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

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

3. 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)

4. Study Design 21 mother-child dyads Videotaped monthly play sessions Three 5 minute samples when children aged 8-11, 11-13, and 16-17 months Child IQ (Stanford-Binet IV) at 5 years

5. 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

6. Findings IQ results:range 96-150 mean of 123 Group as a whole showed advanced pretend play

7. Comparison of Typical and Study Group’s Highest Play Levels

8. Findings for Higher IQ (HIQ) and Lower IQ (LIQ) Groups LIQ (96-119), HIQ (123-150) No significant differences in play levels HIQ group showed significantly higher child play frequency and child:mother play frequency ratios at 11-13 months session

9. Child and Mother Play Frequencies at 11-13 Months

10. Child and Mother Play Frequencies at 16-17 Months

11. Findings on Verbal Scaffolding HIQ mothers used more analogical verbalisations at 8-9 months session, and more analogical and metacognitive verbalisations at 11-13 months session

12. 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

13. Child and Mother Group Mean Play Levels

14. 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?

15. 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, 15-31. 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.89-153). 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, 115-140. Moss, E. (1990). Social interaction and metacognitive development in gifted pre-schoolers. Gifted Child Quarterly, 34, 16- 20. 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. 117-154). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.