A study of the developing relations between self-regulation and mathematical knowledge in the context of an early math intervention [Pre-K Mathematics vs. business as usual (Creative Curriculum)]
DeFlorio, L., Klein, A., Starkey, P., Swank, P. R., Taylor, H. B., Halliday, S. E., Beliakoff, A., & Mulcahy, C. (2019). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 46, 33–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.06.008.
-
examining281Students, gradePK
Pre-K Mathematics Intervention Report - Preparing Young Children for School
Review Details
Reviewed: July 2023
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a cluster randomized controlled trial with low cluster-level attrition and individual-level non-response.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for Pre-K Mathematics.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Child Math Assessment (CMA) |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
0.63 |
0.51 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Self-regulation Bear/Dragon task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
8.71 |
7.70 |
No |
-- | |
|
Yarn Tangle |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
3.48 |
3.15 |
No |
-- | |
|
Day-Night Stroop task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
10.89 |
10.18 |
No |
-- | |
|
Self-regulation gift delay - wrap task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
15.23 |
15.38 |
No |
-- | |
|
Self-regulation gift delay - bow task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
37.65 |
38.40 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
-
42% English language learners -
Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Race Asian 6% Black 18% Other or unknown 71% White 6% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 60% Other or unknown 40% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted in 27 preschools. All study preschool sites were Head Start centers with the exception of one state-funded pre-kindergarten program.
Study sample
Participating children were 3.4 years old on average at the beginning of the study. This review focuses on the sample of children exposed to Pre-K Mathematics for 1 year. This student sample included 281 children. The majority of children (60%) were Hispanic, and the student sample was evenly balanced between boys (51%) and girls (49%). Approximately 18% of students were African American, 6% were Asian/Pacific Islander, 6% were White, and 71% were other or unknown race. Approximately 42% of the sample spoke Spanish as their first language.
Intervention Group
Pre-K Mathematics is a Tier-1 curricular intervention and consists of small-group classroom and dyadic home math activities. The mathematics content includes counting and number sense, arithmetic, space and geometry, patterns, and measurement and data. The curriculum dosage includes 48 small-group sessions plus periodic review and 13 home activities. The curriculum was implemented throughout the entire pre-kindergarten school year.
Comparison Group
Teachers in the comparison condition received no professional development and continued using business-as-usual math practices found in Creative Curriculum.
Support for implementation
Teachers implementing Pre-K Mathematics participated in 7 days of professional-development workshops and received bi-weekly in-class coaching.
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: July 2023
- Practice Guide (findings for Pre-K Mathematics)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a cluster randomized controlled trial with low cluster-level attrition and individual-level non-response.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Researcher-Developed: Child Math Assessment (CMA) |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
0.63 |
0.51 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bear/Dragon Task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
8.71 |
7.70 |
No |
-- | |
|
Yarn Tangle |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
3.48 |
3.15 |
No |
-- | |
|
Day/Night Stroop Task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
10.89 |
10.18 |
No |
-- | |
|
Gift Delay: Wrap Task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
15.23 |
15.38 |
No |
-- | |
|
Gift Delay: Bow Task |
Pre-K Mathematics vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
One-year Pre-K Mathematics vs comparison;
|
37.65 |
38.40 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
-
42% English language learners -
Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Race Asian 6% Black 18% Other or unknown 71% White 6% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 60% Other or unknown 40% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted in 27 preschools. All study preschool sites were Head Start centers with the exception of one state-funded pre-kindergarten program.
Study sample
Participating children were 3.4 years old on average at the beginning of the study. This review focuses on the sample of children exposed to Pre-K Mathematics for 1 year. This student sample included 281 children. The majority of children (60%) were Hispanic, and the student sample was evenly balanced between boys (51%) and girls (49%). Approximately 18% of students were African American, 6% were Asian/Pacific Islander, 6% were White, and 71% were other or unknown race. Approximately 42% of the sample spoke Spanish as their first language.
Intervention Group
Pre-K Mathematics is a Tier-1 curricular intervention and consists of small-group classroom and dyadic home math activities. The mathematics content includes counting and number sense, arithmetic, space and geometry, patterns, and measurement and data. The curriculum dosage includes 48 small-group sessions plus periodic review and 13 home activities. The curriculum was implemented throughout the entire pre-kindergarten school year.
Comparison Group
Teachers in the comparison condition received no professional development and continued using business-as-usual math practices found in Creative Curriculum.
Support for implementation
Teachers implementing Pre-K Mathematics participated in 7 days of professional-development workshops and received bi-weekly in-class coaching.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).