Working memory based early intervention program for gifted preschoolers: an effectiveness study

Abstract

In the literature, it has been shown that working memory, which plays an important role in cognitive development of preschool children and is a concept intertwined with cognitive activities, can be improved. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of early intervention programs for improving working memory on the working memory performance of gifted children in the pre-school period. In the study, pre-test post-test experimental design of unequal groups of quasi-experimental designs was used. While an early intervention program to improve working memory was applied to the experimental group, the control group did not benefit from this training. The study group of the research consisted of a total of 67 children. The data collection tools used in the study consisted of three groups: scales for identifying and typical development, the scale for determining effectiveness of the early intervention program, and scales to determine the social validity of the study. The quantitative findings showed that the early intervention program developed improved the working memory performance of both gifted and typically developing children. In addition, the students who participated in the study and their parents and teachers found the early intervention program useful. It was observed that the study provided social validity.

Keywords

• gifted children
• working memory
• early intervention
• preschool period
• giftedness.

References

1. Ackerman, P. L., Beier, M. E., & Boyle, M. O. (2005). Working memory and intelligence: The same or different constructs? Psychological bulletin, 131(1), 30.
2. Alp, I. E., & Özdemir, B. Ö. (2007). Çocuklarda akıcı zekânın (Gf) bilgi isleme hızı, kısa süreli bellek ve çalışma belleği kapasitesi ile ilişkisi. Türk Psikoloji Dergisi, 22(60), 1.
3. Baddeley, A.D., & Hitch, G. (1974). Working memory. In: Bower, G.H. (Ed.), The Psychology of Learning and Motivation. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, pp. 647 – 667.
4. Barnett, L.A., & Fiscella, J. (1985). A child by any other name. A comparison of the playfulness of gifted and nongifted children. Gifted Child Quarterly, 29(2), 61-66.
5. Bildiren, A. (2016). Proje temelli yaklaşıma dayalı erken müdahale programının üstün yetenekli çocukların problem çözme becerisine etkisi. Doktora Tezi, Ankara Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
6. Bildiren, A. (2017). Reliability and validity study for the coloured progressive matrices test between the ages of 3-9 for determining gifted children in the pre-school period. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 5(11), 13-20.
7. Bildiren, A., Kargın, T., & Korkmaz, M. (2017). Reliability and validity of colored progressive matrices for 4-6 age children. Türk Üstün Zekâ ve Egitim Dergisi, 7(1), 19.
8. Bildiren, A., & Bıkmaz Bilgen, Ö. (2018). Okul Öncesi Dönem Üstün Yetenekli Çocuklar İçin Aday Bildirim Ölçeği: Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Çalışması. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi, 1-21.

9. Bull, R., Espy, K. A., & Wiebe, S. A. (2008). Short-term memory, working memory, and executive functioning in preschoolers: Longitudinal predictors of mathematical achievement at age 7 years. Developmental neuropsychology, 33(3), 205-228.
10. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2017). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Pegem Atıf İndeksi, 1-360.
11. Caropreso, E.J., & White, C.S. (1994). Analogical reasoning and giftedness: A comparison between identified gifted and nonidentified children. Journal of Educational Research, 87(5), 271-279.
12. Carlson, S. M. (2005). Developmentally sensitive measures of executive function in preschool children. Developmental neuropsychology, 28(2), 595-616.
13. Case, R. (2005). Moving critical thinking to the main stage. Education Canada, 45(2), 45–49.
14. Conway, A. R., Kane, M. J., & Engle, R. W. (2003). Working memory capacity and its relation to general intelligence. Trends in cognitive sciences, 7(12), 547-552. Creswell, J. W., & Sözbilir, M. (2017). Karma yöntem araştırmalarına giriş. Pegem Akademi.
15. Cukierkorn, J. R., Karnes, F. A., Manning, S. J., Houston, H., & Besnoy, K. (2008). Recognizing giftedness: Defining high ability in young children. Dimensions of early childhood, 36(2), 3-13.
16. Daneman, M., & Carpenter, P. A. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading. Journal of verbal learning and verbal behavior, 19(4), 450-466.
17. Diamond, A., & Lee, K. (2011). Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old. Science, 333(6045), 959-964.
18. Diamond, A., Barnett, W. S., Thomas, J., & Munro, S. (2007). Preschool program improves cognitive control. Science (New York, NY), 318(5855), 1387.
19. Eby, J.W., & Smutny, J.F. (1991). A thoughtful overview of gifted education. Longman: New York.
20. Ennis, R. H. (1985). A logical basis for measuring critical thinking skills. Educational Leadership, 43(2), 44–48.
21. Ergül, C., Özgür Yılmaz, Ç., & Demir, E. (2018). 5-10 Yaş Grubu Çocuklara Yönelik Geliştirilmiş Çalışma Belleği Ölçeğinin Geçerlik ve Güvenirliği. Eğitimde Kuram ve Uygulama, 14(2), 187-214. doi:10.17244/eku.427280
22. Facione, P. A. (2000). The disposition toward critical thinking: Its character, measurement, and relation to critical thinking skill. Informal Logic, 20(1), 61–84.
23. Feldhusen, J.F., & Kolloff, M.B. (1979). Giftedness: A mixed blessing for the preschool child. In S.M. Long , & B. Batchelor (Eds.). When there is crisis: Helping children cope with change. Terre Haute, IN: Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children.
24. Grunewaldt, K. H., Løhaugen, G. C. C., Austeng, D., Brubakk, A. M., & Skranes, J. (2013). Working memory training improves cognitive function in VLBW preschoolers. Pediatrics, peds-2012.
25. Hafenstein, N.L., & Tucker, B. (1995). Psychological intensities in young gifted children. Paper presented at the Esther Katz Rosen Symposium on the Psychological Development of Gifted Children. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED387975)
26. Halpern, D. F. (1998). Teaching critical thinking for transfer across domains: Dispositions, skills, structure training, and metacognitive monitoring. American Psychologist, 53(4), 449–455.
27. Harrison, T. L., Shipstead, Z., Hicks, K. L., Hambrick, D. Z., Redick, T. S., & Engle, R. W. (2013). Working memory training may increase working memory capacity but not fluid intelligence. Psychological Science, 24(12), 2409-2419.
28. Jackson, N. (1992). Precocious reading of English: Origins, structure, and predictive significance. İçinde P.S. Klein & A.J. Tannenbaum (Eds.). To be young and gifted (pp. 171-203). Norwood, NJ: Ablex
29. Jaušovec, N., & Jaušovec, K. (2012). Working memory training: improving intelligence–changing brain activity. Brain and cognition, 79(2), 96-106.
30. Kane, M. J., & Engle, R. W. (2002). The role of prefrontal cortex in working-memory capacity, executive attention, and general fluid intelligence: An individual-differences perspective. Psychonomic bulletin & review, 9(4), 637-671.
31. Kane, M. J., Hambrick, D. Z., & Conway, A. R. (2005). Working memory capacity and fluid intelligence are strongly related constructs: comment on Ackerman, Beier, and Boyle (2005). Psychological Bulletin, 131 (1), 66-71.
32. Kargın, T., Ergül, C., Büyüköztürk, Ş., & Güldenoğlu, B. (2015). Anasınıfı Çocuklarına Yönelik Erken Okuryazarlık Testi (EROT) Geliştirme Çalışması. Özel Egitim Dergisi, 16(3).
33. Karnes, M. B., & Johnson, L. J. (1991). The preschool/primary gifted child. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 14(3), 267-283.
34. Karnes, M. B., Shwedel, A. M., & Lewis, G. F. (1983a). Long-term effects of early programming for the gifted/talented handicapped. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 6, 266-278.
35. Kennedy, M., Fisher, M. B., & Ennis, R. H. (1991). Critical thinking: Literature review and needed research. In L. Idol & B.F. Jones (Eds.), Educational values and cognitive instruction: Implications for reform (pp. 11-40). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum & Associates.
36. Kerns, K.A., Eso, K., & Thomson, J. (1999). Investigation of a direct intervention for improving attention in young children with ADHD. Developmental Neuropsychology, 16, 273–295.
37. Kitano, M.K. (1982). Young gifted children: Strategies for preschool teachers. Young Children, 37(4), 14-24.
38. Kitano, M., & Kirby, D. (1986). Gifted education: A comprehensive view. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company.
39. Klingberg, T., Forssberg, H., & Westerberg, H. (2002). Training of working memory in children with ADHD. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 24, 781–791.
40. Klingberg, T., Fernell, E., Olesen, P.J., Johnson, M., Gustafsson,P., Dahlström, K., Gillberg, C.G., Forssberg, H., & Westerberg, H. (2005). Computerized training of working memory in children with ADHD: a randomized, controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44, 177–186.
41. Kroesbergen, E. H., van’t Noordende, J. E., & Kolkman, M. E. (2014). Training working memory in kindergarten children: Effects on working memory and early numeracy. Child Neuropsychology, 20(1), 23-37.
42. Kyllonen, P. C., & Christal, R. E. (1990). Reasoning ability is (little more than) working-memory capacity?!. Intelligence, 14(4), 389-433.
43. Leana-Tascılar, M. Z., & Cinan, S. (2014). Üstün ve normal öğrencilerin yönetici işlevlerinin ve çalışma belleklerinin değerlendirilmesi ve ihtiyaçlarına yönelik eğitim programının uygulanması. Üstün Yetenekliler Eğitimi ve Araştırmaları Dergisi (UYAD), 2(1).
44. Lipman, M. (1988). Critical thinking—What can it be? Educational Leadership, 46(1), 38–43.
45. Meador, K. S. (1994). The effects of synectics training on gifted and nongifted kindergarten students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 18, 55-73.
46. Melby-Lervåg, M., & Hulme, C. (2013). Is working memory training effective? A meta-analytic review. Developmental psychology, 49(2), 270.
47. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, M. A. (1994). An expanded sourcebook qualitative data analysis. London: Sage.
48. Olszewski-Kubilius, P., Limburg-Weber, L., & Pfeiffer, S. (2003). Early gifts: Recognizing and nurturing children’s talent. Prufrock Press: Waco, TX.
49. Passolunghi, M. C., & Costa, H. M. (2016). Working memory and early numeracy training in preschool children. Child Neuropsychology, 22(1), 81-98.
50. Paul, R. W. (1992). Critical thinking: What, why, and how? New Directions for Community Colleges, 1992(77), 3–24.
51. Perez, G.S. (1980). Perceptions of the young gifted child. İçinde R. Brodsky (Ed.). The young gifted child. Roeper Review, 3(2), 5-17.
52. Pianta, R. C., Barnett, W. S., Burchinal, M., & Thornburg, K. R. (2009). The effects of preschool education: What we know, how public policy is or is not aligned with the evidence base, and what we need to know. Psychological science in the public interest, 10(2), 49-88.
53. Robinson, N. M. (1993). Parenting the very young gifted child. Parenting researchbased decision making series. Storrs, CT: National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED301985).
54. Röthlisberger, M., Neuenschwander, R., Cimeli, P., Michel, E., & Roebers, C. M. (2012). Improving executive functions in 5‐and 6‐year‐olds: Evaluation of a small group intervention in prekindergarten and kindergarten children. Infant and Child Development, 21(4), 411-429.
55. Rueda, M.R., Rothbart, M.K., McCandliss, B.D., & Posner, P. (2005). Training, maturation, and genetic influences on the development of executive attention. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102, 14931–14936.
56. Saranlı, A. G. (2017). Okul öncesi dönemdeki erken müdahale uygulamalarına farklı bir bakış: Üstün yetenekli çocuklar için erken zenginleştirme. Eğitim ve Bilim, 42(190).
57. Schwartz, L. L. (1994). Why give "gifts" to the gifted? Investing in a national resource. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
58. Silva, E. (2009). Measuring skills for 21st-century learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(9), 630-634.
59. Smith, E. E., & Kosslyn, S. M. (2010). Cognitive psychology: Mind and brain (Vol. 6). Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
60. Thorell, L. B., Lindqvist, S., Bergman Nutley, S., Bohlin, G., & Klingberg, T. (2009). Training and transfer effects of executive functions in preschool children. Developmental science, 12(1), 106-113.
61. Tindal, G., & Nolet, V. (1995). Curriculum-based measurement in middle and high schools: Critical thinking skills in content areas. Focus on Exceptional Children, 27(7), 1–22.
62. Walsh, R. L., Kemp, C. R., Hodge, K. A., & Bowes, J. M. (2012). Searching for evidence-based practice: A review of the research on educational interventions for intellectually gifted children in the early childhood years. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 35(2), 103-128.
63. Willingham, D. T. (2007). Critical thinking: Why is it so hard to teach? American Educator, 8–19.