reading Achievement

For a sample of 116 first-grade pupils, scores from a reading attitude inventory were correlated .18 (p &lt; .05) with the Reading composite scores on the Metropolitan Achievement Test. Coefficients of .48 (p &lt; .01) and of .32 (p &lt; .01) were also found for females and blacks, respectively. The low degree of correspondences, however, limited the practical significance of the results.

An Investigation Into the Validity of Race and Socio-Economic Status as Factors for Equalizing Student Knowledge Along With an Identification of Deficiencies in Knowledge

The purposes of this study were to corroborate the equality of student assignment, to investigate the validity of race and socio-economic status (SES) as a basis for establishing equality of achievement, and to identify deficiencies in knowledge of disadvantaged students. The sample consisted of 683 first-grade pupils in one southern agricultural county. The Stanford Early School Achievement Test was administered to the entire first-grade class. Race and SES had validity for predicting student knowledge; however, equating race and SES did not equalize knowledge. Disadvantaged pupils with kindergarten experience were not significantly different from the norm group in the subtest of Letters and Sounds, but were significantly lower in Mathematics, Aural Comprehension, and Environment. Research into the role played by observing the environment and by developing concepts in relation to underachievement in disadvantaged students is recommended.

Sexism in Elementary-School Mathematics

? 1978 by The University of Chicago. 0013-5984/78/7804-0003$00.75 Mathematics is a subject in which males have been expected and observed to do better than females. Are the sex differences genetic (1) or environmental (2)? The question is still debated even though studies indicate that girls' performance in mathematics can be influenced for the better. Researchers have found that when girls' attitudes toward mathematics were improved their abilities in mathematical problem-solving improved (3). Girls' scores on mathematical problems also improved when the problems had to do with stereotypical female interests (4). A scanning of verbal problems in textbooks on elementary-school mathematics indicates that the content is often oriented toward stereotypical male interests. The present study investigated the effect of sex-stereotyped content, in verbal problem-solving mathematical questions, on the mathematics scores of a group of first-grade boys and girls. It was hypothesized that girls would do better on the questions oriented toward girls and boys would do better on the questions oriented toward boys. The subjects were first-grade pupils in an intact classroom. A verbal problemsolving test was individually administered to twelve girls and fifteen boys. Ten questions were stereotypically relevant to boys, and ten questions were stereotypically relevant to girls: