Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

Skip to main content

Inhibitory control of Spanish-speaking language-minority preschool children: Measurement and association with language, literacy, and math skills

Share
Description:
Children's self-regulation, including components of executive function such as inhibitory control, is related concurrently and longitudinally with elementary school children's reading and math abilities. Although several recent studies have examined links between preschool children's self-regulation or executive function and their academic skill development, few included large numbers of Spanish-speaking language-minority children. Among the fastest growing segments of the U.S. school-age population, many of these children are at significant risk of academic difficulties. We examined the relations between inhibitory control and academic skills in a sample containing a large number of Spanish-speaking preschoolers. Overall, the children demonstrated substantial academic risk based on preschool-entry vocabulary scores in the below-average range. Children completed assessments of language, literacy, and math skills in English and Spanish, when appropriate, at the start and end of their preschool year, along with a measure of inhibitory control, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task, which was administered at the start of the preschool year in the child's dominant conversational language. Scores on this last measure were lower for children for whom it was administered in Spanish. For both English and Spanish outcomes, those scores were significantly and uniquely associated with higher scores on measures of phonological awareness and math skills but not vocabulary or print knowledge skills. (author abstract)
Resource Type:
Reports & Papers
Country:
United States
State(s):
California; Florida; Kansas; New Mexico

Related resources include summaries, versions, measures (instruments), or other resources in which the current document plays a part. Research products funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation are related to their project records.

- You May Also Like

These resources share similarities with the current selection.

Supporting parents to care and earn: An economic priority that can?t be ignored

Other

School-age childcare in the EU

Fact Sheets & Briefs

Connections between early literacy and social behavior

Fact Sheets & Briefs

The effects of early reading with parents on developing literacy skills

Fact Sheets & Briefs
Release: 'v1.25.0' | Built: 2023-02-16 16:36:50 EST