Howard Steven J, Melhuish Edward
University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
University of Oxford, UK.
J Psychoeduc Assess. 2017 Jun;35(3):255-275. doi: 10.1177/0734282916633009. Epub 2016 Feb 28.
Several methods of assessing executive function (EF), self-regulation, language development, and social development in young children have been developed over previous decades. Yet new technologies make available methods of assessment not previously considered. In resolving conceptual and pragmatic limitations of existing tools, the Early Years Toolbox (EYT) offers substantial advantages for early assessment of language, EF, self-regulation, and social development. In the current study, results of our large-scale administration of this toolbox to 1,764 preschool and early primary school students indicated very good reliability, convergent validity with existing measures, and developmental sensitivity. Results were also suggestive of better capture of children's emerging abilities relative to comparison measures. Preliminary norms are presented, showing a clear developmental trajectory across half-year age groups. The accessibility of the EYT, as well as its advantages over existing measures, offers considerably enhanced opportunities for objective measurement of young children's abilities to enable research and educational applications.
在过去几十年里，已经开发出了几种评估幼儿执行功能（EF）、自我调节、语言发展和社会发展的方法。然而，新技术带来了以前未被考虑过的评估方法。为了解决现有工具在概念和实际应用方面的局限性，早期儿童工具箱（EYT）在早期评估语言、EF、自我调节和社会发展方面具有显著优势。在本研究中，我们对1764名学龄前和小学低年级学生大规模应用该工具箱的结果表明，其具有非常好的信度、与现有测量方法的收敛效度以及发展敏感性。结果还表明，相对于比较测量方法，该工具箱能更好地捕捉儿童的新出现能力。文中给出了初步常模，显示了跨越半年年龄组的清晰发展轨迹。EYT的易用性及其相对于现有测量方法的优势，为客观测量幼儿能力提供了大大增加的机会，以促进研究和教育应用。
