Blood lead levels and math learning in first year of school: An association for concern.

Lead is a well-known neurotoxicant that continues to affect children's cognition and behavior. With the aim to examine the associations of lead exposure with math performance in children at the beginning of formal schooling, we conducted a cross-sectional study of first-grade students from 11 schools in Montevideo, Uruguay. Math abilities were assessed with tests from the Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz (Calculation, Math Facts Fluency, Applied Problems, Math Calculation Skills and Broad Maths). Separate generalized linear models (GLM) tested the association of blood lead level (BLL) and each math ability, adjusting for key covariates including age and sex, maternal education, household assets and Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory score. In a complete-case of 252 first-grade students (age 67-105 months, 45% girls), mean ± SD blood lead level was 4.0 ± 2.2 µg/dL. Covariate-adjusted logistic models were used to examine the association between childhood BLLs and the odds of low math performance. BLL was negatively associated with scores on the Calculation test (ß (95% CI): -0.18 (-0.33, -0.03)), Math Calculation Skills (-1.26 (-2.26, -0.25)), and Broad Maths cluster scores (-0.88 (-1.55, -0.21)). Similarly, performance on the Calculation test, as well as cluster scores for Broad Maths and Math Calculation Skills differed between children with BLLs <5 and ≥ 5 µg/dL (p < 0.01), being lower in children with higher BLLs. Finally, considering the likelihood of low test performance, each 1 µg/dL higher B-Pb was related to 27% higher likelihood for Maths Facts Fluency, 30% for Broad Math and Math Calculation Skills, and 31% for Calculation (p < 0.05). These results suggest that lead exposure is negatively associated with several basic skills that are key to math learning. These findings further suggest that the cognitive deficits related to lead exposure impact student achievement at very early stages of formal education.

Reading Competency, Speech Rate and Rhythm.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence defining reading competency in terms of accuracy, speed and prosody, as well as interest in gaining better understanding of the interrelation as a function of prosodic features. This study aims to analyze the relationship between reading competency, in terms of accuracy and speed of written word recognition, and two attributes related to prosody in oral reading of texts: speech rate and rhythm. METHOD: Oral reading of a narrative text by 141 third and fourth grade Spanish-speaking students was analyzed using an automated acoustic speech procedure and their reading competency was assessed. RESULTS: Reading proficiency was associated with a lower proportion of the number and duration of pauses and greater regularity of syllable intervals, resulting in a higher rate of speech and higher regularity of rhythm. The reading experience improves rhythmic reading with some independence from the levels of automation achieved in written word recognition. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that when there is greater reading competence there is greater speed and rhythmic expressiveness; this improves with reading experience when a sufficient level of automation has been achieved in reading access.

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): An update of the literature and instrumental study with schoolchildren

Introduction: Considering the current controversy regarding the factorial structure of the SDQ, this paper aimed to analyse the dimensionality and reliability of the parents' version for children from 4 to 16 years of age, and to present descriptive data according to sociodemographic variables. Method: The factor structure of the original five- and three-factor models, and the reliability of the SDQ were examined among a sample of 621 parents of Uruguayan children between 7 and 12 years of age (52% girls) from different socioeconomic levels. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses did not provide support for the five- and three-factor models. Data adjusted to three factors (prosociality, externalising symptoms, internalising symptoms) in an exploratory analysis with adequate reliability indices. Conclusions: The results of this study show the relevance of continued investigation of the SDQ internal structure, and further analysis of the behaviour of several of its items.

Introducción: Considerando la controversia vigente respecto a la estructura factorial del SDQ, este trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar la validez de constructo y fiabilidad de la versión para padres de niños de 4 a 16 años y presentar datos descriptivos según variables sociodemográficas. Método: Se examinó la estructura factorial de los modelos originales de cinco y tres factores y la fiabilidad del SDQ en una muestra de 621 padres de niños uruguayos entre 7 y 12 años (52 % niñas) de distintos niveles socioeconómicos. Resultados: Los análisis factoriales confirmatorios no pudieron dar apoyo a los modelos de cinco y tres factores. Los datos se ajustaron a tres factores (prosocialidad, síntomas externalizantes y síntomas internalizantes) en un análisis exploratorio con adecuados índices de fiabilidad. Conclusiones: Los resultados de este estudio muestran la pertinencia de continuar investigando la estructura interna del SDQ y analizar con mayor profundidad el comportamiento de algunos de sus ítems.

Revisión sistemática sobre intervenciones en alfabetización temprana: implicancias para intervenir en español / A systematic review on early literacy interventions: implications for interventions in Spanish

Resumen Contar con herramientas para el diseño y la implementación de intervenciones en alfabetización con niños hispanohablantes reúne cada vez mayor interés entre docentes e investigadores. Para contribuir a esta demanda, realizamos una revisión sistemática con el objetivo de sintetizar la información disponible sobre intervenciones basadas en la evidencia (IBE) con niños de primero a tercer grado escolar. Nuestros resultados recogen información sobre 20 IBE, que buscaron mejorar al menos uno de los siguientes componentes críticos nombrados por el NRP (2000): conciencia fonológica, principio alfabético, fluidez, vocabulario y comprensión. Dado que el 90% de ellos fue realizado con niños angloparlantes nos dedicamos a discutir críticamente la aplicabilidad de esta evidencia al contexto particular de países hispanohablantes. Si bien muchas de las características generales de las IBE implementadas en inglés podrían servir de guía para intervenir en español, resulta imprescindible tener en cuenta las diferencias estructurales en la ortografía de ambas lenguas. A su vez, identificamos estrategias transversales y técnicas de implementación en las IBE, que por su carácter universal podrían ser de utilidad práctica también para intervenir en el desarrollo lector en español.

Abstract An area of increasing interest amongst teachers and researchers is the availability of tools for the design and implementation of literacy interventions with Spanish speaking children. The present systematic literature review contributes to this need by summarizing available findings on evidence-based literacy interventions (EBI) for children from first to third year of primary school. Our results are based on 20 EBI that aimed at improving at least one of the critical components mentioned by the NRP (2000): phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. As 90% of the studies were completed with English-speaking children, we critically discussed the applicability of this evidence to the specific context of Spanish-speaking countries. Although many of the general characteristics of the EBI completed with English speaking children could also guide interventions in Spanish, it remains crucial to take into account structural differences between the orthographies of both languages. Moreover, we identified transversal strategies and implementation techniques that due to their universal character could also be useful for early literacy interventions in Spanish.