Curtis, Reagan; Okamoto, Yukari; Weckbacher, Lisa Marie (2009). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, v24 n3 p325-336. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ858278
Reviewed: July 2022
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.
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Balance-Scale Task: Small differences in weight |
Balance-scale tasks with count information vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.57 |
0.19 |
No |
-- | |
|
Balance-Scale Task: Small differences in distance |
Balance-scale tasks with count information vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.36 |
0.19 |
No |
-- | |
|
Rote Counting |
Balance-scale tasks with count information vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
6.71 |
5.95 |
No |
-- | |
|
Balance-Scale Task: Large differences in distance |
Balance-scale tasks with count information vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.50 |
0.38 |
No |
-- | |
|
Balance-Scale Task: Large differences in weight |
Balance-scale tasks with count information vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.50 |
0.52 |
No |
-- |
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
| Other or unknown | 100% |
| Other or unknown | 100% |
| Other or unknown | 100% |
The review focuses on Study 1, which took place in a university-affiliated preschool in California.
A total of 35 students from two classrooms in one preschool were randomly assigned to the intervention and comparison conditions. The preschool served families from a wide range of socioeconomic statuses and the student sample was 57% male, 43% female, with a mean age of four years, zero months.
In Study 1 students worked individually with the researcher on a series of balance-scale tasks that required placing various numbers of weights on both arms of a scale. After practice with the scale, students worked through the outcome items: they were shown the balance-scale with weights placed on both arms and asked, “Will this side go down (pointing to left side), will this side go down (pointing to right side), or will they both stay up and balance?” The researcher provided the intervention group support in the form of "count information" consisting of pointing to and counting each weight/peg aloud and repeating the final cardinal value of the set as students completed outcome tasks with a balance scale.
Students in the comparison group completed the same balance scale outcome tasks as the intervention group but did not receive any count information.
No support was provided for implementation.
Reviewed: November 2013
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.
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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).
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