The Early Math Collaborative publishes scholarly articles on education issues related to early mathematics.

    2015

  • Reid, E. E.

    , Baroody, A. J., & Purpura, D. J. (2015). Assessing young children’s number magnitude representation: A comparison between a novel and a conventional task. Journal of Cognition and Development. doi: 10.1080/15248372.2014.920844

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    Abstract

    Previously, researchers have relied on asking young children to plot a given number on a 0-to-10 number line to assess their mental representation of numbers 1 to 9. However, such a (“conventional”) number-to-position (N-P) task may underestimate the accuracy of young children’s magnitude estimates and misrepresent the nature of their number representation. The purpose of this study was to compare young children’s performance on the conventional N-P task and a “modified” N-P task that is more consistent with a discrete-quantity view of number and with measures of theoretically related mathematical competencies. Participants (n = 45), ranging in age from 4;0 to 6;0, were administered both versions of the N-P task twice during 4 sessions in 1 of 2 randomly assigned and counterbalanced orders. Between and within conditions, children were significantly more accurate on the modified version than on the conventional task. The results indicate that the conventional task, in particular, may be confusing and that several simple modifications can make it more understandable for young children. However, when performance on theoretically related number tasks is taken into account, both the conventional and the modified N-P tasks appeared to underestimate competence.

    • 2014

  • Reid, E. E.

    , DiPerna, J. C., Missall, K., & Volpe, R. J. (2014). Reliability and structural validity of the Teacher Rating Scales of Early Academic Competence. Psychology in the Schools, 51, 535-553.

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    Abstract

    Currently, there are few strengths-based preschool rating scales that sample a wide array of behaviors believed to be essential for early academic success. The purpose of this study was to assess the factor structure of a new measure of early academic competence for at-risk preschool populations. The Teacher Rating Scales of Early Academic Competence (TRS-EAC) includes two broad scales (Early Academic Skills and Early Academic Enablers) and was completed by 60 teachers for 440 children enrolled in Head Start and public preschool classrooms. Evidence from two exploratory factor analyses supported a five-factor solution for the Early Academic Skills Scale (Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking Skills, Numeracy, Early Literacy, and Comprehension) and a five-factor solution for the Early Academic Enablers Scale (Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Competence, Fine Motor Skills, Gross Motor Skills, and Communication). TRS-EAC scores also demonstrated good to excellent reliability and were related to children’s performance on direct measures of early academic skills.

    • 2006

  • Reid, E. E.

    , Morgan, P. L., DiPerna, J. C., & Lei, P. W. (2006). Development of measures to assess young children’s early academic skills: Preliminary findings from a Head Start-university partnership. Insights on Learning Disabilities, 3(2), 25-38.