Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised Research Articles

Breastfeeding and the Child Cognitive Outcomes: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

To estimate the effect of breastfeeding initiation and duration on child development outcomes. 3,271 children and their mothers participating in the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics provide data for these analyses. Main outcomes include Woodcock Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R) test score (letter word, passage comprehension, applied problem, and broad reading), and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) test score at the 2002 survey. Controlled variables include family, maternal, and child characteristics, many of which can be traced back to the year the child was born. The analytic technique is propensity score matching with multiple imputations. After using propensity scores to adjust for confounding factors, breastfeeding initiation showed statistically significant effects but the practical scale remains small. Breastfeeding duration showed a non-linear effect on those outcomes and most of the effects are not significant. The effects of breastfeeding on child's cognitive outcomes are modest in practical terms. The non-linear effects suggest that selection into breastfeeding may account for the increased score of children who are breastfed.

Teaching literacy and mathematics skills to adult psychiatric inpatients: An evaluation of the adult literacy program at Hawaii state hospital.

The Adult Literacy Program at Hawaii State Hospital utilized techniques drawn from the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction. In a study involving psychiatric inpatients, participants were taught reading, mathematics, or both over a 6- to 8-month time span. Using the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised, it was determined that nearly half of the participants demonstrated academic gains during the study period. Further, a behavioral observation system indicated that participants were on-task 80% of the observation time and staff engaged in positive interactions nearly 20% of the observation time. This study is the first of its kind to document any efficacy for academic instruction with a psychiatric inpatient population.

Estimating Cognitive Profiles Using Profile Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling (PAMS)

Two of the most popular methods of profile analysis, cluster analysis and modal profile analysis, have limitations. First, neither technique is adequate when the sample size is large. Second, neither method will necessarily provide profile information in terms of both level and pattern. A new method of profile analysis, called Profile Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling (PAMS; Davison, 1996), is introduced to meet the challenge. PAMS extends the use of simple multidimensional scaling methods to identify latent profiles in a multi-test battery. Application of PAMS to profile analysis is described. The PAMS model is then used to identify latent profiles from a subgroup (N = 357) within the sample of the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised (WJ-R; McGrew, Werder, & Woodcock, 1991; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989), followed by a discussion of procedures for interpreting participants' observed score profiles from the latent PAMS profiles. Finally, advantages and limitations of the PAMS technique are discussed.

An Experimental Analysis of Dynamic Hypotheses About Cognitive Abilities and Achievement From Childhood to Early Adulthood.

This study examined the dynamics of cognitive abilities and academic achievement from childhood to early adulthood. Predictions about time-dependent "coupling" relations between cognition and achievement based on R. B. Cattell's (1971, 1987) investment hypothesis were evaluated using linear dynamic models applied to longitudinal data (N=672). Contrary to Cattell's hypothesis, a first set of findings indicated that fluid and crystallized abilities, as defined by the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R; R. W. Woodcock & M. B. Johnson, 1989-1990), were not dynamically coupled with each other over time. A second set of findings provided support for the original predictions and indicated that fluid ability was a leading indicator of changes in achievement measures (i.e., quantitative ability and general academic knowledge). The findings of this study suggest that the dynamics of cognitive abilities and academic achievement follow a more complex pattern than that specified by Cattell's investment hypothesis.

Oral Reading Fluency and Prediction of Reading Comprehension in African American and Caucasian Elementary School Children

This study examined the differential predictive bias of CBM in reading across African American and Caucasian students in Grades 2 through 5. Participants included 136 students who were administered CBM oral reading fluency passages and the Reading Comprehension subtest of the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery—Revised. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that CBM neither over-or underpredicted reading comprehension skills controlling for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Results of this study suggest that CBM continues to appear to be a sensitive form of direct reading assessment in the local curriculum for both African American and Caucasian elementary-age students.

Profiles of learning disability subtypes in a retrospective sampling of adolescents' scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised.

This study was an effort to subtype adolescents' learning disabilities using scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised. A cluster analysis of 88 cases classified as learning disabled and 75 as nonlearning disabled was conducted to characterize subtypes. Two distinct subtypes emerged for the group while one for the nonlearning disabled group was identified. A multivariate analysis of variance to test for differences in scores among the identified subtypes yielded significant differences, suggesting that these students had two specific types of learning disorders. Cross-validation is essential.

Outcomes in Young Adulthood for Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Although very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, those weighing less than 1500 g, gained significantly better outcomes when neonatal intensive care became available in the 1960s, studies of later mental development have given mixed results. This longitudinal study enrolled 242 VLBW infants born in the years 1977-1979 who survived and 233 control infants of normal birth weight from the same population. The mean gestational age of the VLBW group at birth was 29.7 weeks. Intelligence testing was performed at age 20 with the Vocabulary and Block Design subtests of the Short Form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. These tests measure verbal comprehension and perceptual-organizational skills, respectively. Academic skills were evaluated using the Letter-Word Identification and Applied Problems subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised. The VLBW and normal-weight groups were sociodemographically similar, but the former group had significantly more chronic conditions than did control group. The major differences were in neurosensory impairment and subnormal height. Fewer subjects in the VLBW group had graduated from high school or obtained a general equivalency diploma by age 20. Although 40% of the VLBW group had repeated a grade, the figure for control subjects was 27%. Fewer VLBW subjects were enrolled in post-secondary studies. These differences remained significant when analysis was limited to those of normal IQ who had no neurosensory impairment. Mean IQ scores were significantly lower in the VLBW group (87 vs. 92, P <.001), and these subjects more often had an IQ less than 70. Control subjects had used alcohol and marijuana more than VLBW subjects, and they more often had had contact with the police. Fewer VLBW subjects had had intercourse, been pregnant, or delivered a live-born infant. Neurodevelopmental expressions of very low birth weight and underachievement at school persist at least into young adulthood. In this study, however, these problems were not associated with increased risk-taking behavior or criminal activity.

The Guide to the Assessment of Test Session Behavior: Validity in Relation to Cognitive Testing and Parent-Reported Behavior Problems in a Clinical Sample

Examined the validity of the Guide to the Assessment of Test Session Behavior (GATSB) in a clinical sample. The GATSB is a structured and standardized measure that was normed on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) standardization sample. The purpose of this study was to extend validity research on the GATSB to cognitive measures other than the WISC-III and to parent-reported child behavior problems. Test observations were taken for 122 children ages 6 to 16 years who were referred to an outpatient psychology clinic for psychoeducational evaluations. GATSB scores demonstrated a moderate relation with general indexes from the WISC-III, the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised (WJ-R), and the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML), but displayed low magnitude correlations with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). These results expand existing data supporting the validity of the GATSB and suggest that it may be fruitfully adopted into a clinic setting.

Correlations for the Stroop Color and Word Test with measures of reading and language achievement.

The present investigation examined the relationships for scores on the Stroop Color and Word Test with measures of reading and language achievement within an adult population. The Stroop Color and Word Test, Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised, and Wide Range Achievement Test-3 were administered to 99 men ranging in age from 18 to 27 years. Pearson product-moment correlations indicated that the Stroop Word task was positively associated with scores on the WRAT-3 Spelling task, the Woodcock-Johnson Basic and Broad Reading tasks, and the Nelson-Denny Rcading Rate and Comprehension tasks. These and other significant relationships were discussed in terms of possible implications regarding the assessment of reading achievement.

Verbal Cognitive Functioning and Learning in Girls Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia By Chemotherapy With or Without Cranial Irradiation

Neuropsychological problems have frequently been reported following treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), however, partly because of the heterogeneity of the previously studied samples, the specific nature of these deficits is still a matter of debate. These problems, however, appear to be related more to the combination of cranial radiation therapy (CRT) and intrathecal chemotherapy (ITC) than to ITC alone. In this study, we evaluated a homogenous group of l9 girls between the ages of 7 and 11 years, 30 months after the completion of treatment. Nine received cranial radiation and chemotherapy and 10 were treated with chemotherapy alone. The patients were compared to 10 normal healthy controls. Neuropsychological tests included the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III), the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C), and the Calculation and Passage Comprehension subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised. Results confirmed the presence of a verbal learning deficit in ALL girls treated with the combination of ITC and CRT. The ITC and CRT group scored significantly lower than the healthy controls on the Passage Comprehension subtest and on 5 of the 6 verbal subtests of the WISC-III. Furthermore, compared to nonirradiated patients and healthy normal controls, the ITC and CRT group was impaired on the Freedom from Distractibility index of the WISC-III, indicating an auditory-verbal attention deficit. On the CVLT-C, the ITC and CRT group was particularly impaired on the second half of the learning trials compared to the other two groups, showing a plateau in their performance. The ITC group was not different from the healthy control group, suggesting a less detrimental effect of the ITC alone on verbal abilities. Globally, these results indicate a deficit affecting auditory attention and verbal learning in girls who receive ITC and CRT, which may suggest the necessity for special educational assistance for these children.

Comparative longitudinal structural analyses of the growth and decline of multiple intellectual abilities over the life span.

Latent growth curve techniques and longitudinal data are used to examine predictions from the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence (Gf-Gc theory; J. L. Horn & R. B. Cattell, 1966, 1967). The data examined are from a sample (N approximately 1,200) measured on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R). The longitudinal structural equation models used are based on latent growth models of age using two-occasion "accelerated" data (e.g., J. J. McArdle & R. Q. Bell, 2000; J. J. McArdle & R. W. Woodcock, 1997). Nonlinear mixed-effects growth models based on a dual exponential rate yield a reasonable fit to all life span cognitive data. These results suggest that most broad cognitive functions fit a generalized curve that rises and falls. Novel multilevel models directly comparing growth curves show that broad fluid reasoning (Gf) and acculturated crystallized knowledge (Gc) have different growth patterns. In all comparisons, any model of cognitive age changes with only a single g factor yields an overly simplistic view of growth and change over age.

The contribution of general and specific cognitive abilities to reading achievement

Since the development of the Weschler scales, significant advances have been made in intelligence theory and testing technology that have the potential to provide a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive abilities than currently exists. For this study, the standardization sample of the Woodcock–Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised (WJ-R)—an empirically supported measure of several constructs within the Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities—was used to analyze the contribution of specific cognitive abilities to reading achievement at five developmental levels. Structural equation modeling (SEM), with calibration and cross-validation samples, of four different models of the hypothesized relations among the variables was conducted to determine if specific abilities can provide relevant information regarding the development of reading skills. The results of this study clearly indicate that Gc (comprehension knowledge or crystallized intelligence) and Ga (auditory processing) play an important role in the development of reading skills.

A COMPARISON OF WOODCOCK–JOHNSON PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL BATTERY-REVISED AND QUALITATIVE READING INVENTORY-II INSTRUCTIONAL READING LEVELS

The Qualitative Reading Inventory-II (QRI-II) and the reading subtests of the Woodcock - Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R) were administered to 34 fourth-grade males reading at or below the 25th percentile on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients indicated that WJ-R reading scores and QRI-II oral instructional reading levels were moderately and significantly related. Fifty percent of children obtained identical instructional levels on the WJ-R and QRI-II, while 50% demonstrated differences of half a year or more. For the portion of students who obtained different WJ-R and QRI-II instructional levels, WJ-R levels exceeded QRI-II levels 92.1% of the time. Implications for placing poor readers in instructional level reading materials are discussed.

Cognitive deficits in children with gelastic seizures and hypothalamic hamartoma.

To characterize the cognitive deficits in children with gelastic seizures and hypothalamic hamartoma and investigate the relationship of seizure severity to cognitive abilities. Eight children with gelastic seizures and hypothalamic hamartoma completed a neuropsychological battery of standardized and age-normed tests, including the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised: Tests of Cognitive Ability, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III, and initial-letter word fluency measure. All children displayed cognitive deficits, ranging from mild to severe. Gelastic/complex partial seizure severity was correlated with broad cognitive ability standard scores (r = -0.79; r2 = 0.63; (F[1,6] = 10.28; p = 0.018]. Frequency of gelastic/complex partial seizures was also correlated with broad cognitive ability standard scores (r = -0.72; r2 = 0.52; F[1,6] = 6.44; p = 0.044). Significant intracognitive standard score differences were found, with relative weaknesses in long-term retrieval (mean = 64.1; SD = 13.3) and processing speed (mean = 67.7; SD = 21.6) and a relative strength in visual processing (mean = 97.6; SD = 12.8). Performance in visual processing differed from performance in long-term retrieval (p = 0.009) and processing speed (p = 0.029). These findings are consistent with cognitive functions and affective/emotional states associated with conduction pathways of the hypothalamus involving cortical association areas and amygdala and hippocampal formation. These abnormalities can account for the prominent deficit found in integrating information in the processing of memories.

Predictive Accuracy of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Reading Difficulties

The predictive accuracy of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML; Sheslow & Adams, 1990) over and above more standardized diagnostic tools in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disabilities (RD) was examined. Fifty-three children with ADHD, 63 with RD, 63 with ADHD-RD, and 112 normal comparison children were administered the WRAML, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; Wechsler, 1991), the Achenbach (1991) Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989). Results of a series of discriminant function analyses revealed that the academic, intellectual, and behavioral measures could correctly classify 73.1% of children, but the WRAML subtests alone were able to correctly classify only 58.5% of participants. Combining all of the memory, academic, intellectual, and behavioral measures resulted in 77.5% of cases being correctly classified. These results suggest that the use of a measure of memory functioning such as the WRAML did not significantly improve the predictive accuracy of a diagnosis of ADHD, RD, or both over and above more standard diagnostic academic, intellectual, and behavioral measures.

A Reliability and Validity Study of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills—Modified

This study examined the psychometric properties of a set of preliteracy measures modified from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) with a sample of 75 kindergarten students. The modified battery (called DIBELS-M) includes measures of Letter Naming Fluency, Sound Naming Fluency, Initial Phoneme Ability, and Phonemic Segmentation Ability. These measures were assessed through repeated administrations in 2-week intervals at the end of the kindergarten year. Interrater reliability estimates and coefficients of stability and equivalence for three of the measures ranged from.80 to the mid.90s with about one-half of the coefficients above.90. Correlations between DIBELS-M scores and criterion measures of phonological awareness, standardized achievement measures, and teacher ratings of achievement yielded concurrent validity coefficients ranging from.60 to.70. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the four DIBELS-M measures accounted for 73% of the variance in scores on the Skills Cluster of the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery—Revised (WJ-R). The results of the analysis support the use of the DIBELS-M measures for identification of kindergarten students who are at-risk for reading failure and for progress monitoring. The contributions of the study, including psychometric analysis of the DIBELS-M with a new sample and formation of composite scores, are discussed in relation to the extant literature.

Academic achievement of low birthweight children at age 11: the role of cognitive abilities at school entry.

We examine the extent to which deficits in academic achievement in low birthweight (LBW) children at age 11 are explained by deficits in cognitive abilities at school entry. Data come from a longitudinal study of a stratified sample of LBW and normal birthweight (NBW) children from an innercity and middle class suburbs in the Detroit area. Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised was used to measure reading and math at age 11. WISC-R and specific neuropsychologic tests were administered at age 6. On reading, the LBW-NBW difference was -3.6 points (SE = 1.2). The difference was explained almost entirely by IQ at age 6. On math, the LBW-NBW difference was -6.1 points (SE = 1.1). The difference on math was trivial and not significant, when IQ and neuropsychological tests at age 6 were controlled. Level of LBW was unrelated to reading, but it had a gradient relationship with math, with birthweight < or = 1,500 g associated with a greater deficit than heavier LBW. The results imply that most of the LBW-NBW gap in academic achievement at age 11 could be eliminated by eliminating differences in cognitive abilities at age 6. Interventions to improve academic performance of LBW children should focus on the preschool years.

Cognitive and visual processing skills and their relationship to mutation size in full and premutation female fragile X carriers.

The fragile X gene contains an unstable trinucleotide (CGG) repeat that expands as it is passed from female carriers to the affected offspring. Obligate female carriers may have a premutation or full mutation genotype. In this study, fragile X premutation and full mutation female carriers were compared on three tasks of visual processing and cognitive skills. In each case, there were significant differences between premutation and full mutation carriers on a number of the subtests or the full test scores. Specifically, full mutation female carriers performed more poorly in visual-motor processing and analysis-synthesis on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised, The Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration, and on five of the seven subtests of the Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills. Regression analyses revealed significant negative correlations between mutation size and cognitive ability. These findings have implications in educational planning decisions for full mutation carriers who may present with specific cognitive deficits.

Prediction of reading by Ga and Gc specific cognitive abilities for low-SES white and hispanic English-speaking children

Based on previous findings (McGrew, Flanagan, Keith, & Vanderwood, 1997) that auditory processing (Ga) predicts reading decoding, and crystallized intelligence (Gc) predicts reading comprehension beyond the prediction of reading by g(broad general intelligence), this study examined the cross-ethnic predictive validity of Ga and Gc for reading achievement among low-SES English-speaking White and Hispanic students. Subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R) cognitive subtests were used to measure Ga and Gc, and the WJ-R achievement subtests were used to measure basic reading skills and reading comprehension. Results indicated that there are no differences between ethnic groups in the prediction of reading ability, and that phonetic coding and crystallized intelligence together are strong predictors of reading achievement. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Wechsler-based CHC cross-battery assessment and reading achievement: Strengthening the validity of interpretations drawn from Wechsler test scores.

The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) cross-battery approach to assessing cognitive abilities has been introduced to the field recently as an alternative to traditional assessment instruments and techniques (Flanagan, McGrew, & Ortiz, 2000; McGrew & Flanagan, 1998). This theory-based method of assessment was developed to provide a more valid and defensible way of deriving meaning from test scores than that provided by the traditional (and largely atheoretical) Wechsler Scale approach. The present study is the first to investigate the validity of the cross-battery approach using a sample of elementary school children (N= 166) who were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R; Wechsler, 1974) and Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989). Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine whether (a) Wechsler-based CHC cross-battery assessment explained more variance in reading achievement than a traditional Wechsler model, and (b) whether the Wechsler-based CHC cross-battery model provided a more accurate description of the general and specific abilities on general and specific reading achievement than the traditional Wechsler model, as predicted in the extant ^/specific abilities literature. Findings showed that the g factor underlying the Wechsler-based CHC cross-battery model accounted for substantially more variance in reading achievement (25%) than the g factor underlying the atheoretical Verbal Comprehension-Perceptual Organization-Freedom From Distractibility (VC-PO-FFD) Wechsler model. In addition, findings demonstrated that when assessments are organized around the strong CHC theoretical model, specific cognitive abilities, including auditory processing (Ga), crystallized intelligence (Gc), and processing speed (Gs) explained a significant portion of variance in reading achievement beyond that accounted for by g. These