About this paper symposium

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Panel information
Panel 4. Cognitive Processes

Paper #1
Keeping It Together: Children’s Daily Increases in Activity Proxy Self-Control at School, Predict Educational Attainment
Author information	Role
Andrew E. Koepp, University of Pennsylvania, United States	Presenting author
Elizabeth T. Gershoff, University of Texas at Austin, United States	Non-presenting author
Deborah L. Vandell, University of California, Irvine, United States	Non-presenting author
Angela L. Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania, United States	Non-presenting author
Allyson P. Mackey, University of Pennsylvania, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Children who can apply self-control to inhibit impulsive behavior do better in school (Robson et al., 2020) and complete more education as adults (Koepp et al., 2023; Moffitt et al., 2011). However, existing measures are largely static and fail to capture the dynamic nature of self-control. The field knows little about how children’s self-control might vary across the day, how individuals may differ, and whether such variability matters for educational success. We propose that short-term changes in children’s self-control can be observed via changes in their physical activity across the school day because schools generally require children to refrain from vigorous movement except during specific periods. We build on work using the intensity of children’s gross motor activity as a proxy for behavioral control at school (Koepp & Gershoff, 2024). Method We used high-volume data collected from waist-worn accelerometers in a longitudinal cohort of children followed from birth to age 26 (the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development). We used actigraphy data from children’s third grade wave to characterize changes in children’s activity across the school day and individual differences in these changes (N = 747 children; 49% female; 81% Non-Hispanic White). Teachers reported on children’s hyperactive and impulsive behaviors concurrently and classroom observers rated disruptive behavior. Children’s academic achievement was measured at third grade and age 15 using subscales of the Woodcock-Johnson scales of achievement (Schrank, 2011). Participants reported their highest degree earned at age 26. Across five waves in early childhood, parental sensitivity and cognitive stimulation were observed in semi-structured interactions at ages 6, 15, 24, 36 months, and 4.5 years and teachers reported on children’s inhibitory control at 4.5 years using the Child Behavior Questionnaire (Rothbart et al., 2001). Results Children’s daily increases in activity (DIA), objectively quantified using actigraphy, proxied a lack of self-control: children whose movement increased more throughout the day were rated as more impulsive (r = .20, p < .001) and disruptive (r = .18, p < .001) by teachers and classroom observers. DIA showed associations with long-term educational outcomes. Children who were less able to modulate motor activity throughout the elementary school day did worse academically in high school (β = -0.11, p = .004), and completed less education as adults (β = -0.05 p = .005). Children’s sustained self-control in elementary school emerged via a developmental cascade of children’s preschool self-control and early experiences of maternal cognitive stimulation (β = -0.02, p = .048 and warmth (β = -0.02, p = .050). Discussion The ability to sustain self-control may support learning, allowing children to inhibit motor impulses that fragment attention and undermine the sustained focus (Decker et al., 2023). Because children spend several hours each day in school, even small differences in sustained self-control could impact achievement gains across the year. Psychologists have long known that self-control and related skills enable learning (Duckworth et al., 2019). Our findings suggest that what is important is not just skill level, but the ability to sustain it over time.

Paper #2
The Impact of Child Flourishing on School Readiness: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Author information	Role
Nema Kebbeh, University of Houston, United States	Presenting author
Elizabeth Jelsma, University of Houston, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
School readiness, encompassing physical, social-emotional, cognitive, language, and motivational skills, is essential for a child's successful transition into formal education and long-term academic outcomes (Altun, 2018; Zhao, 2023). While specific aspects of mental health have been studied in relation to academic achievement, the broader concept of child flourishing—encompassing overall well-being, resilience, and positive relationships—remains underexplored in this context (Bierman et al., 2008). Understanding how flourishing impacts various domains of school readiness can inform comprehensive early childhood education policies and interventions. This study hypothesizes that higher levels of child flourishing will significantly predict higher levels of motor development, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and early learning skills in children aged 3-5 years. Data were sourced from the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Our analysis focused specifically on children aged 3 to 5 years with a mean age of 3.99 years (N = 10,766; see Table 1). The sample comprised 51.1% males (N = 5,500) and 48.9% females (N = 5,266). Demographic variables such as parent age, gender, marital status, and education were controlled in the analyses. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the study examined the predictive relationships between child flourishing and four domains of school readiness: motor development, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and early learning skills. Flourishing was assessed through parent and caregiver reports on curiosity, resilience, attachment, and contentment. School readiness domains were measured via standardized assessments created for the NSCH Survey or by NSCH researchers. All scales are treated as latent variables in analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with the total sample and all latent constructs to conclude that all items significantly and strongly loaded onto the corresponding latent construct of interest. Four of the original nine Early Learning Skills items were dropped due to unacceptable factor loadings. We also allowed for cross-loadings between certain items and domains that showed strong associations (Asparouhov & Muthén, 2009; Marsh et al., 2009; Muthén & Asparouhov, 2012). After making these modifications, the measurement model/CFA showed an acceptable fit to the data (RMSEA=.05; CFI=.92; SRMR=.05). The structural model (RMSEA=.05; CFI=.91; SRMR=.04) showed that child flourishing was positively associated with social-emotional development, self-regulation, and early learning skills, suggesting that children with higher levels of overall well-being are better equipped to manage emotions, regulate behavior, and engage in academic activities. Contrary to expectations, flourishing was negatively related to motor skills development, which may indicate that flourishing children prioritize activities enhancing social-emotional and cognitive skills over those developing fine motor abilities (see Figure 1). This study highlights the significant role of child flourishing in enhancing multiple domains of school readiness, emphasizing the importance of fostering holistic well-being in early childhood education. The unexpected negative association with motor skills development suggests a need for balanced early education approaches that equally emphasize physical development alongside social-emotional and cognitive growth. These findings inform the design of early childhood interventions and educational policies that support comprehensive child development, ultimately contributing to better academic and social outcomes.

Paper #3
Reducing School Readiness Disparities: Effects of Smart Beginnings on School-Age Self-Regulation through Parental Cognitive Stimulation
Author information	Role
Dr. Ashleigh Iris Aviles, Ph.D., New York University, United States	Presenting author
Leah Hunter, University of Pittsburgh, United States	Non-presenting author
Elizabeth B. Miller, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, United States	Non-presenting author
Caitlin F. Canfield, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, United States	Non-presenting author
Daniel S. Shaw, University of Pittsburgh, United States	Non-presenting author
Alan L. Mendelsohn, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, United States	Non-presenting author
Pamela A. Morris-Perez, New York University, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Introduction: Elementary students’ self-regulation abilities are important predictors of short- and long-term school success, including academic achievement, teacher and peer relationships, and graduation rates (Savina, 2020). Self-regulation consists of executive function abilities (e.g. attention regulation, engagement, inhibitory control) and are shaped both by temperament (e.g. irritability and distractibility) and by contextual experiences (McClelland & Cameron, 2012). Stressful environments can hinder self-regulation, while responsive parenting and cognitive stimulation can bolster self-regulation abilities, making self-regulation skills potentially responsive to intervention (Morawska et al., 2019). Smart Beginnings (SB) is an RCT of a tiered intervention for addressing school readiness disparities for children in low-income families. SB combines universal delivery of PlayReadVIP (formerly Video Interaction Project; Mendelsohn, et al., 2018), a primary prevention intervention in pediatric health care that supports early relational health through real-time review of brief recordings of parent-child play and reading. Family Check-Up (FCU) is a secondary intervention delivered in-home that focuses on reducing psychosocial stressors for families with additional risk factors. In the current study, we examine how SB is associated with improvements in self-regulation through intervention impacts on parental cognitive stimulation. Method: The SB RCT sample consists of 403 families with low incomes from NYC (84% Latine) and Pittsburgh (81% Black/African-American). The integrated SB model was delivered to treatment families from birth to age 3. Parental cognitive stimulation was measured through parental self-report (StimQ Cognitive Home Environment Questionnaire; Cates et al., 2023) and observations of parent-child interactions at age 2. Previous research has demonstrated significant impacts of SB on parental cognitive stimulation. At age 6, indices of children’s self-regulation were measured through parental self-reports, direct assessments and observations. Impulse control (Child Behavioral Questionnaire, Rothbart), were measured using self-reports Executive function was assessed via administration to children using the Dimensional Change Card Sort (Zelazo, 2006). Observers reported on children’s attention regulation and positive engagement (Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment - Assessor Report; Smith-Donald et al., 2007), and children’s irritability/negative emotionality and impulsivity/distractibility (Caspi et al., 1995). Structural equation models were conducted to test impacts of SB on a latent variable of parental cognitive stimulation at 2 years (direct effects) and indirect effects on self-regulation abilities at 6 years. Models accounted for effects of site and child age. Results: Through parental cognitive stimulation, SB had significant and trend-level indirect impacts on executive function measures of children’s self-regulation: overall executive function (p = .060; Figure 1), attention regulation (p= .035; Figure 2), and inhibitory control (p = .054), but not on positive engagement (p = .831). SB also had significant and trend-level indirect impacts on irritability/negative emotionality (p = .030) and impulsivity/distractibility (p = .039), dimensions of temperament linked to self-regulation. (Note, there were no direct impacts of SB on children’s self regulation.) Implications: Through improvements of parental cognitive stimulation, the integrated SB model was indirectly related to increases in multiple facets of self-regulation at child age 6. Integrating primary and secondary prevention interventions through health care and home visiting can be an effective way to impact self-regulation for young school-aged children and ultimately reduce school readiness disparities.

Paper #4
The Contribution of Social and Emotional Learning to Syrian Refugee Students' Academic Outcomes & Vice Versa
Author information	Role
Abiraahmi Shankar, New York University, United States	Presenting author
Carly Tubbs-Dolan, New York University, United States	Non-presenting author
Roxane Caires, New York University, United States	Non-presenting author
John Lawrence Aber, New York University, United States	Non-presenting author
Ha Yeon Kim, New York University, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
While research in Western contexts highlights the importance of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for academic growth, studies in refugee settings often treat SEL and academic learning separately (Blair, 2002; Jones & Kahn, 2017; Kim et al., 2020; Wuermli et al., 2015). Understanding how disrupted SEL and academic development affect each other is critical in humanitarian contexts like Syria, where millions of children face trauma and educational barriers (Sirin & Rogers-Sirin, 2015). This study examined how SEL skills and behaviors at the start of the school year influenced academic outcomes, and vice versa, in 3,262 Syrian children participating in a cluster randomized control trial of an SEL program in Lebanon. In this study we explored 2 research questions: (1) Do students’ SEL skills at the start of the year predict academic outcomes at the end of the year, controlling for baseline academic skills and demographics? Do these SEL skills uniquely predict academic outcomes, beyond other SEL skills?; and (2) Do students' academic skills at the start of the year predict their SEL outcomes by year’s end, controlling for baseline SEL and demographics? Do these academic skills uniquely predict SEL outcomes, beyond other academic skills? Results from correlational analyses revealed several key associations between students' social-emotional skills and academic outcomes. Inhibitory control was strongly correlated with working memory (r = 0.58) and prosocial behavior (r = 0.55), highlighting the interconnectedness of these SEL skills. Working memory was also associated with academic outcomes (r = 0.32 for Arabic; r = 0.31 for Second Language; r = 0.29 for Math). Similarly, prosocial behavior showed a moderate correlation with Arabic and Second Language performance (r = 0.23; r = 0.26), suggesting that social competencies may support language development. Emotional distress was positively correlated with hyperactivity and externalizing behavior (r = 0.29), underscoring the relationship between emotional and behavioral challenges. Ordered logistic models revealed that teachers’ reports of children’s inhibitory control, working memory, prosocial behavior, and externalizing behavior at the start of the school year predicted change in a number of academic outcomes by the end of the school year and working memory was uniquely predictive of academic outcomes (see Table 1), over and above the other SEL skills and behaviors assessed. Results also indicated that Math, Arabic and Second language skills at the start of the school year predicted change in reports of students’ inhibitory control, working memory, and prosocial behavior, with Arabic skills being uniquely predictive of the three aforementioned SEL skills and behavior, over and above Math and Second language skills (see Table 2). Implications for interventions, practice and policy are discussed.

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