Abstract
We examine the relationship between children’s kindergarten attention skills and developmental patterns of classroom engagement
throughout elementary school in disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods. Kindergarten measures include teacher ratings of classroom
behavior, direct assessments of number knowledge and receptive vocabulary, and parent-reported family characteristics. From
grades 1 through 6, teachers also rated children’s classroom engagement. Semi-parametric mixture modeling generated three
distinct trajectories of classroom engagement (n = 1369, 50% boys). Higher levels of kindergarten attention were proportionately associated with greater chances of belonging
to better classroom engagement trajectories compared to the lowest classroom engagement trajectory. In fact, improvements
in kindergarten attention reliably increased the likelihood of belonging to more productive classroom engagement trajectories
throughout elementary school, above and beyond confounding child and family factors. Measuring the development of classroom
productivity is pertinent because such dispositions represent precursors to mental health, task-orientation, and persistence
in high school and workplace behavior in adulthood.
throughout elementary school in disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods. Kindergarten measures include teacher ratings of classroom
behavior, direct assessments of number knowledge and receptive vocabulary, and parent-reported family characteristics. From
grades 1 through 6, teachers also rated children’s classroom engagement. Semi-parametric mixture modeling generated three
distinct trajectories of classroom engagement (n = 1369, 50% boys). Higher levels of kindergarten attention were proportionately associated with greater chances of belonging
to better classroom engagement trajectories compared to the lowest classroom engagement trajectory. In fact, improvements
in kindergarten attention reliably increased the likelihood of belonging to more productive classroom engagement trajectories
throughout elementary school, above and beyond confounding child and family factors. Measuring the development of classroom
productivity is pertinent because such dispositions represent precursors to mental health, task-orientation, and persistence
in high school and workplace behavior in adulthood.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10802-011-9605-4
- Authors
- Linda S. Pagani, School Environment Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Caroline Fitzpatrick, School Environment Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Sophie Parent, School Environment Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Journal Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2835
- Print ISSN 0091-0627