ERIC Number: ED557401
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 60
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Behavioral Self-Regulation and Executive Function Both Predict Visuomotor Skills and Early Academic Achievement
Becker, Derek R.; Miao, Alicia; Duncan, Robert; McClelland, Megan M.
Grantee Submission
The present study explored direct and interactive effects between behavioral self-regulation (SR) and two measures of executive function (EF, inhibitory control and working memory), with a fine motor measure tapping visuomotor skills (VMS) in a sample of 127 prekindergarten and kindergarten children. It also examined the relative contribution of behavioral SR, EF, and VMS skills for concurrent academic achievement. Results indicated that a measure of working memory (WJ-Working Memory) and a measure of behavioral SR (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task; HTKS) were directly related to VMS. Differential relations were also examined for prekindergarten and kindergarten children. Results revealed a significant interaction between age and inhibitory control (Day-Night), and an interaction at a trend level between age and working memory suggesting both tasks are more related to VMS skills for younger children. Results also indicated that behavioral SR, EF, and VMS skills were differentially related to the three achievement outcomes. Both behavioral SR and VMS were significantly related to math, behavioral SR, EF, and VMS were significantly related to emergent literacy, and behavioral SR and EF were related to vocabulary scores. Results point to significant relations between behavioral SR and EF with VMS, and how each is related to early academic achievement in preschool and kindergarten. An appendix describes the final models for each research question. [This article was published in "Early Childhood Research Quarterly," v29 n4 p411-424 2014.]
Descriptors: Self Control, Executive Function, Inhibition, Short Term Memory, Visual Perception, Psychomotor Skills, Preschool Education, Preschool Children, Kindergarten, Academic Achievement, Correlation, Interaction, Age Differences, Student Behavior, Mathematics Achievement, Reading Achievement, Emergent Literacy, Vocabulary, Statistical Analysis
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration; Woodcock Johnson Psycho Educational Battery
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A100566