Assessing Cognitive Abilities in Young Children Cognitive Abilities in Young Children Gloria Maccow, Ph.D., Assessment Training Consultant Copyright © 2012. Pearson, Inc., or its

Assessing Cognitive Abilities in Young ChildrenGloria Maccow, Ph.D., Assessment Training Consultant

Copyright © 2012. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Assessing Cognitive Abilities in Assessing Cognitive Abilities in Young ChildrenYoung ChildrenGloria Maccow, Ph.D.

Assessment Training Consultant

2 | Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved.

ObjectivesObjectives

• Describe cognitive factors that account for differential classroom performance;

• Describe basic cognitive processes and their relationship to higher-order conceptualization and reasoning.

• Describe assessment of cognitive abilities in young children.




In Early Childhood Programs, . . .In Early Childhood Programs, . . .

. . . some children learn the pre-academic skills we present; some children do not.


In Early Childhood Programs, . . .In Early Childhood Programs, . . .

. . . some children are able to wait their turn; others respond impulsively.



What factors may account for What factors may account for such differential performance?such differential performance?


LearnerLearner’’s Skillss Skills(Berninger, 2007)(Berninger, 2007)

Individual Differences in the Processes in the Learner’s Mind or Brain

Individual Differences in the Processes in the Learner’s Mind or Brain

Curriculum and Instructional

Materials

Curriculum and Instructional

Materials

Teachers’Instruction (Pedagogy)

Teachers’Instruction (Pedagogy)




Understanding the ChildUnderstanding the Child’’s Minds Mind

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensori-motor (Birth to 2 years)

Pre-operational (2 to 7 years)

Concrete operational (7 to 11 years)

Formal operational (11 to 15 years)

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensori-motor (Birth to 2 years)

Pre-operational (2 to 7 years)

Concrete operational (7 to 11 years)

Formal operational (11 to 15 years)

(Santrock & Yussen, 1992)


Understanding the ChildUnderstanding the Child’’s Minds Mind

Information from the

environment

Information Information from the from the

environmentenvironment

Sensory and Perceptual Processes

Sensory and Sensory and Perceptual Perceptual ProcessesProcesses

MemoryMemoryMemory

ThinkingThinkingThinking LanguageLanguageLanguage


Information ProcessingInformation Processing




Information ProcessingInformation Processing

Input

BrainMindCognition

Output

• memory • problem-solving • reasoning


What Do We Assess?What Do We Assess?(Developmentally Appropriate)(Developmentally Appropriate)

Examples of AssessmentExamples of Assessment(Examples of test items are not included in handout)(Examples of test items are not included in handout)




The Process of LearningThe Process of Learning

• Learning is the process of acquiring information.

• What are the cognitive factors that enable students to show what they know and can do?

• Learning is the process of acquiring information.

• What are the cognitive factors that enable students to show what they know and can do?

How do they collect, sort, store, and retrieve information? (Miller, 2007)

How do they collect, sort, store, and retrieve information? (Miller, 2007)

How do they receive, perceive, process, and remember information? (Elliott, 2007)


Input

• Is the child able to see the information? Is visual acuity within normal limits? What about visual discrimination?

• Is the child able to hear the information? Is hearing acuity within normal limits? What about auditory discrimination?

InputInput

• Is the child able to see the information? Is visual acuity within normal limits? What about visual discrimination?

• Is the child able to hear the information? Is hearing acuity within normal limits? What about auditory discrimination?

Output

• Is the child able to respond in writing? Are fine motor abilities within normal limits?

• Is the child able to respond orally? Are language production abilities within normal limits?

OutputOutput

• Is the child able to respond in writing? Are fine motor abilities within normal limits?

• Is the child able to respond orally? Are language production abilities within normal limits?

SensorySensory--Motor Functions Motor Functions and Learningand Learning




Attention and LearningAttention and Learning

• selectively attend to certain stimuli while ignoring competing, irrelevant stimuli?

• sustain attentional focus for a prolonged period?

• selectively attend to certain stimuli while ignoring competing, irrelevant stimuli?

• sustain attentional focus for a prolonged period?

Does the child . . .

• shift attentional resources from one activity to another?

• respond to more than one task simultaneously –divided attention?

• shift attentional resources from one activity to another?

• respond to more than one task simultaneously –divided attention?


Memory and LearningMemory and Learning

• In schools, we expect children to learn and remember information.

• Often, the information is presented visually and/or verbally.

• Some of the information is novel; some is acquired.

ConceptualConceptual

(Mather & Goldstein, 2008)

LanguageLanguage ImagesImages

StrategiesStrategies




VisualVisual--Spatial Processes Spatial Processes and Learningand Learning

• Much of what is presented in school has either a visual-spatial or language basis.

• Visual-perceptual skills play a major role in the development of a child’s handwriting skills, and fluency in math and reading.

• For example, a student may be able to name individual letters in a word (visual analysis, b-e-d), but she may be unable to integrate the letters to say the word (visual synthesis, bed).


Language and LearningLanguage and Learning

Receptive

Children must understand words and sentences to perceive

and process information.

ReceptiveReceptive

Children must understand words and sentences to perceive

and process information.

Expressive

They must use words to show they can

retrieve information from memory.

ExpressiveExpressive

They must use words to show they can

retrieve information from memory.




Language and LearningLanguage and Learning

Early development of reading depends

critically on whether the receptive

phonological component of the aural

system and the expressive phonological

component of the oral system are

developing in an age-appropriate

manner (Berninger, 2007).

Early development of reading depends

critically on whether the receptive

phonological component of the auralaural

system and the expressive phonological

component of the oraloral system are

developing in an age-appropriate

manner (Berninger, 2007).

Language Literacy


Process of Learning and Process of Learning and RememberingRemembering

Information is brought into conscious awareness.

Retrieval

Information from immediate memory is solidified into long-term memory stores.

Consolidation

External information is transformed into mental representations or memories and stored in STM.

Encoding

ImmediateImmediate

DelayedDelayedSemanticSemantic

WorkingWorking




Executive FunctionsExecutive Functions

• Mental functions associated with ability to engage in behaviors that are:

– Purposeful

– Organized

– Self-regulated

– Goal-directed

• Internal supervisory guide for learning and performance in the classroom.

Cat


Executive Functions and Executive Functions and Working MemoryWorking Memory

• Many executive function tasks also require working memory—actively holding information in memory during cognitive tasks.

• Children with poor working memory may lose the “thread” and forget parts of the instruction, or even their own intention in the face of competing stimuli.




Cognitive Processing Speed Cognitive Processing Speed and Learningand Learning

• The ability to perform automatically with little or no effort–improves dramatically as children get older.

• Automaticity is linked to speed and processing capacity; as an activity is completed faster, it requires less processing capacity.

• As processing capacity increases, it becomes easier to complete tasks that were previously considered to be difficult. (Santrock & Yussen, 1992).

Sample Test Results . . .Sample Test Results . . .



GCA SS = 65

100 1109080 120 13070

Average Range

50 % of Students

Low Average

16.1 %

High Average

16.1 %

Borderline

6.7%

Superior

6.7 %Extremely

Low

2.2 %

Very Superior

2.2 %

Psycho-educational Interpretation Chart

Student’s Name: Sample Student

Age: 3:10

School: Early HeadStart

Test: DAS-II



Age: 3:10

School: Early HeadStart

Test: DAS-II

Verbal Comprehension SS = 69

Nonverbal Reasoning SS = 73

Spatial SS = 72

Early Number Concepts PR = 3

Recall of Digits Forward PR = 2

Recognition of Pictures PR =3

Eligibility Determination

Eligibility Determination

Full Scale IQ = 117

100 1109080 120 13070

Average Range

50 % of Students

Low Average

16.1 %

High Average

16.1 %

Borderline

6.7%

Superior

6.7 %Extremely

Low

2.2 %

Very Superior

2.2 %



Age: 4:7

School: Pre-K

Test: WPPSI-IV



Age: 4:7

School: Pre-K

Test: WPPSI-IV

Verbal Comprehension = 132

Visual-Spatial = 112

Fluid Reasoning = 114

Working Memory = 97

Processing Speed = 91

Instructional Planning

Instructional Planning




Learning Depends on . . .Learning Depends on . . .

• sensory-motor functions,

• attentional processes,

• visual-spatial processing,

• language processes,

• memory and learning processes,

• executive functions, and

• speed and efficiency of cognitive processing.

• sensory-motor functions,

• attentional processes,

• visual-spatial processing,

• language processes,

• memory and learning processes,

• executive functions, and

• speed and efficiency of cognitive processing.


SummarySummary

• If a child is not performing the grade-level skill, identify the cognitive factors that are necessary for and related to performance of the skill.

• Assess these cognitive factors to determine why the child is struggling with the specific skill.




ReferencesReferences

Bayley, N. (2006). Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

Berninger, V. W. (2007). PAL-II user’s guide. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

Elliott, C. (2007). Differential Ability Scales-Second Edition: Introductory and technical handbook. Bloomington, MN: Pearson.



Korkman, M., Kirk, U., & Kemp, S. (2007). NEPSY-II. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

Mather, N., & Goldstein, S. (2008). Learning disabilities and challenging behaviors. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

Miller, D. C. (2007). Essentials of school neuropsychological assessment. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.





Santrock, J. W., & Yussen, S. R. (1992). Child development. Dubuque, IA: Brown).

Wechsler, D. (2004). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

Wechsler, D. (2012). Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition. (2012). San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

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Assessing Cognitive Abilities in Young Children Cognitive Abilities in Young Children Gloria Maccow, Ph.D., Assessment Training Consultant Copyright © 2012. Pearson, Inc., or its