Language counts: Early language mediates the relationship between parent education and children's math ability

Children's early math skills have been hailed as a powerful predictor of academic success. Disparities in socioeconomic context, however, also have dramatic consequences on children's learning. It is therefore critical to investigate both of these distinct contributors in order to better understand the early foundations of children's academic outcomes. This study tests an integrated model of children's developing math ability so as to (1) identify the specific skills and abilities most clearly linked to early math achievement and (2) measure the influence of children's socioeconomic context on each of these skills. We first evaluated the early vocabulary, number word knowledge (knower level), and Approximate Number System (ANS) acuity of a diverse group of preschoolers. Then, approximately 1 year later as they entered Kindergarten, we administered a test of early math achievement. We find that children's early language (general vocabulary and number word knowledge) fully mediates the relationship between parent education and math ability. Additionally, number word knowledge mediates the relationship between ANS acuity and early math. We argue that increased focus on number word knowledge, as well as general vocabulary, may help to minimize disparities in math ability as children enter kindergarten. We also highlight the role of parent education on children's learning and note that this may be an important locus for intervention.     

Reflection on metacognition in real life situations: the truth is out there

This article was prepared to extend the traditional view of metacognition to include the orientation of thematic and common features analyses of events in daily-life interactions. A brief historical development of metacognition was presented and discussed to pave the way for this new orientation. This heuristic conceptualization and direction of metacognition was realized and materialized due to research in deaf education. Metacognition, as presented in this article, dispelled misconceptions about the cognitive ability of individuals who live with deafness. It was viewed impetus for continued research.     

Literacy skills seem to fuel literacy enjoyment,rather than vice versa

Children who like to read and write tend to be better at it. This association is typically interpreted as enjoyment impacting engagement in literacy activities, which boosts literacy skills. We fitted direction-of-causation models to partial data of 3690 Finnish twins aged 12. Literacy skills were rated by the twins’ teachers and literacy enjoyment by the twins themselves. A bivariate twin model showed substantial genetic influences on literacy skills (70%) and literacy enjoyment (35%). In both skills and enjoyment, shared-environmental influences explained about 20% in each. The best-fitting direction-of-causation model showed that skills impacted enjoyment, while the influence in the other direction was zero. The genetic influences on skills influenced enjoyment, likely via the skills→enjoyment path. This indicates an active gene-environment correlation: children with an aptitude for good literacy skills are more likely to enjoy reading and seek out literacy activities. To a lesser extent, it was also the shared-environmental influences on children's skills that propagated to influence children's literacy enjoyment. Environmental influences that foster children's literacy skills (e.g., families and schools), also foster children's love for reading and writing. These findings underline the importance of nurturing children's literacy skills.

Highlights

• It's known that how much children enjoy reading and writing and how good they are at it correlates ∼0.30, but causality remains unknown.
• We tested the direction of causation in 3690 twins aged 12.
• Literacy skills impacted literacy enjoyment, but not the other way around.
• Genetics influence children's literacy skills and how much they like and choose to read and write, indicating genetic niche picking.

     

Contributors to this issue

Frances Bower
Pauline Everest
Donald E. Kalsched
Jean Knox
Joseph Redfearn
Joy Schaverien
Robert A. Segal
Sonu Shamdasani
Anthony Storr     

Why the tall-poppy syndrome is becoming worse in the creative professions / Razones por las que el síndrome de la amapola alta es cada vez más acentuado en las profesiones creativas

Abstract

The tall-poppy syndrome (TPS) is a pattern of behaviour whereby people who excel in some respect are cut down to size by those around them. People are often uncomfortable with those who excel and therefore, in effect, seek to put them in their place. I argue in this article that the TPS is, in some respects, getting worse, even in the creative professions. I suggest a number of reasons why this might be so and also what societies might do about it.     

结合题目作答时间的计算机化自适应测验选题方法

计算机形式的测验能够记录考生在测验中的题目作答时间（Response Time, RT），作为一种重要的辅助信息来源，RT对于测验开发和管理具有重要的价值，特别是在计算机化自适应测验（Computerized Adaptive Testing, CAT）领域。本文简要介绍了RT在CAT选题方面应用并作以简评，分析了这些技术在实践中的可行性。最后，探讨了当前RT应用于CAT选题存在的问题以及可以进一步开展的研究方向。     

Thinkers and pedagogues: Introductory paper

Considering the needs of the young, searching for a real equilibrium between body, mind and affective, and the desire to develop knowledge and understanding: these are vital paths that must be investigated if are to adapt the current teaching process. A reform of the pace of schooling, a better distribution of prescribed subjects, an inter‐ and trans‐disciplinary approach: these are but some of the means that can be considered to remedy the situation.     

The association between personality and cognitive ability: Going beyond simple effects

To examine the relationship between the Big Five and cognitive ability, we investigated whether we could replicate in a heterogeneous population sample the positive association between cognitive ability and Openness and Emotional Stability and its negative association with Conscientiousness. Besides analyzing the pure associations, we shed further light on sources of these associations by investigating potential moderating effects of education and labor force participation. Our results clearly replicate the previously found positive association between cognitive ability and Emotional Stability and Openness and the negative relationship between Conscientiousness and cognitive ability. The correlation between cognitive ability and Openness was found to be moderated by educational attainment, the negative association between Conscientiousness and cognitive ability was moderated by labor force participation.     

Children and the future of humanity

In the face of a world that is undergoing a radical revolution, in terms of values as well as institutions, we must act so that future generations might have the means to face up to new demands. We must overhaul the educational program: we must teach children solidarity, openness and mutual respect, ecology, if we want our planet to survive.