Maternal Scaffolding of Play and Thinking in the Infant/Toddler Period Relationships to Later IQ

The Study Longitudinal study investigating the early development of high ability/gifted children and the role of maternal scaffolding in that development

Background Research on early development of high ability children indicates: –Bi-directional influences –Advanced learning in ZPD’s (Kanevsky, 1990) and more challenging scaffolding (Moss, 1990)

Study Design 21 mother-child dyads Videotaped monthly play sessions Three 5 minute samples when children aged 8-11, 11-13, and months Child IQ (Stanford-Binet IV) at 5 years

Measures Child pretend play level and frequency Mothers’ pretend play level and frequency Mothers’ verbal scaffolding of analogical and metacognitive thinking IQ at 5 years

Findings IQ results:range mean of 123 Group as a whole showed advanced pretend play

Comparison of Typical and Study Group’s Highest Play Levels

Findings for Higher IQ (HIQ) and Lower IQ (LIQ) Groups LIQ (96-119), HIQ ( ) No significant differences in play levels HIQ group showed significantly higher child play frequency and child:mother play frequency ratios at months session

Child and Mother Play Frequencies at Months

Child and Mother Play Frequencies at Months

Findings on Verbal Scaffolding HIQ mothers used more analogical verbalisations at 8-9 months session, and more analogical and metacognitive verbalisations at months session

Discussion Advanced play and maternal scaffolding Higher IQ and progress through ZPD Metacognitive scaffolding-a response to child play competence? Advanced -for-age and ‘Distal’ or ‘Long- Term’ ZPD’s

Child and Mother Group Mean Play Levels

Implications Supporting infant/toddler pretend play Individual differences and ZPD’s in very young children Role of scaffolding of distal/long-term ZPD’s in development?

References Brown, P. M., Rickards, F. W., & Bortoli, A. (2001). Structures underpinning pretend play and word production in young hearing children and children with hearing loss. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 6, Ignjatovic-Savic, N., Kovac-Cerovic, T., Plut, D., & Pesikan, A. (1988). Social interaction in early childhood and its developmental effects. In L. T. Winegar & J Valsiner (Eds.) Children’s development within social context: Vol 1. Metatheory and theory (pp ). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Kanevsky, L. (1990). Pursuing qualitative differences in the flexible use of problem-solving strategy by young children. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 13, Moss, E. (1990). Social interaction and metacognitive development in gifted pre-schoolers. Gifted Child Quarterly, 34, Moss, E. (1992). The socioaffective context of joint cognitive activity. In L. T. Winegar & J Valsiner (Eds.) Children’s development within social context: Vol 1. Metatheory and theory (pp ). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.