title: Executive control goes to school: Implications of preschool executive performance for observed elementary classroom learning engagement.
abstract: The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting. Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed classroom behavior. This study examined EC in preschool (age 5 years 3 months) as a predictor of classroom learning engagement behaviors in first grade, using a battery of performance-based EC tasks and live classroom observations in a longitudinal sample of 313 children. Multilevel modeling results indicated that stronger EC predicted more focused engagement and fewer task management and competing responses, controlling for socioeconomic status, child sex, and age at observations. Results suggest that early EC may support subsequent classroom engagement behaviors that are critical for successful transition to elementary school and long-term learning trajectories. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Jennifer Mize
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Tiffany D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona.
authors.forename: Caron A C
authors.initials: CAC
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kidwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Kimberly Andrews
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Espy
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male