1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«[T]he purpose of this study is to examine the prospective association between early working memory and later school entry outcomes.» (p. 206)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«Our hypothesis is that better working memory skills at 35 months will predict better kindergarten classroom engagement and academic performance.» (p. 206)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Participants were 1824 children from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) with complete data on a test of working memory at 29 and 41 months.» (p. 206)

Instruments :
- Grille d’observation
- Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«In the present study, we found that in typically developing children, toddler working memory can reliably forecast persistent, focused, and goal-directed behavior in kindergarten. In addition, we found a prospective association between early childhood working memory and school entry math and reading achievement. Furthermore, our observed results remained significant after statistically controlling for the contribution of socioeconomic status and both verbal and nonverbal intellectual skills. As such, our findings suggest a link between a measure of toddler frontal lobe functioning and their subsequent ability to navigate the demands of the classroom at kindergarten entry.» (p. 210) «The present results may have certain practical implications for the implementation of early childhood interventions designed to bolster school readiness. Toddlers whose parents encourage autonomous behavior score higher on tests of executive function one year later (Bernier et al., 2010). In contrast, children with less supportive families characterized by overt conflict, aggression, neglect, and a lack of warmth, are likely to demonstrate poorer emotional and self-regulatory control later in adolescence and adulthood (Repetti, Taylor, & Seeman, 2002). As such, strategies that target early parental practices may help young children develop better cognitive control by the time they begin school.» (p. 211)