Pre-K Gifted Research Model A Classroom Research Model Based on Best Practices Developed for Experienced Preschool Teachers by Andrea Wilson, BA, MS Jon Wilson, BS, DDS Table of Contents Foreword Significance of the Project Theoretical and Empirical Rationale for the Study Asynchronous Development Social Cognitive Theory of Self-regulation The Link between Emotions and Cognition Early Intervention: Curriculum and Environment Hypothesis and Research Question Hypothesis and Outcome Map Research Question Explanation of the Practical Importance of the Variables Mediators and Moderators Methodological Requirements Research Design (vs. normal classroom design) Sample Data Sources Data Analysis http://www.ctgiftedprek.org original authorship © 2012 Wilson - 1 - Foreword: In 2010 we were approached by a colleague who asked, “What do you do for a two year old who can identify all the letters of the alphabet placed on the refrigerator in random order?” With input from experts in the field of giftedness, we developed the Pre-K Gifted Program Standards which were published by ERIC. Since then, we have received web inquiries from as far from our home in Connecticut as Australia, Argentina, and Venezuela. In 2012 we could see the need to expand the “Social and Emotional Considerations” section of the Pre-K Gifted Program Standards. To accomplish this we are asking for the help of all experienced preschool teachers, anywhere in the world. We have created a Single Case Design research model that can be individually implemented by an experienced preschool teacher with or without the supervision of a University research PI (Principle Investigator). The model has been vetted by experts in the field of gifted research and follows “best practices” which means that the intervention is not given and then withheld to meet statistical cause and effect (causal) standards. Q: Can preschool teachers study and collect research data on the gifted children in their classrooms? A: We hope so as Government funding for gifted children ages three to five is scarce. The following is a classroom research model that can be implemented by an experienced preschool teacher. [Disclaimer: make sure you have your school administrator’s approval, and the child’s parents’ consent, before utilizing this research model.] *** PROJECT TITLE: THE EFFECT OF CURRICULUM ON THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SKILLS OF GIFTED PRESCHOOL CHILDREN a. Significance of the project The purpose of this study is to determine if a gifted preschool child will be less likely to experience severe emotional disturbance if he, or she, has been exposed to a curriculum that is appropriate for his, or her, mental age and an environment with true peers that is appropriate for his, or her, chronological age. - 2 - Gifted students are inherently at risk and more likely than average to suffer emotional disturbance than normal children. According to The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children, (2002) characteristics associated with giftedness are:  frustration, irritability, anxiety, tedium, and social isolation  intense social isolation and stress among those with IQ greater than 160  difficulty making friends due to advanced concept of friendship, mostly among those less than age 10  de-motivation, low self-esteem, and social rejection among the exceptionally gifted.  emotional awareness beyond their ability to control  difficulty with peer relations proportional to their IQ  loneliness, anxieties, phobias, interpersonal problems, fear of failure, and perfectionism  underachievement for social acceptance  lack of resilience reinforced by easy work and well-intentioned but misguided praise  increasing perfectionism throughout school years among girls  fear of failure and risk avoidance due to perfectionism  depression among creatively gifted Silverman, in her 1987 text on gifted children, stated ―The specific problems that may result from giftedness can be external or internal: difficulty with social relationships, refusal to do routine, repetitive assignments, inappropriate criticism of others, lack of awareness of impact on others, lack of sufficient challenge in schoolwork, depression (often manifested as boredom), high levels of anxiety, difficulty accepting criticism, hiding talents to fit in with peers, nonconformity and resistance to authority, excessive competitiveness, isolation from peers, low frustration tolerance, poor study habits, and difficulty in selecting among a diversity of interests.‖ (Silverman, 1987) Since most disabilities do not prevent giftedness, it is logical to expect that there would be the same percentage of gifted and talented children with disabilities as exist in the general population (Silverman, 1989). The Massachusetts Medicaid, MassHealth, estimates that within their program, 5 to 8 percent of all children are diagnosed with serious emotional disturbanceSED) annually. The U.S. Census (2009) estimates there are 21,299,656 children in the United States under age five. Of this, approximately 8,519,862 are preschool age. If the Massachusetts figures can be applied nationally with some degree of accuracy then between 425,993 and 681,589 preschool children will be diagnosed with SED, and of this number, 21,300 to 34,079 will be gifted. Unfortunately, the population of gifted children with SED increases dramatically during the school years. By the time these gifted preschool children reach age eighteen, between 18% and 25% of them will have dropped out of high school because they are depressed and/or withdrawn as a result of their needs and feelings not being addressed (Betts and Neihart, 1988; Solorzano, 1983; Robertson, 1991). If a reduction in the at risk diagnosis for SED can be causally linked to curriculum, then an appropriate early preschool intervention could be developed for these children, which could be carried forward and linked to compacting and acceleration through kindergarten and elementary school until the gifted children can connect with enrichment programs in middle school and high school. Currently, there exist no curricular standards for meeting the needs of gifted preschoolers. In fact, there are few, if any, gifted programs for preschool aged children. The unfortunate result is that gifted preschool children are not being identified and in educational - 3 - settings, they learn to hide their advanced general or specific skills to fit in with their peers. The current public education system does not give gifted and talented children, who may be at risk for Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED), an appropriate education. Theoretical and Empirical Rationale for the Study Asynchronous Development: Asynchronous development is a hallmark characteristic of gifted students, leaving many feeling socially vulnerable and at risk of social alienation (Columbus Group, 1991; Silverman, 1987). An asynchrony between mental and physical development has been researched and incorporated as part of the theoretical learning frameworks established by Hollingworth, Dabrowski, and Vygotsky, among others (Neihart, Reis, Robinson, & Moon, 2001; Silverman, 1987). Having ―the mental maturity of a 14 year-old and the physical maturity of an 8-year-old poses a unique set of challenges analogous to those that face the child with a 14-year-old body and an 8-year-old mind‖ (Silverman, 1987). Mental development can be measured by a construct called mental age, developed by Alfred Binet (Binet & Simon, 1908). Mental age examines the degree to which children‘s mental age differs from that which is the norm of students at the child‘s same chronological age. Mental age predicts ―the amount of knowledge he or she has mastered, the rate at which the child learns, sophistication of play, age of true peers, maturity of the child's sense of humor, ethical judgment, and awareness of the world‖ (Silverman, 1995, 1997). When discussing asynchronous development in children, we must contrast the child‘s mental age with his or her chronological age, which predicts such characteristics as height, coordination, and social skills (Silverman, 1995, 1997). Asynchrony is not static; in gifted students it is dynamic and constantly changing. The ratio between mental age and chronological age indicates varying degrees of asynchronous development that increase with age (Gross, 1993). Silverman (1997) provides us with the following example: ―At the age of 6, a moderately gifted child with an IQ of 135 has a 6-year- old body and an 8-year old mind; at 9, the same child has a 9-year-old body and a 12 year-old mind, and at age 12, the child will be mentally 16. By comparison, an extraordinarily gifted 6- year- old, with an IQ of 170, has a 10-year-old mind, at 9 the child has a 15-year-old mind, and at 12 the child will have a 20-year-old mind. So, asynchrony cannot be thought of as static; it is dynamic, constantly changing.‖ - 4 - Figure 1. Students who are exceptionally gifted demonstrate greater exponential growth in mental age as they progress chronologically than do students who are moderately gifted Figure 2. The mental grade level compared to chronological grade level. The Miraca Gross (1993) data illustrates that a child with an IQ of 135 will function at a mental age 33% higher than their chronological age at ages: six, nine, and twelve. The child with the 170 IQ functions at a mental age 67% higher than their chronological age at ages: six, nine, and twelve. Preschoolers ages three to five are quite different from children ages six to twelve, but, it is not unreasonable to anticipate that a gifted four year old with an IQ of 170 may cognitively function somewhere between the first and second grade, while emotionally still operate at a preschool level. In terms of development, chronological age may be the least relevant piece of information to consider. Kate, with an IQ score of 170, may be six, but she has a ‗mental age‘ of ten and a half. Unfortunately, Kate is an amalgam of many developmental ages. She may be six while riding a - 5 - bike, thirteen while playing the piano or chess, nine while debating rules, eight while choosing hobbies and books, five (or three) when asked to sit still. Cognitive complexity and emotional intensity lead to awareness for which the child may not be emotionally ready. Gifted children see the complexities of the world but feel powerless to contend with their advanced awareness (Roeper, 1995; Silverman, 1997). Social Cognitive Theory of Self-regulation: Children and adolescents develop self-regulatory behaviors in a variety of ways; however, when these behaviors are learned from socializing agents in an adaptive, generative, and creative manner, these behaviors are better internalized by students (Bandura, 1986; Como, 1989; Fuson, 1979; Kopp, 1982; Mithaug, 1993; Paris & Newman, 1990; Vygotsky, 1978; Wertsch, 1979). One such manner is through the development of self-efficacy, a student‘s belief about his or her capability to learn and perform behaviors (Bandura, 1986, 1997). Believing that one is making progress toward a goal, as well as the knowledge that one will obtain personal satisfaction after that goal is attained, encourages students‘ self-efficacy and in turn helps sustain their motivation and self-regulation (Schunk, 1996). If a student has a high level of self-efficacy, or belief in their own abilities, then negative evaluations or not attaining specific goals will not result in decreased motivation. Because of their high level of self-efficacy, these students understand that they do not lack the ability to succeed, but rather they understand that they need to increase their effort or find alternate strategies in order to reach their goals (Schunk, 1994; Schunk & Zimmerman, 1997). When compared to students with lower levels of self-efficacy, these students ―work harder, persist longer when they encounter difficulties, and achieve at a higher level‖ (Schunk and Zimmerman, 1997). Effective self-regulation depends upon the student's feeling of self-efficacy for using skills to achieve mastery (Bandura, 1986, 1997; Bouffard-Bouchard, Parent, & Larivee, 1991; Schunk, 1996; Zimmerman, 1989). The Link Between Emotions and Cognition: ―Vygotsky saw emotional and cognitive development as interrelated, with children's ability to respond emotionally to abstractions intimately linked with the gradual course of cognitive development spanning the childhood years.‖ (Roeper, 1995). Cognitive Development Ability to respond emotionally to ideas ―Emotions cannot be treated separately from intellectual awareness or physical (development). All three intertwine and influence each other. A gifted 5-year-old does not function or think like an average 10-year-old. He does not feel like an average 10-year-old, nor does he feel like an average 4 or 5-year old. Gifted children's thoughts and emotions differ from those of other children, and as a result, they perceive and react to their world differently (Roeper, 1995)‖ (Silverman, 1997). - 6 - Early Intervention: Curriculum and Environment: Hollingworth (1930, 1940) advocated for a child-centered philosophy toward gifted education. This philosophy sought solutions to the social and emotional problems faced by gifted students and the design of programs based on this philosophy included fast-paced instruction, telescoping or compacting curriculum, providing a challenging academic curriculum, bibliotherapy, independent study, classroom based discussions, interdisciplinary studies, and social justice. All of the aspects of Hollingworth's vision encompass what is now considered to be an ideal gifted education program. A child (or student) centered gifted curriculum should empower the student to reach his or her full potential (Schunk & Swartz, 1993). This is accomplished by recognizing that gifted students have needs, as learners, which are different from their chronological age mates, and these needs are not met in environment where gifted students are unchallenged or uninterested. Gifted students in these environments either conform to the expected norms, and never attempt to excel; withdraw from social activities; or become disruptive and exhibit signs of underachievement (Diezmann, 1995). Hodge (2006) warns that ―without modification, the regular curriculum is unlikely to meet the gifted child's needs (Robinson, 2003), and, if unchallenged, that child may escape into imagination or reading (Freeman, 1979), behave disruptively (Diezmann & Watters, 1995), or simply conform to low expectations. In any of these scenarios, the negative attitudes to school described by Porath (1996) and Assouline (1997) may ensue." Hypothesis and Research Question Hypothesis: A gifted preschool child will be less likely to experience severe emotional disturbance if exposed to a curriculum that is appropriate for their mental age and an environment with true peers that is appropriate for their chronological age. The hypothesis incorporates the malleable factors of: curriculum, more complex classroom discussions of feelings, learning materials appropriate for a gifted child‘s mental age, adult modeling (teacher/parent - this assumes that parental involvement can be influenced by the educational system), small group size, and true peers. Some important mediators and moderators are: boredom, cognitive engagement, small peer group, feeling isolated, feeling different, and adult modeling. Outcome map below: - 7 - The outcome map for the hypothesis is as follows: Strategy: Curriculum Small Preschool with Gifted Peers Short Term Cognitive Growth at Outcomes: Mental Age More Complex Discussions of Emotions and Feelings Eliminate Boredom Learning Materiels – fine motor Increased Cognitive materiels appropriate for mental Self-Efficacy age - play and gross motor materiels appropriate for chronological age Environment Adult Modeling (i.e. teacher/parent) Reduced Sense of Being Different Reduced Sense of Isolation Increased Social Skills Decreased Behavioral Problems Long-Term Outcome: Reduced ―at risk‖ Prognosis for SED Research Question: Will curriculum influence behavior in gifted preschool children? - 8 - Explanation of the Practical Importance of the Variables The independent variable addressed in this research model is curriculum - the dependent variable is the ―at risk‖ prognosis for SED. The malleable factors are: 1) curriculum, 2) more complex classroom discussions of feelings, 3) learning materials appropriate for gifted the child‘s mental age, 4) nurturing environment appropriate for the child‘s chronological age, 5) gross motor activities appropriate for the child‘s chronological age and safety, 6) small peer group, 7) play, 8) parent education regarding involvement in their child‘s education, and 9) teacher/adult modeling. 1) Curriculum: a child-centered curriculum appropriate for the gifted child‘s mental age is possibly one of the most important factors in dealing with the asynchronous development of a gifted preschool child, but it cannot be separated from a social/emotional environment appropriate for the child‘s chronological age. For example, placing a three year old in a first grade class would not be appropriate for the social/emotional development of the child. 2) More complex classroom discussions of feelings: gifted children experience feelings at a deeper level, and view things with more complexity than most children. They see things that other children do not and may feel helpless, frustrated, and afraid. In a small group setting of gifted children, a preschool teacher can address the child‘s concerns at a depth that would not be appropriate for a larger group. One technique is teacher directed puppet play ―puppets with problems‖ where children are encouraged to express feelings, develop a vocabulary for feelings, and create solutions for problems. 3) Learning materials appropriate for the gifted child‘s mental age: when using a cognitive curriculum appropriate for the child‘s mental age, we must also have the fine motor materials appropriate for the lesson. This will require some teacher skill (and a wealth of materials) as fine motor development may lag behind cognitive development. If this is the case, the teacher may help the child with strategies and techniques to use the materials, but if frustration develops, the materials must be adjusted to a level that is closer to the child‘s chronological age but still cognitively challenging. 4) A nurturing environment appropriate for the child‘s chronological age is essential. The teacher must be someone who listens to children in a warm, personal, and open-ended way. The teacher must give each child their attention and respect. A consistent daily schedule, helps build a trusting relationship between teacher and child; however, a skilled teacher can also allow for flexibility and spontaneity that creates teachable moments. The physical environment must not only provide stimulating centers, but also provide a cozy spot to curl up and read a book, explore literacy boxes, and so on. 5) Gross motor activities appropriate for the child‘s chronological age and safety: a designated space with equipment that compliments the child‘s size and skills must be provided. An outdoor Playscape encourages children to climb, slide, crawl, etc. Physical activities such as running, jumping, throwing, kicking a ball, or pedaling a tricycle develop the child‘s large muscles. Outdoor games give children an opportunity to create and negotiate rules, work out problems, and socially interact. Creative movement gives the child an opportunity to further develop gross motor skills to music, with or without props such as scarves, streamers, hoops, or nets. 6) Small peer group: a small group of true peers will allow gifted children to know they are not alone. These small groups also allow for curriculum and play that is more stimulating. They may - 9 - see another child who does not have the words to express a complex idea, or the ability to write what s/he is thinking, and develop empathy and concern. Unconsciously they will model behavior for each other. 7) Play: curriculum and social/emotional development cannot be separated from ―play.‖ During play, children learn to make up rules, to take turns, negotiate with others, solve problems, and develop vocabulary. ―Dramatic play‖ helps children act out social situations such as an upcoming Doctor‘s appointment, the death of a pet, and so on. 8) Parental involvement: while not under the direct control of the educational system, educators can provide parents with materials stressing the importance of their involvement in their child‘s education. 9) Teacher/adult modeling: parents, teachers, and caregivers are the most important adults in a child‘s life. What these adults model is what children will emulate. Teachers can model attitudes, interest, listening, problem solving, care, concern, and professionalism. And, while not under the control of the educational system, parents can be given suggestions such as reading to their child, talking to their child, the importance of becoming involved in their child‘s education, having at least one sit down meal a day as a family, number of hours of sleep necessary, limiting the number of hours in front of a monitor, and so on. Mediators and Moderators are variables that help explain a causal relationship. Mediators are links explaining the ―how‖ and ―why‖ of a cause and effect, and moderators are qualitative and quantitative, magnifying or reducing the effect. Moderators help explain ―when‖ or ―for whom‖ the impact of the independent variable is the strongest or the weakest. Mediator Model Mediators a b Curriculum at Mental Age Cognitive Growth at Mental Age c The ―how‖ and ―why‖ mediators in the first causal relationship of our hypothesis in the model above are: 1) Teachers: when explaining concepts 2) Learning Materials: when tactile manipulation helps explain the subject 3) Play: when dramatizing the subject for a deeper understanding 4) Parents: when involved and talking with their child about the subject (assuming parents can be influenced by parent-teacher communications) - 10 -