Preschool behavior and first-grade school achievement: The mediational role of cognitive self-control.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test a model of school achievement that included children's intellectual abilities, preschool behavior, and cognitive self-control. It suggested that teacher-rated preschool behavior such as aggressive, anxious-withdrawn, and prosocial behaviors influence cognitive self-control, which in turn positively determines school achievement at the end of first grade (when controlling for intellectual bilities). Participants were 291 kindergarten children. Results from structural equation modeling demonstrated that all hypothesized path models were significant, except the one between anxious-withdrawn behavior and cognitive self-control. A second model was thus specified in which a path between anxious-withdrawn behavior and school achievement was estimated. The second model offered a better representation f the sample data (comparative fit index =.99, normormed fit index =.98), ×2(19, N = 286) = 29.43, p>.05, and the path between anxious-withdrawn behavior and school achievement was found significant. The role of preschool behavior and cognitive self-control in first-grade school achievement is discussed. There is a consensus that children's uccessful school transition from kindergarten tothe first grade is particularly important because children's grades in the first years of school substantially affect subsequent achievement trajecto-

Cites (4)

1. Parent styles associated with children's self-regulation and competence in school.
   Grolnick, Wendy S., Ryan, Richard M. · 1989 · Journal of Educational Psychology
2. How much does schooling influence general intelligence and its cognitive components? A reassessment of the evidence.
   Ceci, Stephen J. · 1991 · Developmental Psychology
3. Early disruptive behavior, poor school achievement, delinquent behavior, and delinquent personality: Longitudinal analyses.
   Tremblay, R. E., Masse, B., Perron, D., Leblanc, M. · 1992 · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
4. Cognitive-behavioral treatment of conduct-disordered children
   Kendall, Philip C., Reber, Mark, McLeer, Susan, Epps, James, Ronan, Kevin R. · 1990 · Cognitive Therapy and Research

Show all 4 references

Cited by (17)

1. School readiness and later achievement.
   Duncan, Greg J., Dowsett, Chantelle J., Claessens, Amy, Magnuson, Katherine, Huston, Aletha C., Klebanov, Pamela, Pagani, Linda S., Feinstein, Leon, Engel, Mimi, Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne et al. · 2007 · Developmental Psychology
2. Relating effortful control, executive function, and false belief understanding to emerging math and literacy ability in kindergarten.
   Blair, Clancy, Razza, Rachel Peters · 2007 · Child Development
3. School readiness: Integrating cognition and emotion in a neurobiological conceptualization of children's functioning at school entry.
   Blair, Clancy · 2002 · American Psychologist
4. Social-emotional competence as support for school readiness: What is it and how do we assess it?
   Denham, Susanne A. · 2006 · Early Education & Development
5. Preventing conduct problems and improving school readiness: evaluation of the Incredible Years Teacher and Child Training Programs in high‐risk schools
   Webster‐Stratton, Carolyn, Jamila Reid, M., Stoolmiller, Mike · 2008 · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

See all 234