Grant Closed

Increasing Learning By Promoting Early Abstract Thought

NCER
Program: Education Research Grants
Program topic(s): Cognition and Student Learning
Award amount: $721,039
Principal investigator: Robert Pasnak
Awardee:
George Mason University
Year: 2003
Project type:
Efficacy
Award number: R305H030031

Purpose

In this project, the researchers purposed to measure the impact of using an education intervention designed to enhance two particular forms of abstract thinking in young children's learning and achievement. The two particular abstract principles-learning to figure out which object in a group is unlike the others (the oddity principle) and knowing how to insert an appropriate object into a pre-given series of objects (seriation)-are forms of abstract thinking that are especially important in kindergarten as building blocks to greater school success. The investigators theorize that knowledge of these two principles promote abstract thinking and should enhance the acquisition of academic content knowledge.

Structured Abstract

Research design and methods

The research team is using an experimental design involving 24 kindergarten classrooms of students in an urban school system with an ethnically diverse population of children from low-income families. In each classroom, 16 of the 5-year-olds who score the lowest on the Primary Arithmetic and Language Scale (PALS) in their classrooms are randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups. Four students are assigned to the experimental group, who receive explicit small group instruction and practice for 15 minutes per day on the oddity principle and inserting objects into series. The second group receives mathematics instruction during the allotted time period. The third group receives reading instruction, and the fourth group receives instruction in the arts. The researchers are comparing the learning outcomes for the students in the four conditions using several different measures so that they can compare student learning of the abstract thinking principles and of their learning in mathematics and reading to see which forms of instruction are more effective for attaining which learning outcomes.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Elizabeth Albro

Elizabeth Albro

Commissioner of Education Research
NCER

Products and publications

ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.

Select Publications:

Journal articles

Greene, M.R., Pasnak, R., and Romero, S. (2009). A Time lag Analysis of Temporal Relations Between Motivation, Academic Achievement, and two Cognitive Abilities. Early Education and Development, 20(5): 799-825.

Hendricks, C., Trueblood, L., and Pasnak, R. (2006). Effects of Teaching Patterning to 1st-Graders. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 21(1): 79-89.

Kidd, J.K., Pasnak, R., Gadzichowski, M., Ferral-Like, M., and Gallington, D. (2008). Enhancing Early Numeracy by Promoting the Abstract Thought Involved in the Oddity Principle, Seriation, and Conservation. Journal of Advanced Academics, 19(2): 164-200.

Pasnak, R., Cooke, W.D., and Hendricks, C. (2006). Enhancing Academic Performance by Strengthening Class-Inclusion Reasoning. Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 140: 603-613.

Pasnak, R., Kidd, J., Gadzichowski, M., Ferral-Like, M., Gallington, D., and Saracina, R. (2007). Nurturing Developmental Processes. Journal of Developmental Processes, 2(1): 90-115.

Pasnak, R., Kidd, J., Gadzichowski, M., Gallington, D., Saracina, R., and Addison, K. (2009). Promoting Early Abstraction to Promote Early Literacy and Numeracy. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30(3): 239-249.

Pasnak, R., Kidd, J.K., Gadzichowski, M.K., Gallington, D.A., Saracina, R.P., and Addison, K. (2008). Can Emphasizing Cognitive Development Improve Academic Achievement?. Education Research, 50(3): 261-276.

Pasnak, R., Maccubbin, E., and Ferral-Like, M. (2007). Using Developmental Principles to Assist At-Risk Preschoolers in Developing Numeracy and Phonemic Awareness. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 105(1): 163-176.

Romero, S., Perez, K., and Pasnak, R. (2009). The Selection of Friends by Preschool Children. National Head Start Association Journal, 12(4): 293-306.

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Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

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