Objective: The current study assesses the factor structure and psychometric properties of the revised Taiwan Scale of Information Needs for Caregivers with Cancer Children (SINCCC-R) among caregivers of children with cancer in mainland China.

Methods: One hundred and fifty five participants were selected to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the SINCCC-R. Twenty clinical professionals including physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, counselors, social workers and experienced caregivers were recruited into a discussion group to help analyze the properties of items on the original SINCCC scale. Improper items were deleted from the SINCCC scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine the factor structure. The criterion validity of SINCCC-R was tested with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS).

Results: The SINCCC-R yielded a 5-factor model consistent with the Taiwan SINCCC. The Cronbach alpha coefficient ranged from .79 to .95 and the split-half reliability coefficient was .84. The overall measure was significantly correlated with the SAS scale r = 0.28, p＜.05.

Conclusion: The SINCCC-R has adequate psychometric properties to assess the information needs for caregivers of children with cancer in mainland China.

The Listening Sentence Span Task is a widely used measure of working memory capacity for children. However, this measure has not been analyzed from an IRT framework nor has it been adapted to non-English languages. Study 1 of this paper examined the Classical Test Theory summed-score statistics, construct equivalence via a structural equation modeling framework, item parameter estimation utilizing Item Response Theory, and concurrent validity of a newly adapted Spanish-version of the Listening Sentence Span Task (LSST-S) for 491 English language learners (ELLs) in grades 1-3. Results of the analysis demonstrated that the majority of items on the measure displayed low item-total correlations and low internal consistency reliability. In addition, a very low coefficient á was obtained for the overall measure. A confirmatory item factor analysis demonstrated that the LSST-S measured a distinct latent construct when compared to its English predecessor, implying that construct non-equivalence was present between the two measures. Lastly, the LSST-S exhibited poor concurrent validity with measures of reading comprehension, fluid intelligence, and arithmetic computation. Study 2 examined differential item functioning of the Listening Sentence Span Task English-version in a mixed language-status sample, which was comprised of ELL (n=491) and non-ELL (n=315) children. This analysis demonstrated that uniform and non-uniform DIF was present. Recommendations for improving the LSST-S and LSST-E for use with ELLs are provided.

Approximately 60% of classroom students have insufficient math skills. Within a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, teachers can implement core differentiation strategies targeted at improving math skills of an entire class of students. Differentiation programs are developed in order to target academic skills of groups of students with varying levels of math proficiency. Considering the diverse levels of math proficiency in typical elementary classrooms, core enrichment programs can be highly effective in improving math skills of these students. However, it is important that teachers implement core differentiation programs that are evidence-based. Past research has supported the use of the PALS-Math differentiation program to improve math skills. The current analysis evaluated the effectiveness of the PALS-Math program using a modified pairing procedure. However, the current analysis found that implementing the PALS-Math differentiation program was not effective at improving the overall math skills of students when compared to the control group. Implications and limitations of the current study will be discussed.

Research on reading from digital devices has generally shown a decline in comprehension performance when reading from a digital screen as opposed to reading from paper, under certain conditions—namely, when texts are both longer and when comprehension is measured as deeper-level understanding of text, relying on higher order reading skills rather than merely measuring recall. The present study attempted to replicate previous findings, and to investigate whether comprehension declines are mediated by increased mind wandering when reading from a digital medium compared to when reading from paper. A sample of 169 high school students was given a text to read, either on paper or on a digital tablet. Following the reading, subjects were given two reading tests: one an inference-based comprehension test, the other a recall test. Mind wandering was measured by using a mind wandering probe adapted from Hollis and Was (2016). I did not replicate previous findings: I found no significant relationship between reading condition and inference-based comprehension. Further, no relationship was found between reading condition and mind wandering (i.e., there was not more mind wandering in the digital condition, as I had hypothesized). However, mind wandering was significantly related to inference-based comprehension, and a novel approach to capturing mind wandering in a group setting was successfully implemented. I discuss implications of these findings and possible directions for future research.

Traditional approaches to intelligence and cognitive assessment have been criticized because they assess an individual’s prior knowledge rather than their aptitude to learn. Dynamic assessment has been proposed to address this limitation by integrating forms of learning into the assessment process. Dynamic assessment has been applied to many different arenas including intelligence, speech and language, and areas of achievement, and has generally been found to predict additional variance in the criterion measure beyond that which is predicted by the static measures. However, the variables that potentially moderate this additional variance have not been clearly explored. The purpose of this study is to evaluate at least three moderating variables (age, modality, type of dynamic measure) that may interact with the contribution of dynamic assessment of working memory performance in the predictions of reading and math performance. Three research questions are proposed which ask (1) does dynamic assessment of working memory contribute unique variance in predictions of reading and math performance above that of the static assessment, (2) does age moderate the effectiveness of dynamic assessment of a domain general construct of working memory in predictions of achievement measures, and (3) does performance on visual and verbal measures of working memory interact with age when predicting reading and math performance. Results of the study find support that dynamic assessment contributes unique variance in predictions of reading and math achievement. However, these results were qualified since age x dynamic interactions emerged when analyzing working memory as both a domain general and domain specific construct. The majority of these interactions were limited to predictions of math achievement. Implications of these findings and limitations of the study are discussed.

English learners (EL) are one the largest population groups within the public schools in United States. Their academic achievement is lower than their monolingual peers in several areas. Working memory (WM), a cognitive process, has been identified as one of the predictors of poor academic achievement in both monolingual English speaking and EL children. Children at risk for learning problems have poor WM capacity. In addition, teachers have been acknowledged as one of the primary sources for identifying children at risk for learning problems. This study investigated the relationship between teachers’ ratings of ELs’ WM and students’ actual WM performance. Because WM is composed of several components, a determination was made as to whether teacher ratings are related to isolated components of WM or whether ratings are predictive of all components. Because teacher ratings are context specific (student make-up of classroom), multilevel modeling was used to identify whether teacher ratings accurately predict EL children’s performance on WM tasks. Additionally, covariates related to student characteristics and achievement were entered in the model to determine whether unique variance related to teacher ratings was sustained in predictions of WM performance. The results suggest that teacher ratings do predict both general WM and isolated components of WM in both English and Spanish. However, this relationship was not sustained when covariates related to student achievement were entered into the multilevel regression model. The results suggest that teacher ratings of low WM were more related to vocabulary and academic achievement than WM limitations.

Research has identified a group of students who do not begin to exhibit reading difficulties until fourth or fifth grade, suggesting late-emerging reading difficulties. Considering that these students do not show signs of reading difficulties in early grades, attempting to identify these students early becomes problematic. Additionally, little is known regarding the characteristics of late-emerging reading deficits within English language learner (ELL) populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the reading profiles of elementary-aged students identified as ELL who exhibit late-emerging reading difficulties. Data from three cohorts of Spanish-speaking ELL students (N=446) who were assessed on word level and comprehension reading skills in first through fifth grades were analyzed. The identification of late-emerging reading difficulties and the examination of reading profiles were examined using latent transition analysis in order to examine changes in profiles over time. Results suggested that ELL students exhibiting late-emerging reading difficulties displayed heterogeneous skill deficits (word level and comprehension deficits), displayed deficit patterns in word reading skills when measured with real words and adequate skill performance when measured with nonsense words, and had a higher probability of developing reading difficulties during the transition between second to third grade. Additional findings related to previous research in the area of late emerging reading difficulties with non-ELL students is discussed as well as implications for future research.

This study examined the inhibition deficit hypothesis in children with math disabilities (MD). Children with and without MD were compared on two inhibition tasks that included the random generation of numbers and letters. The results addressed three hypotheses. Weak support was found for the first hypothesis which stated difficulties related to inhibition are significantly related to math performance. I found partial support for this hypothesis in that inhibition was related to math problem solving, but not calculation. Further, only global measures of inhibition predicted math problem solving accuracy. Support was found for the second hypothesis which stated that performance for children with MD varies significantly from children without MD students on inhibition tasks. Deficits for children with MD were isolated to global performance on the random generation tasks. No support was found for the third hypothesis that inhibition deficits were isolated to number tasks among subgroups with math disabilities. The expected outcome for this study was that children identified with MD will exhibit greater inhibition difficulties than the non-MD group. This was obtained, however, it was specific to one inhibition measure, random letter generation, and solely to the math subgroup that showed more pervasive math deficits.

Numerous studies have established the relationships between working memory (WM), rapid automatized naming speed, reading comprehension, calculation, and word problem solving (WPS). However, there is limited research on the differential effects of the WM components (central executive, phonological loop, visual-spatial sketchpad) on WPS, and how speed, reading, calculation, and knowledge of word problem components mediate that relationship. The sample consisted of 413 between ages 6-10 (M = 8.38, SD = .51). The results yielded three important findings: 1) without any mediators, the phonological loop was the best predictor of WPS; 2) when other variables were entered into the model, reading and calculation were the strongest direct predictors of WPS; 3) results of the mediation model showed that speed mediated the relationship between the central executive component of WM and WPS, while reading mediated the relationship between the central executive and phonological loop and WPS. The educational implications of these findings are discussed.

The importance of mathematics at an early age stems from the finding that early competence is likely to lead to future mathematics achievement (Duncan, Dowsett, Claessens, Magnuson, Huston, Klebanov, Pagani, Feinstein, Engel, Brooks-Gunn, Sexton, Duckworth, & Japel, 2007). Moreover, individuals that do well in mathematics are likely to have increased overall income earnings (Paglin & Rufolo, 1990; Rivera-Batiz, 1992), while individuals that do not perform as well in mathematics are essentially limiting their potential for career options and labor market earnings (e.g., Paglin & Rufolo, 1990). Studies attempting to better understand the processes related to mathematic underachievement have proposed different ability groups to explain deficits in mathematics. The purpose of this study is to determine whether discrete latent classes can be observed in children within the continuum of mathematic achievement ability. The findings provided partial evidence for the hypothesized ability subgroups along the math achievement ability distribution. The ability groups observed were further tested for external validity. Evidence for the external validity of measures suggests that the domain specific indicators played a critical role in distinguishing between ability groups. The findings gathered from this research support the notion of mathematics learning ability subgroups and further improves the identification of children at risk for math difficulties.