Relation between Executive Functions, Parental Behavior and Early Academic Abilities of Preschool Children

U razdoblju ranog djetinjstva događaju se brojne promjene u razvoju kognitivnih i motoričkih funkcija, koje mogu biti pod utjecajem roditeljskih ponašanja. Cilj provedenog istraživanja bio je ispitati odnos između izvršnih funkcija, roditeljskih odgojnih postupaka i ranih akademskih sposobnosti kod predškolske djece. Prikupljanje podataka provedeno je u sklopu longitudinalnog istraživanja „Razine rizika za probleme u ponašanju djece rane razvojne dobi i stručne intervencije“. Sudjelovalo je 159 predškolske djece – školskih obveznika te 141 roditelj. Rane akademske sposobnosti sve djece su individualno ispitali stručni suradnici – psiholozi, a roditelji su ispunili Skalu procjene izvršnih funkcija kod djece i Upitnik roditeljskog ponašanja i dimenzija. Deskriptivnom analizom utvrđeno je kako većina ispitane djece ima usvojenu glasovnu sintezu i analizu (pri čemu je češće usvojena glasovna sinteza), gotovo sva djeca imaju usvojen pojam broja te sva djeca imaju usvojenu vještinu brojanja (s velikim interindividualnim razlikama u opsegu brojanja). Također, utvrđeno je kako je prosječni kapacitet mehaničkog pamćenja u veličini pet znamenki u nizu te kako predškolska djeca imaju prosječnu neverbalnu inteligenciju i prosječne vizuo-motoričke sposobnosti. Korelacijskom analizom ustanovljena je negativna povezanost deficita radnog pamćenja s glasovnom sintezom, glasovnom analizom i mehaničkim pamćenjem te pozitivna povezanost razvijenosti neverbalne inteligencije s glasovnom sintezom, glasovnom analizom i mehaničkim pamćenjem. Nije dobivena povezanost emocionalne topline i deficita inhibicije s ranim čitalačkim vještinama, vještinom brojanja i mehaničkim pamćenjem. Regresijska analiza ukazuje kako je neverbalna inteligencija značajni prediktor glasovne sinteze i glasovne analize, dok su deficit radnog pamćenja i neverbalna inteligencija značajni prediktori mehaničkog pamćenja kod predškolske djece.In a period of early childhood, there are many changes in development of cognitive and motoric functions, which can be influenced by parental behavior. The goal of this research was to investigate the relation between executive functions, parental behavior, and early academic abilities of preschool children. The data collection was done within a longitudinal research project ‘Risk Levels in Behavior of Early Preschool Children and Appropriate Expert Interventions’. The subjects were 159 preschool children and 141 parents. Early academic abilities of preschool children were assessed by kindergarten psychologists. At the same time, the parents were requested to fill the following questionnaires: Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory and The Parenting Behaviours and Dimensions Questionnaier Using a descriptive analysis, it was found that a majority of preschool children acquired phonological synthesis and analysis (the phonological synthesis is more common). Furthermore, almost all children acquired counting skills (with large individual differences in a counting range). Capacity of mechanical memory was found to be five symbols in a row. A negative correlation of working memory deficit with phonological synthesis, phonological analysis, and mechanical memory was found. Furthermore, the positive correlation of nonverbal intelligence with phonological synthesis, phonological analysis and mechanical memory was found, as well. The correlations of emotional warmth and inhibitory deficit with phonological synthesis, phonological analysis, and mechanical memory were not found. The regression analysis indicated that the nonverbal intelligence is an important predictor of both phonological synthesis and phonological analysis. Finally, both working memory deficit and nonverbal intelligence were found to be important predictors of mechanical memory