assessing children’s cognitive development and...

AssessingChildrensCognitiveDevelopmentandLearningGloriaMaccow,Ph.D.,AssessmentTrainingConsultant

Copyright 2013.Pearson,Inc.,and/oritsaffiliates.Allrightsreserved. 1

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GloriaMaccow,Ph.D.AssessmentTrainingConsultant

Assessing Childrens Cognitive Development and Learning



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Objectives

Describecognitivefactorsthatarerelatedtolearning;

Describedevelopmentallyappropriateassessmentofcognitiveabilities;

Describehowteacherscanlinkassessmentdatatoinstructionandintervention.

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In Early Childhood Programs, . . .

somechildrenlearnthepreacademicskillswepresent;somechildrendonot.



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In Early Childhood Programs, . . .

somechildrenwaittheirturn;othersrespondbeforeyoucompletetheinstructions.

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What child factors accountfor such differences in

performance?



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Berninger, 2007

LearnersSkillsLearnersSkills

CurriculumandInstructionalMaterials

CurriculumandInstructionalMaterials

TeachersInstruction(Pedagogy)

TeachersInstruction(Pedagogy)

IndividualDifferencesintheProcessesinLearnersBrainIndividualDifferencesintheProcessesinLearnersBrain

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The Learner: Cognitive Development

PiagetsStagesofCognitiveDevelopment

Sensorimotor(Birthto2years)

Preoperational(2to7years)

Concreteoperational(7to11years)

Formaloperational(11to15years)

PiagetsStagesofCognitiveDevelopment

Sensorimotor(Birthto2years)

Preoperational(2to7years)

Concreteoperational(7to11years)

Formaloperational(11to15years)

(Santrock & Yussen, 1992)



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Information Processing

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


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Information Processing

Input

BrainMindCognition

Output

memory problem-solving reasoning




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Areas to Assess(DevelopmentallyAppropriate)

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Skills SocialEmotionalCompetencies

BehavioralCompetenciesPreAcademicSkills



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Process of Learning Collecting,Sorting,Storing,Remembering

Information

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Input

Isthechildabletoseetheinformation?Isvisualacuitywithinnormallimits?Whataboutvisualdiscrimination?

Isthechildabletoheartheinformation?Ishearingacuitywithinnormallimits?Whataboutauditorydiscrimination?

InputInput

Isthechildabletoseetheinformation?Isvisualacuitywithinnormallimits?Whataboutvisualdiscrimination?

Isthechildabletoheartheinformation?Ishearingacuitywithinnormallimits?Whataboutauditorydiscrimination?

Output

Isthechildabletorespondinwriting?Arefinemotorabilitieswithinnormallimits?

Isthechildabletorespondorally?Arelanguageproductionabilitieswithinnormallimits?

OutputOutput

Isthechildabletorespondinwriting?Arefinemotorabilitieswithinnormallimits?

Isthechildabletorespondorally?Arelanguageproductionabilitieswithinnormallimits?

Sensory-Motor Functions and Learning



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Attention and Learning

selectivelyattendtocertainstimuliwhileignoringcompeting,irrelevantstimuli?

sustainattentionalfocusforaprolongedperiod?

selectivelyattendtocertainstimuliwhileignoringcompeting,irrelevantstimuli?

sustainattentionalfocusforaprolongedperiod?

Does the child . . .

shiftattentionalresourcesfromoneactivitytoanother?

respondtomorethanonetasksimultaneouslydividedattention?

shiftattentionalresourcesfromoneactivitytoanother?

respondtomorethanonetasksimultaneouslydividedattention?

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Process of Learning and Remembering

Informationisbroughtintoconsciousawareness.

Retrieval

Informationfromimmediatememoryissolidifiedintolongtermmemorystores.

Consolidation

ExternalinformationistransformedintomentalrepresentationsormemoriesandstoredinSTM.

Encoding

ImmediateImmediate

DelayedDelayedSemanticSemantic

WorkingWorking



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Visual-Spatial Processes and Learning

Muchofwhatispresentedinschoolhaseitheravisualspatialorlanguagebasis.

Visualperceptualskillsplayamajorroleinthedevelopmentofachildshandwritingskills,andfluencyinmathandreading.

Forexample,astudentmaybeabletonameindividuallettersinaword(visualanalysis,bed),butshemaybeunabletointegratetheletterstosaytheword

(visualsynthesis,bed).

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Language and Learning

ReceptiveChildrenmust

understandwordsandsentencestoperceive

andprocessinformation.

ReceptiveReceptiveChildrenmust

understandwordsandsentencestoperceive

andprocessinformation.

ExpressiveTheymustusewordstoshowtheycanretrieve

informationfrommemory.

ExpressiveExpressiveTheymustusewordstoshowtheycanretrieve

informationfrommemory.



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Language and LearningEarly 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

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Executive Functions Mentalfunctionsassociatedwithabilitytoengageinbehaviorsthatare:

Purposeful

Organized

Selfregulated

Goaldirected

Internalsupervisoryguideforlearningandperformanceintheclassroom.



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Executive Functions and Working Memory

Manyexecutivefunctiontasksalsorequireworkingmemoryactivelyholdinginformationinmemoryduringcognitivetasks.

Childrenwithpoorworkingmemorymaylosethethread andforgetpartsoftheinstruction,oreventheirownintentioninthefaceofcompetingstimuli.

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Cognitive Processing Speed and Learning

Theabilitytoperformautomaticallywithlittleornoeffortimprovesdramaticallyaschildrengetolder.

Automaticityislinkedtospeedandprocessingcapacity;asanactivityiscompletedfaster,itrequireslessprocessingcapacity.

Asprocessingcapacityincreases,itbecomeseasiertocompletetasksthatwerepreviouslyconsideredtobedifficult. (Santrock&Yussen,1992).



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Sample Data . . .

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3

444

5

4442

5



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Recommendations



GCA SS = 65

100 1109080 120 13070

Average Range50 % 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 ChartStudents Name: Sample StudentAge: 3:10School: Early HeadStartTest: DAS-IIChart Adapted from Guilford County Schools, NC

Psycho-educational Interpretation ChartStudents Name: Sample StudentAge: 3:10School: Early HeadStartTest: DAS-IIChart Adapted from Guilford County Schools, NC

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 Range50 % 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 ChartStudents Name: Sample StudentAge: 4:7School: Pre-KTest: WPPSI-IVChart Adapted from Guilford County Schools, NC

Psycho-educational Interpretation ChartStudents Name: Sample StudentAge: 4:7School: Pre-KTest: WPPSI-IVChart Adapted from Guilford County Schools, NC

Verbal Comprehension = 132

Visual-Spatial = 112

Fluid Reasoning = 114

Working Memory = 97

Processing Speed = 91

Instructional Planning

Instructional Planning



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Summary

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Assessment Process Ifachildisnotperformingagradelevelskill,identifythecognitivefactorsthatarenecessaryforandrelatedtoperformanceoftheskill.

Assessthecognitivefactorstodeterminewhythechildisstrugglingwiththespecificskill.



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Learning Depends on . . .

sensorymotorfunctions,

attentionalprocesses,

visualspatialprocessing,

languageprocesses,

memoryandlearningprocesses,

executivefunctions,and

speedandefficiencyofcognitiveprocessing.

sensorymotorfunctions,

attentionalprocesses,

visualspatialprocessing,

languageprocesses,

memoryandlearningprocesses,

executivefunctions,and

speedandefficiencyofcognitiveprocessing.

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ReferencesBayley,N.(2006).BayleyScalesofInfantandToddler

DevelopmentThirdEdition.SanAntonio,TX:Pearson.

Berninger,V.W.(2007).PALIIusersguide.SanAntonio,TX:Pearson.

Elliott,C.(2007).DifferentialAbilityScalesSecondEdition:Introductoryandtechnicalhandbook.Bloomington,MN:Pearson.

Korkman,M.,Kirk,U.,&Kemp,S.(2007).NEPSYII.SanAntonio,TX:Pearson.



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ReferencesMather,N.,&Goldstein,S.(2008).Learningdisabilities

andchallengingbehaviors.Baltimore,MD:Brookes.

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

Wechsler,D.(2004).WechslerIntelligenceScaleforChildrenFourthEdition.SanAntonio,TX:Pearson.

Wechsler,D.(2012).WechslerPreschoolandPrimaryScaleofIntelligenceFourthEdition.(2012).SanAntonio,TX:Pearson.

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