Kirjojen lukeminen tukee luetun ymmärtämisen kehitystä

Tässä artikkelissa esittelemme keskeiset havainnot tutkimuksesta (Torppa ym., 2020), jossa tarkasteltiin vapaa-ajan lukemisen ja lukutaidon kehityksen suhdetta. Kysyimme, ennustaako lukutaito lukemisen määrää vai ennustaako myös lukemisen määrä lukutaitoa. Tutkimuksessa mitattiin lasten (n = 2 525) lukusujuvuutta ja luetun ymmärtämisen taitoa luokilla 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 ja 9. Vapaa-ajan lukemisen määrää mitattiin samoissa aikapisteissä kyselyillä. Luokilla 1–4 lasten vanhemmat vastasivat lukemisen määrää koskeviin kysymyksiin, ja luokilla 6–9 lapset vastasivat kyselyyn itse. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että lukutaito ennustaa lukemisen määrää erityisesti varhaisilla luokilla, kun lukutaito on v…

Parental contribution to child’s early language and interest in books

The relationships between parents’ age, education, literacy activities and shared reading with the child and children’s language skills and early interest in books were examined in a longitudinal study of 108 children. Parents reported on their children’s lexical and grammatical development by using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (the CDIs) at the ages of 14 and 24 months. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development were administered to the children in a laboratory setting at 24 months. Information on parental background variables was obtained through a questionnaire before the children’s birth. Book reading habits were inquired when the children were 2 years of age. Mother…

The development and predictive relations of play and language across the second year

The play and language development of 171 toddlers was examined at 14 and 18 months by observing their activities on the Symbolic Play Test and by assessing their language skills using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (MCDI) and the Reynell Developmental Language Scales. Additionally, data from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the MCDI were obtained at 24 months, in order to investigate how play and language measures taken at 14 and 18 months predict children's development at the age of 2 years. The results showed that the vocabulary production and symbolic play of the 14-month-old toddlers made a unique contribution to their language and cognitive skills at the…

A multidimensional adapted process model of teaching

AbstractIn the present study, we aimed to specify the key competence domains perceived to be critical for the teaching profession and depict them as a comprehensive teacher competence model. An expert panel that included representatives from seven units providing university-based initial teacher education in Finland carried out this process. To produce an active construction of a shared understanding and an interpretation of the discourse in the field, the experts reviewed literature on teaching. The resulting teacher competence model, the multidimensional adapted process model of teaching (MAP), represents a collective conception of the relevant empirical literature and prevailing discours…

Brain event-related potentials (ERPs) measured at birth predict later language development in children with and without familial risk for dyslexia.

We report associations between brain event-related potentials (ERPs) measured from newborns with and without familial risk for dyslexia and these same children's later language and verbal memory skills at 2.5, 3.5, and 5 years of age. ERPs to synthetic consonant-vowel syllables (/ba/, /da/, /ga/; presented equiprobably with 3,910-7,285 msec interstimulus intervals) were recorded from 26 newborns at risk for familial dyslexia and 23 control infants participating in the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia. The correlation and regression analyses showed that the at-risk type of response pattern at birth (a slower shift in polarity from positivity to negativity in responses to /ga/ at 540-…

Leisure Reading (But Not Any Kind) and Reading Comprehension Support Each Other—A Longitudinal Study Across Grades 1 and 9

This study examines associations between leisure reading and reading skills in data of 2,525 students followed from age 7 to 16. As a step further from traditional cross-lagged analysis, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to identify within-person associations of leisure reading (books, magazines, newspapers, and digital reading), reading fluency, and reading comprehension. In Grades 1-3 poorer comprehension and fluency predicted less leisure reading. In later grades more frequent leisure reading, particularly of books, predicted better reading comprehension. Negative associations were found between digital reading and reading skills. The findings specify earlier findings …

Cross‐lagged associations between kindergarten teachers' causal attributions and children's task motivation and performance in reading

The present study investigated whether kindergarten teachers' causal attributions would predict children's reading‐related task motivation and performance, or whether it is rather children's motivation and performance that contribute to teachers' causal attributions. To investigate this, 69 children (five to six years old at baseline) and their teachers were examined twice during the kindergarten year. Teachers filled in a questionnaire measuring their causal attributions twice during the kindergarten year. Information about the children's reading‐related task motivation and performance was gathered at the beginning of and at the end of the kindergarten year. The results showed that the hig…

Opening up learning environments : liking school among students in reformed learning spaces

The present study focuses on views of Finnish basic education students on open and flexible learning environments and the extent to which these views are associated with students’ liking of school. The data were based on an online questionnaire containing both structured ratings and open-ended questions filled out by primary school students (n = 684; grades 2–6; between ages 8–13 years) attending reformed learning environments. Ethnographic field notes and photographs of the schools were collected to provide contextual information about the settings. Quantitative analyses indicated that students had mostly positive evaluations of their renewed learning environments. Students’ perception of …

Relationships of young adults with foster care backgrounds: Tensions and management strategies

Interpersonal work resources and school personnel well-being before and after lockdown during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland

This two-wave mixed-methods study used the job demands and resources model to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on school personnel's work well-being (including burnout, work engagement, and sense of belonging) in spring 2020 in Finland in particular with respect to collegial relationships (respectful engagement) and leadership support. A pre-lockdown survey was administered prior to the pandemic (in January–February, n = 437) and a post-lockdown survey was administered after the two-month lockdown (at the end of May, n = 270). At post-lockdown, the school personnel reported, on average, more exhaustion, less work engagement (measured as enthusiasm and energy at work), and a decr…

Osaamistavoitteet Iuokanopettajakoulutuksen opetussuunnitelmissa : näkökulmana Moniulotteinen opettajan osaamisen prosessimalli

Tässä tutkimuksessa analysoitiin kahden yliopiston luokanopettajakoulutuksen opetussuunnitelmatekstejä selvittäen, miten tekstien sisältämät tavoitteet ilmentävät opettajan työssä olennaisia osaamisalueita. Analyysi toteutettiin teoriaohiaavalla sisällönanalyysillä, joka nojasi kehittämäämme Moniulotteiseen opettajan osaamisen prosessimalliin (MAP). Tulokset osoittivat, että pääosa yleisistä ja opintojaksokohtaisista osaamistavoitteista liittyi opettamisen ja oppimisen tietoperustan rakentamiseen, erityisesti sisältötietoon ia pedagogiseen sisältötietoon. Myös kognitiiviset osaamisalueet korostuivat opetussuunnitelmateksteissä, ja ne painottuivat tutkimuksen tekoon liittyviin tiedonkäsittel…

Becoming agentic teachers : Experiences of the home group approach as a resource for supporting teacher students' agency

Abstract This study focuses on the experiences of first-year teacher students in a Finnish teacher education department regarding ways in which studying in stable “home groups” supported or restricted their agency. The findings of the interviews with 22 teacher students suggest that perception of home groups as emotionally safe and offering opportunities to break traditional authority relationship supported teacher students' agency, which was manifested in identity negotiations and active participation. Perception of inequality and tensions within home groups restricted students' agency. The findings underline the need for keen awareness of factors affecting teacher students' agency when ap…

Assessment of students' situation-specific classroom engagement by an InSitu Instrument

The present study aims to expand the current understanding of engagement by examining variations in students' situation-specific engagement in lower secondary school. In addition, the validity and reliability of a new situation-specific InSitu Instrument were examined. The sample consisted of 1809 Finnish students attending Grade 7. The students filled in mobile ratings on their lesson-specific engagement after lessons. Furthermore, they answered questionnaires concerning their overall engagement, achievement beliefs, and task values in math and literacy. The results showed substantial variation within and between students in situational engagement. A five-factor structure was identified fo…

Modeling the Early Paths of Phonological Awareness and Factors Supporting its Development in Children With and Without Familial Risk of Dyslexia

The development of phonological awareness (PA) before school age was modeled in association with the development of vocabulary and letter knowledge, home literacy environment (HLE), children's reading interest, and beginning reading skill in children with and without familial risk of dyslexia. A total of 186 children were followed from birth to the age of 6.5 years. Of these children, about half had a familial background of reading difficulties (the at-risk group), and the other half came from families without such background (the control group). The data from several measures and assessment time points were analyzed within an SEM framework, and a latent analysis of growth curves was employ…

Maternal homework approach and adolescents’ academic skills: The mediating role of task values

The present study investigated the mediating role of the task values between the types of maternal homework approach (perceptions of their child’s autonomy or direct involvement) and adolescents’ academic skills. Data were utilized from 995 mother–child dyads followed across Grades 6, 7, and 9. At each time-point, mothers answered questionnaires on the types of their homework approach, adolescents answered questionnaires about their task values for math and Finnish, and adolescents’ skills in math (arithmetic and multiplication) and reading (reading fluency and reading comprehension) were tested. Separate longitudinal structural equation models were estimated for math and for reading. The r…

Stability of social support during school transitions: Associations with truancy and not completing upper secondary education in normative time

Not completing upper secondary education is often presignaled by truancy from school. Student-perceived social support from family, peers, and teachers can prevent truancy and the risk of not completing education. However, prior studies have not focused on the stability of social support across school transitions. This longitudinal study of 1901 Finnish students examined the extent to which social support was stable or specific to primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary schools. Moreover, we examined whether support was associated with not completing upper secondary education in normative time and whether truancy mediated the relationship between support and not completing education. …

Literacy instruction activities and their associations with first graders’ reading performance in two transparent orthographies

The aim of the study was to analyse literacy instruction activities and their associations with the reading performance of first graders in Estonia and Finland, two countries that share similar orthographies and educational systems but differ in the onset of formal reading instruction. The contents of 33 Literacy lessons in first grade spring were analysed and students’ (NEST = 415, NFIN = 154) reading performance was assessed in first grade autumn and spring. The results showed that there were more similarities than differences between the countries in literacy instruction activities, but some country-specific interaction effects were found between students’ reading performance and content…

Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior with Academic Skills – A Follow-Up Study among Primary School Children

Background There are no prospective studies that would have compared the relationships of different types of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with academic skills among children. We therefore investigated the associations of different types of PA and SB with reading and arithmetic skills in a follow-up study among children. Methods The participants were 186 children (107 boys, 79 girls, 6–8 yr) who were followed-up in Grades 1–3. PA and SB were assessed using a questionnaire in Grade 1. Reading fluency, reading comprehension and arithmetic skills were assessed using standardized tests at the end of Grades 1–3. Results Among all children more recess PA and more time spent i…

Quality of educational dialogue and association with students’ academic performance

The study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the associations between the quality of educational dialogue and students' academic performance and to analyse what kinds of dialogic teaching patterns of different levels of quality can be identified in classroom lessons. A total of 158 Grade 6 lessons were video-recorded, and the quality of the educational dialogue was assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System-Secondary (CLASS-S) observational instrument. Multilevel modelling indicated that the quality of educational dialogue was positively associated with students’ academic performance (grades) in language arts and physics/chemistry. Qualitative analysis was subsequently use…

The Role of Reading Disability Risk and Environmental Protective Factors in Students' Reading Fluency in Grade 4

This study examined the role of reading disability (RD) risk and environmental protective factors in reading fluency in grade 4. The sample consisted of 538 Finnish-speaking students. Kindergarten measures included the students' risk for RD based on poor achievement in phonological awareness and letter knowledge as well as information on the three control variables: nonverbal ability, level of parental education, and gender. Measures in grades 1–3 included environmental protective factors: classmate reports of peer acceptance; teacher reports of positive affect for the student; and mother, father, and teacher reports of partnership between the home and the school. The students were also tes…

Assessment of students’ agency in Finnish and Spanish university courses: Analysis of measurement invariance

This study reports on the measurement invariance of the Agency of University Students Scale in data consisting of Finnish and Spanish university students (n = 645) and presents cross-national findings on student agency assessment. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the metric invariance for 10 factors, which allows comparisons of covariance structures and correlation analyses, and can, for example, be used to examine background factor effects on agency across groups. At least partial scalar invariance was confirmed for six factors, allowing comparisons of mean values between Finnish and Spanish students. Differences were found in the experiences of personal and relational res…

Adolescents' engagement profiles and their association with academic performance and situational engagement

Abstract This study examined adolescents' engagement profiles and their association with situational engagement and academic performance in lower secondary school settings. The data consisted of 301 Grade 7 students from Finland. By utilizing person-oriented approach with Latent Profiling Analysis on subscales capturing students' overall engagement, four subgroups of students with different overall engagement profiles were identified. These profile groups were further analyzed with respect to differences in student background (gender and maternal education), academic performance (GPA, and reading and mathematics tests), and lesson-specific situational engagement. The profile groups showed d…

Dialogical patterns of interaction in pre-school classrooms

Abstract The present study set out to identify and examine dialogic educational interactions in Finnish pre-school classrooms. Video recordings of five observed pre-school classrooms that had shown a high or moderate quality of instructional support in literacy, maths and science studies were transcribed for micro-scale qualitative content analysis. Three patterns of teacher–child interaction emerged: first, a pattern characterised by the teacher making it possible for the children to demonstrate their knowledge and competence; second, a pattern characterised by the teacher supporting the children's participation and diverse contributions; and third, a pattern characterised by the teacher a…

A validation of the early childhood classroom observation measure in Finnish and Estonian kindergarten

Research Findings: The aim of the study was to examine the applicability and psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM; D. J. Stipek & P. Byler, 2005) outside the United States. The ECCOM was used to observe 83 kindergarten teachers (49 in Finland and 34 in Estonia) in classroom situations. Self-ratings were obtained of teachers’ teaching practices, curriculum goals, efficacy beliefs, instructional activities, work experience, and group size. The analyses indicated 1-factor solutions for each of the ECCOM dimensions (i.e., Child-Centered, Teacher-Directed, and Child-Dominated) and high reliabilities for all dimensions, subscales (i.e., Management, C…

Comorbid Fluency Difficulties in Reading and Math: Longitudinal Stability Across Early Grades

We examined the prevalence of comorbidity of dysfluent reading and math skills longitudinally in a representative sample ( N = 1,928) and the stability of comorbid and single difficulties from first to fourth grades. The findings indicated that half the children who showed very low performance in one skill also evidenced low or very low performance in the other. Comorbid difficulties had somewhat higher prevalence in third and fourth graders than in first and second graders. The stability of comorbid difficulties was found to be established from Grade 2 onward, but the stability of single difficulties increased steadily across grades. Overall, the findings emphasize the relatively strong s…

Reading Difficulties Identification : A Comparison of Neural Networks, Linear, and Mixture Models

Purpose We aim to identify the most accurate model for predicting adolescent (Grade 9) reading difficulties (RD) in reading fluency and reading comprehension using 17 kindergarten-age variables. Three models (neural networks, linear, and mixture) were compared based on their accuracy in predicting RD. We also examined whether the same or a different set of kindergarten-age factors emerge as the strongest predictors of reading fluency and comprehension difficulties across the models. Method RD were identified in a Finnish sample (N ≈ 2,000) based on Grade 9 difficulties in reading fluency and reading comprehension. The predictors assessed in kindergarten included gender, parental factors (e.…

Variation in situation-specific engagement among lower secondary school students

The majority of previous research has examined school engagement as an overall student characteristic. The present study contributes to the field by examining variation in students' situation-specific engagement from one lesson to another and by investigating situational determinants of such variation. An intensive one-week lesson-to-lesson data collection was conducted in four lower secondary school classrooms. Students rated their situation-specific engagement at the end of each lesson with a mobile-based InSitu instrument. Data comprising a total of 57 students and 1328 ratings were analyzed with two-level hierarchical multivariate model (between students, and within students between les…

Assessment of student engagement among junior high school students and associations with self-esteem, burnout, and academic achievement

Journal for educational research online 8 (2016) 2, S. 136-157

Associations Among Teacher–Child Interactions, Teacher Curriculum Emphases, and Reading Skills in Grade 1

Research Findings: The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent to which the quality of teacher–child interactions and teachers’ self-reported curriculum emphases are related to children’s reading skill development during their 1st school year. To accomplish this, we assessed the reading skills of 1,029 Finnish children (M age = 85.77 months) twice during Grade 1, and the children’s teachers (n = 91) completed questionnaires concerning their literacy-related curriculum emphases. In addition, teacher–child interactions in terms of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support were observed in 29 classrooms. The results of multilevel modeling showed that a…

Associations Between Toddler-Age Communication and Kindergarten-Age Self-Regulatory Skills

Purpose In this study, the authors aimed at gaining understanding on the associations of different types of early language and communication profiles with later self-regulation skills by using longitudinal data from toddler age to kindergarten age. Method Children with early language profiles representing expressive delay, broad delay (i.e., expressive, social, and/or symbolic), and typical language development were compared in domains of kindergarten-age executive and regulative skills (attentional/executive functions, regulation of emotions and behavioral activity, and social skills) assessed with parental questionnaires. Results Children with delay in toddler-age language development de…

Kindergarten teachers adjust their teaching practices in accordance with children's academic pre-skills

This study examined the extent to which kindergarten children’s academic pre‐skills are associated with their teachers’ subsequent teaching practices. The pre‐skills in reading and math of 1268 children (655 boys, 613 girls) were measured in kindergarten in the fall. A pair of trained observers used the Classroom Assessment Scoring System instrument to observe 49 kindergarten teachers on their emotional support, classroom organisation and instructional support in kindergarten in the spring. The results of the multilevel modelling showed that low levels of academic pre‐skills in kindergarten classrooms in the fall predicted high classroom quality in the classrooms later on. The results sugge…

Mothers' Causal Attributions Concerning the Reading Achievement of Their Children With and Without Familial Risk for Dyslexia

The present study analyzed data from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia to investigate the factors to which mothers of children with and without familial risk for dyslexia attribute the causes of their first-grade children's reading achievement. Mothers' causal attributions were assessed three times during their children's first school year. Children's verbal intelligence was assessed at 5 years and their word and nonword reading skills at 6.5 years. The results showed that the higher the word reading skills the children had, the more their mothers attributed their success to ability than to effort. However, if children had familial risk for dyslexia, their mothers' attribution o…

Classroom-based physical activity and teachers’ instructions on students’ movement in conventional classrooms and open learning spaces

AbstractAs a result of educational reforms in many countries, including Finland, new or renovated comprehensive schools have increasingly begun to incorporate open and flexible designs and principles. Multipurpose and adaptable open learning spaces can provide children with amplified opportunities to be physically active during general education. Classroom-based physical activity has been associated with better academic-related outcomes and students’ on-task behaviour, while overall physical activity has been associated with better health. In the present study, we investigated the effects of classroom type, gender and grade level on classroom-based physical activity, and the associations be…

Early Antecedents of School Burnout in Upper Secondary Education : A Five-year Longitudinal Study

AbstractSchool burnout symptoms are prevalent among upper secondary education students, but thus far, very little is known about the background of these symptoms. The present study examined the extent to which school burnout symptoms (i.e., exhaustion and cynicism) among upper secondary education students have their roots in primary and lower secondary school and whether early antecedents of school burnout symptoms could be identified. The sample consisted of 1544 Finnish students followed up four times (Time1–Time 4) from the end of primary school (T1; mean age 12.74 and range 11.71–14.20) to the first year of upper secondary education (T4; mean age 16.66 and range 15.55–18.39). The result…

Social Competence Among 6-year-old Children and Classroom Instructional Support and Teacher Stress

Research Findings: This study examined the extent to which observed classroom quality and teacher stress are associated with children's social competence in classrooms of 6-year-old children (kindergartners in Finland). Assessments of academic pre-skills were available for a total of 1,268 children, and kindergarten teacher ratings of social competence were available for a total of 1,222 children. The kindergarten teachers (N = 137) also provided ratings of their work-related stress. Observations of classroom quality (i.e., emotional and instructional support and classroom organization) were conducted in 49 kindergarten classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. The results o…

Cross-lagged relations between task motivation and performance in arithmetic and literacy in kindergarten

Abstract To examine the cross-lagged relationships between children's task motivation in mathematics and literacy, and their related performance, 139 children aged 5–6 years were examined twice during their kindergarten year. The results showed that only math-related task motivation and arithmetic performance showed cross-lagged relationship: the higher the math-related task motivation children reported in the beginning of the kindergarten year the higher the level of their arithmetic performance at the end of the kindergarten year. Moreover, the higher the level of children's arithmetic performance the more the interest in mathematics children reported later on. Literacy-related task motiv…

Clinical significance of test refusal among young children.

The present study describes the incidence of test refusal at neuropsychological assessment, investigates its correlates, and its stability. The participants were 124 children aged 3.5 years whose development has been followed from birth in the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia (JLD). The frequency of test refusal on the Finnish version of the NEPSY was analyzed with respect to the children's concurrent and earlier cognitive and language skills, assessed using tests and parental ratings. Refusal during test-taking was found to be relatively common at this age, and high frequency of refusal at an earlier age was associated with similar tendency at a later age. High test refusal was ass…

The role of teaching practices in the development of children’s interest in reading and mathematics in kindergarten

Abstract This study examined the extent to which teaching practices observed in kindergarten classrooms predict children’s interest in reading and mathematics. The pre-skills in reading and mathematics of 515 children were measured at the beginning of their kindergarten year, and their interest in reading and mathematics were assessed in the following spring. A pair of trained observers used the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM; Stipek & Byler, 2004 ) to observe the teaching practices used by 49 kindergarten teachers. The results revealed that in classrooms in which the teachers placed greater emphasis on child-centered teaching practices than on teacher-directed practic…

Individual variance in responsiveness to early computerized mathematics intervention

Abstract We examined the effects of short, intensive computerized intervention in early number skills for kindergarteners with poor addition skills (below 1.5 SD ). The mathematical content of the software was hierarchically organized, starting from one-to-one correspondence, comparing and ordering, and proceeding via number concept and counting to basic addition. The results showed positive within-group effects for basic addition (Wilcoxon ES ( r ) = .59), verbal counting (.56), and the Number Sets Test (.45; see Geary, Bailey, & Hoard, 2009 ). The effects remained stable over a 9-week follow-up period. However, there was no significant between-group difference in terms of gain scores as c…

Miten yksilöiden ja yhteisöjen oppiminen ja hyvinvointi rakentuvat ja millainen on kasvatustieteiden rooli niihin liittyvässä ymmärryksessä ja vaikuttamisessa?

Ajankohtaista - puheenvuoro. Kasvatustieteen päivät 25-26.11.2021 Jyväskylä: Oppiva ja hyvinvoiva yksilö ja yhteisö nonPeerReviewed

Observed Classroom Quality Profiles of Kindergarten Classrooms in Finland

Research Findings: The aim of the present study was to examine classroom quality profiles of kindergarten classrooms using a person-centered approach and to analyze these patterns in regard to teacher and classroom characteristics. Observations of the domains of Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support were conducted in 49 Finnish kindergarten classrooms utilizing the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (R. C. Pianta, K. M. LaParo, & B. K. Hamre, 2008 ). In addition, questionnaire data on classroom and teacher characteristics, as well as Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (D. Stipek & P. Byler, 2004 ) observational ratings, were used in the analyses. L…

Stable same-sex friendships with higher achieving partners promote mathematical reasoning in lower achieving primary school children

This study is designed to investigate friend influence over mathematical reasoning in a sample of 374 children in 187 same-sex friend dyads (184 girls in 92 friendships; 190 boys in 95 friendships). Participants completed surveys that measured mathematical reasoning in the 3rd grade (approximately 9 years old) and one year later in the 4th grade (approximately 10 years old). Analyses designed for dyadic data (i.e., longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Models) indicated that higher achieving friends influenced the mathematical reasoning of lower achieving friends, but not the reverse. Specifically, greater initial levels of mathematical reasoning among higher achieving partners in the …

Early language and behavioral regulation skills as predictors of social outcomes.

Purpose In the present study, the authors examined the prospective associations among early language skills, behavioral regulation skills, and 2 aspects of school-age social functioning (adaptability and social skills). Method The study sample consisted of children with and without a familial risk for dyslexia. The authors analyzed the relations among children’s language (at age 2;6 [years;months] and age 5;0), behavioral regulation skills (at age 5;0), and social functioning (at age 8;0) using structural equation modeling. Subgroups of children with respect to language and behavioral regulation skills (at age 5;0) were identified through the use of mixture modeling. Results Among at-risk …

Trajectories of reading development: A follow-up from birth to school age of children with and without risk for dyslexia

In order to understand why some children are vulnerable to difficulties in their language development and their acquisition of reading skill, the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia followed 200 Finnish children from birth to school age. Half of these children had a family history of reading problems and were considered at risk for dyslexia; the other half were not at risk. A novel analysis, mixture modeling, revealed four subgroups with differential developmental trajectories to early reading. The subgroups who showed either a “dysfluent trajectory” (n = 12; 11 at risk vs. 1 control) or a “declining trajectory” (n = 35; 24 vs. 11) contained more children with familial risk for dyslexi…

Task-Focused Behavior Mediates the Associations Between Supportive Interpersonal Environments and Students’ Academic Performance

In the longitudinal study presented here, we tested the theoretical assumption that children’s task-focused behavior in learning situations mediates the associations between supportive interpersonal environments and academic performance. The sample consisted of 2,137 Finnish-speaking children. Data on supportive interpersonal environments (characterized by authoritative parenting, positive teacher affect toward the child, and peer acceptance) were gathered in Grade 1. The children’s task-focused behavior was measured in Grades 2 and 3, and academic performance was measured in Grades 1 and 4. The results supported our assumption by showing that all three supportive environments were positiv…

Task avoidance, number skills and parental learning difficulties as predictors of poor response to instruction.

Altogether 1,285 Finnish children were followed up from the end of kindergarten through Grade 1. All were nonreaders at school entrance. The aim was to delineate predictors of resistance to treatment that are evidenced as little or no reading progress during Grade 1. On the basis of reading achievement in Grade 1 spring, four subgroups were formed. These were fast, average, and slow reading acquisition and slow progress in both reading and math. Kindergarten spring scores in phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid naming, and number skills differentiated well among the groups, the latter two being more robust predictors. Task avoidance added to the prediction over and above cogniti…

Social withdrawal in children moderates the association between parenting styles and the children's own socioemotional development.

Background: Social withdrawal in early childhood is a risk factor for later socioemotional difficulties. This study examined the joint effects of children’s social withdrawal and mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles on children’s socioemotional development. Based on diatheses-stress, vantage sensitivity, and differential susceptibility models, socially withdrawn children were assumed to be more prone to parental influences than others. Methods: Teachers rated 314 children on prosocial skills, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors at three points in time between grades 1–3. Mothers (n = 279) and fathers (n = 182) filled in questionnaires measuring their affection, and their behavio…

Reading development subtypes and their early characteristics.

The present findings are drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia (JLD), in which approximately 100 children with familial risk of dyslexia and 100 control children have been followed from birth. In this paper we report data on the reading development of the JLD children and their classmates, a total of 1,750 children from four measurement points during the first two school years. In the total sample, we examined whether heterogeneous developmental paths can be identified based on profiles of word recognition and reading comprehension. Secondly, we studied what kind of early language and literacy skill profiles and reading experiences characterize the children with differing …

Knowledge-building patterns in educational dialogue

This study aimed to examine knowledge-building patterns in Grade 6 educational dialogues. The data consisted of 20 video-recorded lessons from the classes taught by seven teachers, selected by using a latent profile analysis and examined with a qualitative functional analysis of classroom talk. Episodes of educational dialogue were found to represent three main types of knowledge, based on facts, views and experiences. These three types were further identified as forming six diverse knowledge-building patterns in educational dialogues. The findings indicated that factual orientation dominated the Grade 6 lesson dialogues. However, factual knowledge building often occurred with the other two…

The Role of Perceived Social Support as a Contributor to the Successful Transition from Primary to Lower Secondary School

Following approximately 1,800 Finnish children, this longitudinal study examined the associations between students’ perceived social support (teacher-student relationships, family support, and peer support), behavioral engagement, cynicism towards school, and academic achievement during the transition from primary to lower secondary school. After controlling for parental educational level and cynicism before the school transition, the results showed that the more students experienced pre-transition peer support, the less they reported post-transition cynicism. Furthermore, pre-transition peer support contributed to students’ increased academic achievement and behavioral engagement after the…

Very early phonological and language skills: estimating individual risk of reading disability

Background: Analyses from the JyvaskylaLongitudinal Study of Dyslexia project show that the key childhood predictors (phonological awareness, short-term memory, rapid naming, expressive vocabu- lary, pseudoword repetition, and letter naming) of dyslexia differentiate the group with reading disability (n ¼ 46) and the group without reading problems (n ¼ 152) at the end of the 2nd grade. These measures were employed at the ages of 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 years and information regarding the familial risk of dyslexia was used to find the most sensitive indices of an individual child's risk for reading disabil- ity. Methods: Age-specific and across-age logistic regression models were constructed to pro…

Developmental pathways of children with and without familial risk for dyslexia during the first years of life.

Comparisons of the developmental pathways of the first 5 years of life for children with (N = 107) and without (N = 93) familial risk for dyslexia observed in the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal study of Dyslexia are reviewed. The earliest differences between groups were found at the ages of a few days and at 6 months in brain event-related potential responses to speech sounds and in head-turn responses (at 6 months), conditioned to reflect categorical perception of speech stimuli. The development of vocalization and motor behavior, based on parental report of the time of reaching significant milestones, or the growth of vocabulary (using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories) failed t…

The effectiveness of increased support in reading and its relationship to teachers' affect and children's motivation

Abstract The aims of this study were, firstly, to identify different groups of teacher–child dyads on the basis of the longitudinal associations between teachers' individual support in reading and children's reading skills, and, secondly, to examine whether the groups thus identified differ with respect to various teacher- and child-related factors. A total of 372 teacher–child dyads were examined. The reading skills of 6- to 7-year-old Finnish-speaking children were measured at the beginning and end of Grade 1. The amount of teachers' support in reading for a particular child was gathered from teachers by questionnaires. Regression Mixture Modeling identified three latent groups of teacher…

Student behavioral engagement as a mediator between teacher, family, and peer support and school truancy

This study investigated the associations between student's behavioral engagement; teacher, family, and peer emotional support; and school truancy. Student-reported data of 821 Finnish junior high school students were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Teacher and family support were positively associated with student behavioral engagement, which in turn was negatively associated with truancy. Behavioral engagement mediated the associations between teacher and family emotional support and truancy. The results highlight the pivotal roles of teacher and family emotional support in fostering student behavioral engagement and preventing truancy in junior high schools. Students who are …

Elementary school teachers adapt their instructional support according to students' academic skills – A variable and person-oriented approach

This study examined the longitudinal associations between children’s academic skills and the instructional support teachers gave individual students. A total of 253 Finnish children were tested on reading and math skills twice in the first grade and once in the second grade. The teachers of these children rated the instructional support that they gave each child in reading and mathematics. The results showed that the poorer the student’s reading and math skills were, the more support and attention the student received from his or her teacher later on. However, instructional support did not contribute positively to the subsequent development of the students’ academic skills. The person-orie…

Covariation between reading and arithmetic skills from grade 1 to grade 7

This study examined the extent to which reading and arithmetic skills show covariation at Grade 1 and at Grade 7, to what extent this covariation is time-invariant or time-specific, and to what extent different antecedents will predict these time-invariant and time-specific portions of the covariation. The reading and arithmetic skills of a total of 1335 Finnish children were assessed at the end of Grade 1 and then again at the end of Grade 7. Phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automatized naming (RAN), counting, and parental education levels were measured in kindergarten; working memory at Grade 1 and nonverbal reasoning at Grade 3. The results showed that reading and arithmet…

National context and teacher characteristics : Exploring the critical non-cognitive attributes of novice teachers in four countries

The purpose of this article was to examine what education professionals in four countries (England, Finland, Malawi, and Oman) deemed as the critical (i.e., most important for effective teaching) non-cognitive attributes of novice teachers. Results from an iterative comparative case study showed that participants consistently judged certain attributes of novice teachers as critical, i.e., empathy, organization, and resilience. However, there was also differential importance placed on teachers’ relationships with the community, reflecting theorized cultural differences. The findings provide new insight into how national and cultural context are associated with the perceptions of the critical…

The frequency of parents’ reading-related activities at home and children's reading skills during kindergarten and Grade 1

Abstract This longitudinal study investigated the associations between the frequency of parents’ reading-related activities at home and their children's reading-related skills during the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Longitudinal data were obtained for 1436 Finnish children (5- to 6-year-olds at baseline) and their mothers and fathers. 684 girls and 752 boys participating in the study represented four Finnish municipalities. The reading skills of the children were measured four times: at the beginning and at the end of their kindergarten year, and at the beginning and at the end of Grade 1. In kindergarten, decoding tests were administered individually. In Grade 1, group tests in…

Off on the wrong foot : Task avoidance at the outset of primary school anticipates academic difficulties and declining peer acceptance

The present study examined the academic antecedents of declining peer social status. Participants included 545 (311 boys, 234 girls) Finnish students followed from the 1st through the 4th grade (ages 6–8 at outset). Each year, teachers completed assessments of academic task avoidance and students completed standardized measures of reading and math achievement. Acceptance was assayed through peer nominations. Supporting the hypothesized model, the results indicated that a lack of interest and motivation at the outset of primary school leads to a downward spiral of academic difficulties and diminished peer acceptance. Specifically, academic task avoidance in 1st and 2nd grade anticipated decl…

Multiple mini-interviews as a selection tool for initial teacher education admissions

This study investigates the reliability of multiple mini interviews (MMIs) to select students for classroom and special education teacher programs (n = 418) using intraclass correlations and cross-classified multilevel modeling. The results indicated mostly small effects of clustering of applicants to different interviewers and five-station circuits. The largest variance components in the MMI total score were for applicants (63.3%) and measurement error (20.6%), while the variance component for the interviewer was relatively small (11.6–14.4%). The applicants' and interviewers' perceptions were positive. This study provides evidence for the use of MMIs as a reliable tool for initial teacher…

Millainen johtaminen tuki peruskoulujen henkilöstön työhyvinvointia covid-19-pandemiasta johtuneen etäkoulun aikana?

Henkilökunnan hyvinvointi on yhteydessä johtamiseen, mutta koulukontekstissa johtajuuden merkitystä henkilökunnan hyvinvoinnille (ja sitä kautta oppilaiden hyvinvoinnille) tunnetaan heikosti. Tässä tutkimuksessa keskitymme kolmeen johtajuusominaisuuteen, jotka kirjallisuuden perusteella näyttäytyvät potentiaalisina hyvinvointijohtamisen tekijöinä koulukontekstissa: palveleva johtaminen, henkilöstön hyvinvoinnista huolehtiminen ja jaettu vastuu. Tutkimme, ovatko nämä tammi-helmikuussa 2020 (n=437, 48 koulua) ennen etäkoulua Keski-Suomen koulujen henkilökunnan arvioimat johtajuustekijät yhteydessä heti etäkoulun päättyessä toukokuussa 2020 (n=270, 27 koulua) arvioituun henkilöstön hyvinvointi…

Coping strategies in life stories of young adults with foster care backgrounds

Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin sijoitettuna olleiden nuorten aikuisten selviytymiskeinoja 18 yksilöhaastattelun avulla. Fenomenologisella analyysilla (IPA; Smith & Osborn, 2003. Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Teoksessa J. A. Smith (toim.), Qualitative Psychology (s. 51–80). Sage) tunnistettiin kolme pääteemaa liittyen selviytymiskeinoihin vastoinkäymisissä ja haasteissa: sisäänpäin suuntautuminen, ulospäin suuntautuminen sekä omiin elinolosuhteisiin vaikuttaminen. Lisäksi tunnistettiin keino, joka oli käytössä vain varhaisaikuisuudessa, hyväksyminen. Tulosten perusteella on tärkeää kuulla sijoitettuna olleita nuoria aikuisia koskien heidän selviytymiskeinojaan sekä lisätä sijaisperh…

Students’ agency profiles in relation to student-perceived teaching practices in university courses

This study addresses the gap in our understanding of the role of pedagogy in agency construction among higher education students. In the present study, profiles of students’ agency experiences were identified and analysed with respect to the students’ perceptions of teaching practices in their courses (i.e., student-centred learning activities, forms of instruction, and student-teacher roles). The Agency of University Students (AUS) Scale (Jääskelä et al., 2017) was used to assess the students’ experiences of their personal, relational, and participatory resources of agency. Agency profiles were found to be associated with students’ perceptions of teaching practices in the courses. The find…

Associations of Motor and Cardiovascular Performance with Academic Skills in Children

HAAPALA, E. A., A.-M. POIKKEUS, T. TOMPURI, K. KUKKONEN-HARJULA, P. H. T. LEPPANEN, V. LINDI, and T. A. LAKKA. Associations of Motor and Cardiovascular Performance with Academic Skills in Children. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. ,V ol. 46, No. 5, pp. 1016-1024, 2014. Purpose: We investigated the associations of cardiovascular and motor performance in grade 1 with academic skills in grades 1-3. Methods: The participants were 6- to 8-yr-old children with complete data in grades 1-2 for 174 children and in grade 3 for 167 children. Maximal workload during exercise test was used as a measure of cardiovascular performance. The shuttle run test (SRT) time, the errors in balance test, and the number of c…

Mediating effects of motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour on the associations of adiposity and other cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement in children

We investigated the associations of cardiometabolic risk factors with academic achievement and whether motor performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, or sedentary behaviour mediated these associations. Altogether 175 children 6-8 years-of-age participated in the study. We assessed body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference, insulin, glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, leptin, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arithmetic skills were assessed using standardized tests. Speed/agility, balance, and manual dexterity test results were used to calculate moto…

Development of pre-academic skills and motivation in kindergarten : a subgroup analysis between classroom quality profiles

AbstractThe present study extends research on classroom quality profiles by examining the differences between profiles with respect to children’s development in pre-academic skills and motivation across the kindergarten year. Teacher–child interactions were observed in 49 Finnish kindergarten classrooms using the CLASS Pre-K instrument. Based on prior identification of latent profiles of classroom quality, subgroup analyses on children’s data were carried out on three profiles representing high Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and intermediate Instructional Support (Profile 1), higher-intermediate Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and lower-intermediate Instructional …

The cross-lagged relations between children’s academic skill development, task-avoidance, and parental beliefs about success.

Abstract This longitudinal study investigated the cross-lagged associations between children’s academic skill development, task-avoidant behaviour in the context of homework, and parental beliefs about their child’s success from kindergarten to Grade 2. The participants were 1267 children. The children’s pre-skills were assessed at the end of the kindergarten year, and math and reading skills at the end of Grade 1 and Grade 2. Parents provided ratings of their beliefs about their children’s school success and task-avoidant behaviour with regard to homework at the end of Grades 1 and 2. The results showed that children’s math and reading skills predicted children’s task-avoidant behaviour re…

Relations Between Achievement Goal Orientations and Math Achievement in Primary Grades: A Follow‐Up Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate children’s achievement goal orientations and their relations to math achievement in the primary grades. The sample consisted of 179 children who were in the 2nd and 3rd grades during the first measurement and in the 3rd and 4th grades during the second measurement. Children’s self‐ratings were obtained on their goal orientations, their math performance was tested and their math grades were taken into account. Teacher ratings were obtained on each child’s effort in class. Children’s self‐reported performance‐avoidance goals were found to be related to their achievement outcomes. Math achievement seems to influence children’s achievement goal or…

Shared reading interaction in families with and without genetic risk for dyslexia: implications for toddlers’ language development

Shared reading represents a unique context for language learning. Little is known, however, about the quality of shared reading and its developmental implications in families with reading disabilities. In the present study, these questions were addressed in the context of a longitudinal follow-up. Maternal interactional behaviors and children's participation in a book reading situation were analyzed at 14 months of age in a subsample involving 39 mothers who were diagnosed as reading disabled and had a familial background of reading difficulties (the RD group) and 89 normally reading mothers (the NR group) and their children. Information on the children's concurrent and subsequent vocabular…

Developmental links of very early phonological and language skills to second grade reading outcomes: strong to accuracy but only minor to fluency.

The authors examined second grade reading accuracy and fluency and their associations via letter knowledge to phonological and language predictors assessed at 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 years in children in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia. Structural equation modeling showed that a developmentally highly stable factor (early phonological and language processing [EPLP]) behind key dyslexia predictors (i.e., phonological awareness, short-term memory, rapid naming, vocabulary, and pseudoword repetition) could already be identified at 3.5 years. EPLP was significantly associated with reading and spelling accuracy and by age with letter knowledge. However, EPLP had only a minor link with re…

Maternal homework assistance and children's task-persistent behavior in elementary school

Abstract The present study used a sample of 365 children to investigate the longitudinal associations between maternal homework assistance (i.e., help, monitoring, and autonomy granting) and children's task-persistent behavior in learning situations from grade 2 to grade 4 of elementary school. Also, the extent to which task-persistent behavior plays a role in the links between parental homework assistance and children's academic performance was examined. The results showed that the more autonomy granting mothers reported, the more task-persistent behavior children exhibited; and more task-persistent behavior children exhibited, the more autonomy their mothers granted. In contrast, the more…

Assessing agency of university students: validation of the AUS Scale

Fostering agency as a core component of professionalism is seen as a critical task of higher education. However, the tools for assessing university students’ agency, and the pedagogical and relational resources needed for its development, are lacking. The present study describes the theoretical foundations and factor structure of the newly developed Agency of University Students (AUS) Scale, which assesses students’ course-specific agency. In the factor analysis, ten factors emerged. Four of these – Interest and motivation, Self-efficacy, Competence beliefs and Participation activity – are seen to represent individual resources of agency. The other four factors – Equal treatment, Teacher su…

Cross-lagged associations between problem behaviors and teacher-student relationships in early adolescence

This study investigated the cross-lagged associations between teacher-student relationships and problem behaviors in a sample of 440 Finnish students (half of them identified as being at risk of reading difficulties). The degree to which these associations were moderated by a child’s gender, academic performance, risk for reading difficulties, parental education, and having the same teacher over 2 years was examined. The teachers evaluated the students’ problem behaviors and reported closeness and conflict with a particular student. The results showed that the higher the students scored on externalizing problems in Grade 4, the more conflict teachers reported 2 years later. Moderator analy…

Classroom effect on primary school students’ self-concept in literacy and mathematics

AbstractAccording to the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLP) model, high individual academic performance in a particular subject is related to high self-concept in that subject, whereas high average classroom performance has a negative effect on self-concept. In the present study, data from Finnish primary school students in grade 3 (504 students), grade 4 (487 students), and grade 6 (365 students) are used to examine whether the assumptions of the BFLP effect model hold already in primary school. Furthermore, we examined gender differences in BFLP effect. The results showed that as expected students’ high performance in literacy and in mathematics was related to high self-concept in the sam…

Longitudinal associations between teacher-child interactions and academic skills in elementary school

This study examined the extent to which the quality of teacher-child interactions assessed in kindergarten (6-year-olds) is associated with children's reading and math development across the elementary school years. The sample consisted of 515 Finnish children (271 boys, 244 girls). Teacher-child interactions were observed in 49 kindergarten classrooms. The findings from the latent growth curve models showed that high-quality teacher–child interactions in kindergarten were positively associated with the initial levels of reading and math skills. Furthermore, the results indicated that high-quality teacher-child interactions in kindergarten were positively associated with children's academic…

Counting and rapid naming predict the fluency of arithmetic and reading skills

Understanding of the factors that underlie the development of fluency in reading and arithmetic is limited. This longitudinal study examined whether verbal counting and rapid automatized naming (RAN) were predictors of arithmetic and reading fluency in a population-based sample and to what extent related early emerging cognitive abilities and socioeconomic background accounted for the predictive power of counting and RAN. In addition, in order to examine the uniqueness of counting as a numerical predictor of reading fluency, the influence of another early number skill—number concept—was controlled. Three hundred and seventy-eight Finnish children were followed from kindergarten to Grade 3 (…

Language Development and Symbolic Play in Children With and Without Familial Risk for Dyslexia

The purposes of this study were to investigate (a) whether children in families with a positive history of dyslexia were more likely to show delays in language development than children without family risk and (b) whether a delayed onset of expressive language (late talking) predicted later language development. We analyzed the language development of 200 children longitudinally at 14, 24, 30, and 42 months and assessed their symbolic play at 14 months. Half of the children ( N =106) were from families with a history of dyslexia (the Dyslexia Risk [DR] group), and other children served as age-matched controls. Parental reports and structured tests were used to assess children’s receptive a…

Promotion of school engagement through dialogic teaching practices in the context of a teacher professional development programme

This study was conducted in the context of a teacher professional development programme that aimed to improve dialogic teaching in the classroom, and it describes the programme and examines the change in teachers' dialogic teaching practices and pupils' classroom engagement during the programme. Data on pupils' school engagement were collected using classroom video recordings and students' self-ratings at the end of the lesson including dialogic teaching practices. The participants comprised seven in-service teachers and their 140 pupils (10- to 15-year-olds) from two comprehensive schools. The findings indicated positive change in the use of dialogic teaching practices and in observed pupi…

Opettajan osaaminen - vuorovaikutusta ja dialogia

Hyvästä opettajasta on kirjoitettu lukuisia kirjoja ja oppaita. Kuitenkaan opettajan osaamisesta ei ole yhtenäistä käsitystä. Viimeaikainen tutkimus painottaa vuorovaikutustaitoja, dialogia ja opettajan kykyä mukauttaa opetusta oppilaiden tarpeisiin. nonPeerReviewed

School grades as predictors of self-esteem and changes in internalizing problems: A longitudinal study from fourth through seventh grade

This longitudinal study of 562 students (from ages 10 to 13) investigated whether developmental changes in internalizing problems (emotional and peer problems) can be predicted by school grades in mathematics and language arts and whether these predictive relations are mediated by students' self-esteem. The data comprised of teacher-rated internalizing problems, grades in math and language arts, and student self-ratings of self-esteem. The latent change score modeling indicated that math grades positively predicted self-esteem. Furthermore, lower self-esteem was related to an increase in internalizing and emotional problems in the total sample, and to an increase in peer problems in boys. T…

Instructional support predicts children’s task avoidance in kindergarten

Abstract This study examined the role of observed classroom quality in children's task-avoidant behavior and math skills in kindergarten. To investigate this, 1268 children were tested twice on their math skills during their kindergarten year. Kindergarten teachers ( N  = 137) filled in questionnaires measuring their professional experience and also rated the children on their task-avoidant versus task-focused behaviors. Trained observers used the CLASS instrument ( Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008 ) to observe 49 kindergarten teachers (out of 137) on their emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. The results of multilevel modeling showed that kindergarten classro…

Early identification of dyslexia and the use of computer game-based practice to support reading acquisition

The validity of early predictive measures of delayed reading acquisition is summarized on the basis of the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal study of Dyslexia (JLD). These results show that children in need of support can be identified years before school age. After a brief review of the literature on computer-based interventions, pilot data is reported on the effects of our computer game ‘Literate’ that has been specially developed for preventive training with children who are at risk of failing to acquire reading skill at a normal rate.

Developmental profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension from grades 1 to 9 and their early identification.

This study examined developmental profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension in Grades 1 to 9 (ages 7 to 15) in a large Finnish sample (N = 2,518). In addition, early predictors of the profiles were analyzed with respect to kindergarten cognitive skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automized naming [RAN], number counting, word reading, vocabulary, and listening comprehension), parental factors (level of education, reading difficulties), and gender. Four different profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension development were identified using latent profile analysis. These comprised one profile with persistent reading difficulties across the grades, one…

Externalizing behavior problems and interest in reading as predictors of later reading skills and educational aspirations

This study examined the developments in children’s externalizing problems and interest in reading during their first four years of school (Grades 1–4) and investigated whether this development predicted the children’s Grade 6 reading skills and educational aspirations. Data comprised (1) teachers’ ratings of externalizing problems and children’s (N = 642; 43% girls) self-ratings of their interest in reading, collected between Grades 1 and 4, and (2) measures of reading fluency and comprehension, and children’s self-reports of educational aspirations, collected at Grade 6. First, latent growth modeling showed that a higher level of externalizing problems in Grade 1 was associated with a lowe…

Literacy instruction in first grade: classroom‐level associations between reading skills and literacy instruction activities

Background Adapting instruction to individual students' needs is known to be effective, but there is a lack of evidence whether students' reading skills are associated with literacy instruction activities at classroom-level. Both the content of the literacy instruction and teachers' instructional support through instructional management are considered. Methods The data were collected in the context of Finland where first graders' reading skills show great variation at school entry but rapid progress. Students (n = 616) were individually tested on their reading skills, and literacy lessons in 35 classrooms were video recorded in the autumn of first grade. Multilevel path analyses were conduc…

Scaffolding through dialogic teaching in early school classrooms

The present study examines what types of dialogic teaching patterns can be identified in the early school years, and how teachers scaffold children's participation and shared understanding through dialogic teaching. Thirty recorded lessons from preschool to Grade 2 in Finnish classrooms were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Two teacher-initiated and two child-initiated dialogic teaching patterns were identified. Teacher's scaffolding in teacher-initiated dialogues was characterised by high responsibility in maintaining the interactional flow and utilisation of diverse strategies. In the child-initiated dialogues, the teachers' scaffolding consisted of listening and inquiry, and …

Tarkkaavaisuus- ja lukusujuvuusongelmien päällekkäistyminen toisella luokalla ja yhteys myöhempään lukusujuvuuden sekä luetun ymmärtämisen kehittymiseen

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, ennustavatko tarkkaavaisuus- tai lukusujuvuusongelmat tai niiden päällekkäistyminen toisella luokalla lukusujuvuuden tai luetun ymmärtämisen kehitystä kolmannella ja neljännellä luokalla. Tutkimus on osa Alkuportaat-seurantatutkimusta ja pohjautuu Emmi Ulvisen pro gradu -tutkielmaan (2012). Aineisto (n = 465) kerättiin vuosina 2009, 2010 ja 2011, jolloin lapset olivat toisella, kolmannella ja neljännellä luokalla. Tutkimusmenetelminä käytettiin yksilö- ja ryhmätehtäviä lapsille sekä opettajakyselyä. Tutkittavat jaettiin seuraaviin alaryhmiin toisen luokan keväällä arvioitujen tarkkaavaisuus- ja lukusujuvuusongelmien perusteella: 1) ikätasoinen lukusuju…

Profiles of school motivation and emotional well-being among adolescents : Associations with math and reading performance

This study examines profiles of school motivation and emotional well-being and their links to academic skills (reading and math) among adolescents (N = 1629) at the end of comprehensive school (age 15–16). Using a person-centered approach (latent profile analysis), five distinct profile groups were identified. Three of the identified groups had a flat profile in motivation and well-being but at different levels. The first group manifested high motivation and well-being (n = 178, 11%); the second group was average in both (n = 1107, 68%); and the third had low motivation and well-being (n = 121, 7%). Two groups had mixed profiles; one group manifested only low motivation (n = 140, 9%) and th…

Developmental profiles of task-avoidant behaviour and reading skills in Grades 1 and 2

Abstract A latent profile analysis approach was used to examine the developmental profiles of task-avoidant behaviour and reading skills in Grades 1 and 2, as well as their antecedents in kindergarten. The participants in this study were 448 children. Four different developmental profiles of task-avoidant behaviour and reading skills were identified. Our results showed that task-avoidant behaviour and reading problems do not coincide for all children. Parents' educational level differentiated between the profile groups. Comparisons of kindergarten skills between the groups showed that social competence skills in kindergarten helped to differentiate between the profile groups with varying le…

Changes in achievement values from primary to lower secondary school among students with and without externalizing problems

This study examined the effect of students' externalizing problems on changes in values that they attach to math across the transition from primary to lower secondary school. Data pertaining to externalizing problems and to intrinsic, attainment, and utility values in math were gathered using the self-ratings of students in Grades 6 and 7. The analysis involved a comparison between students who reported persistent high externalizing problems before and after the transition (n = 63; 59% boys) and those who had low or non-existent externalizing problems before and after the transition (n = 1352; 50% boys). The results of a mixed-design analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed uniformly that stu…

The relationship between classroom quality and students' engagement in secondary school

Student engagement has been identified as an influential mediator between classroom interactional quality and adolescent learning outcomes. This study examined the relationship between classroom quality and student behavioural engagement in secondary school classrooms. Three dimensions of classroom quality (emotional, organisational and instructional support) and the dimension of student engagement were observed in nine classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Self-ratings of behavioural engagement were provided by 181 Finnish secondary school students along with their teachers’ ratings of classroom-level student engagement. The results showed, first, that there was variati…

Child-centered versus teacher-directed teaching practices: Associations with the development of academic skills in the first grade at school

This study examined the extent to which child-centered versus teacher-directed teaching practices predicted the development of children's reading and math skills in the first year of elementary school. In addition, we investigated whether associations between teaching practices and children's academic skills development in Grade 1 differed among children who had low, average, or high initial academic skills at the beginning of school. The reading and math skills of 1,132 Finnish children from 93 classrooms were assessed at the beginning and end of Grade 1, and the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM) was used to observe teaching practices in 29 classrooms. The results of mu…

Children’s beliefs concerning school transition

This study examines preschoolers’ beliefs concerning their transfer into primary education. Data from 1386 Finnish preschoolers were obtained using interviews with parents at the end of the children’s preschool year. The qualitative content analysis revealed categories, which encompassed peer relationships, relationship with teacher, learning, formal schoolwork, informal activities, comfortable school entry and no concerns. The results indicated that children’s beliefs concerning their prospective school entry centred on maintaining and making friendships, and that children possessed both negative and positive expectations about their relationship with their future teacher. Both girls and b…

Classroom interaction and literacy activities in kindergarten : Longitudinal links to grade 1 readers at risk and not at risk of reading difficulties

The purpose of the present study is to establish how the quality of kindergarten classroom interactions and the frequency of literacy activities affect reading development among Grade 1 children—both those who are at risk and not at risk of developing reading difficulties. Interaction was assessed in terms of classroom organization, and the level of emotional and instructional support offered in 49 kindergarten classrooms in Finland using the CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System). Kindergarten teachers also recorded the frequency of literacy activities in their classrooms. The phonological awareness and letter knowledge of 515 children (i.e., their pre-reading skills) were assessed at…

Associations between private speech, behavioral self-regulation, and cognitive abilities

We examined the associations between 5-year-old children’s private speech, behavioural self-regulation, and cognitive abilities. Behavioural self-regulation was assessed using parental and preschool teacher questionnaires. Cognitive abilities (i.e., language, inhibition, planning and fluency, and memory) were assessed with neurocognitive tests, and the effectiveness of private speech (i.e., whether the child performs better when using speech than when not using speech) with the Hammer Task. About 43% of the children used private speech spontaneously, and about 76% performed better on the Hammer Task when they used speech. Associations between behavioural self-regulation and speech effectiv…

Assessment of Three-and-a-Half-Year-Old Children's Emerging Phonological Awareness in a Computer Animation Context

Four computer-animated tasks were created to analyze the underlying structure of emerging phonological awareness at 3.5 years of age and to explore the factors that influence children's ( N = 91) performance on the tasks. Our findings indicated that already at this young age, children are able to master tasks demanding identification, blending, and continuation of phonological units when the tasks are presented in a motivating assessment context. In line with earlier research, children showed higher mastery in dealing with words and syllables than in dealing with phonemes. Targets in the initial position of a word were easier for children to identify than those in the final position. Our an…

Teacher-perceived supportive classroom climate protects against detrimental impact of reading disability risk on peer rejection

Abstract This study examined the role of a supportive classroom climate, class size, and length of teaching experience as protective factors against children's peer rejection. A total of 376 children were assessed in kindergarten for risk for reading disabilities (RD) and rated by their teachers on socially withdrawn and disruptive behaviors. The grade 1 measures included sociometric peer assessment and teachers' self-ratings of their supportiveness in the classroom, together with information on class size and teaching experience. The results showed, first, that the studied social and learning risk factors positively predicted peer rejection in grade 1. Moreover, teacher-reported supportive…

Patterns of word reading skill, interest and self-concept of ability

AbstractThe majority of previous research on academic skills, self-concept of ability and interest has deployed the variable-oriented approach and focused on self-concept, or ability, or interest only. This study examined the patterns and dynamics of pattern change in Finnish children’s word reading skill, self-concept of ability and interest from kindergarten to Grade 2. Six groups of children were identified by using the I-states as objects analysis (ISOA) procedure: (a) low skills, negative self-concept but high interest; (b) high skills but low interest; (c) average; (d) high skills, positive self-concept and high interest; (e) low skills, negative self-concept and low interest; and (f)…

A Validation of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System in Finnish Kindergartens

Research Findings: This study examined the validity and reliability of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; R. C. Pianta, K. M. La Paro, & B. K. Hamre, 2008) in Finnish kindergartens. A pair of trained observers used the CLASS to observe 49 kindergarten teachers (47 female, 2 male) on two different days. Questionnaires measuring teachers' efficacy beliefs, exhaustion at work, and classroom interactional style (i.e., affection, behavioral control, and psychological control) were completed by the teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that when the item measuring Negative Climate was excluded, the 3-factor solution assuming three positively correlated latent factors (i.e.…

Teacher-child interactions as a context for developing social competence in toddler classrooms

The present study investigates the quality and variability of teacher-child interactions in relation to children’s social competence in Finnish toddler classrooms. The participants included 242 toddlers (114 girls, 128 boys) and their teachers (N= 42). The quality of teacher-child interactions (i.e., emotional and behavioral support; engaged support for learning) was observed using the CLASS-Toddler observation instrument (La Paro et al., 2012), and the average amount of within-day variability was calculated from the observed cycles. Teachers rated toddler’s social competence with the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS; Junttila et al., 2006) in relation to the toddler…