Child Observation Paper
This study examined how executive functioning (EF) skills can be a predictor of success in children who experience homelessness and are entering kindergarten or first grade. This study was focused on 138 children living in 3 emergency homeless shelters for at least 3 days. Observations were made in the late summers of 2008 and 2009 and carried over into the fall of the upcoming school years.
Sample
This sample consists of 138 children entering kindergarten or first grade. The children themselves as well as the primary caregivers were observed on the premises of the shelter in which they were residing. Despite the primary caregivers, usually the biological mothers, having multiple children, only one child from the family was tested. The adolescents …show more content…
While separated, children participated in effective functioning tasks as well as three standardized intelligent subtest and the parents answered questions about the family. As apart of this study, the teachers of the children were contacted and asked to complete several observational worksheets on the specific child participants adaptive functioning as well. The progress of the effective functioning skills was measured with six tasks that highlighted set shifting, inhibitory control, and delay of gratification. Four cool effective functioning tasks such as, Simon says, Dimensional Change Card Sort, Peg Tapping, and Computerized Pointing Stroop were also used to test effective functioning skills in different areas of concentration. Findings After decoding the data collected, researchers found that the progress and development of effective functioning skills among homeless children was a broad indicator of risk in early schooling. These children are more likely to develop these skills at a slower rate. Some children in emergency shelters had better developed effective functioning skills than others so it was unclear as to why, but researchers believed that there could be a number of factors to blame. Children who did worse on the tests that were given are believed to have experienced more stress and trauma throughout their lives. Another contributing factor could also have been the different parenting processes in which they were raised
Sample
This sample consists of 138 children entering kindergarten or first grade. The children themselves as well as the primary caregivers were observed on the premises of the shelter in which they were residing. Despite the primary caregivers, usually the biological mothers, having multiple children, only one child from the family was tested. The adolescents …show more content…
While separated, children participated in effective functioning tasks as well as three standardized intelligent subtest and the parents answered questions about the family. As apart of this study, the teachers of the children were contacted and asked to complete several observational worksheets on the specific child participants adaptive functioning as well. The progress of the effective functioning skills was measured with six tasks that highlighted set shifting, inhibitory control, and delay of gratification. Four cool effective functioning tasks such as, Simon says, Dimensional Change Card Sort, Peg Tapping, and Computerized Pointing Stroop were also used to test effective functioning skills in different areas of concentration. Findings After decoding the data collected, researchers found that the progress and development of effective functioning skills among homeless children was a broad indicator of risk in early schooling. These children are more likely to develop these skills at a slower rate. Some children in emergency shelters had better developed effective functioning skills than others so it was unclear as to why, but researchers believed that there could be a number of factors to blame. Children who did worse on the tests that were given are believed to have experienced more stress and trauma throughout their lives. Another contributing factor could also have been the different parenting processes in which they were raised