To examine the potential of classroom teachers as primary screening agents for learning difficulties, 197 kindergarten children were assessed on 6 measures. Best predictors of grade 1 achievement were the Metropolitan Readiness Tests and the Myklebust Pupil Rating Scale, both of which can be administered by teachers. Contains 22 references. (SV)

Two measures used for early detection of learning problems (Preschool Screening System and Denver Articulation Screening Exam) were tested for their predictive validity. Educational placement at the end of grade one was examined and compared to pre-kindergarten test scores on the two measures. Analysis found both measures to be valid. (Author/MSE)

Writing development in preschool children has only recently begun to receive attention; however, Russian researchers dealt with the subject in the 1920s and 30s. Arguing that writing was a fundamental assist to cognitive growth as well as a tool for communication, Lev Vygotsky believed that the preschool child was ready to be taught writing.…

The HPI Texas Preschool Screening Inventory (TPSI) is a test to help determine which children might be a risk for learning problems as they enter kindergarten or first grade. The HPI Manual describes the procedure, score interpretation, and rationale for seven components of the test, including auditory memory for numbers and letters, visual memory…

This manuscript is a report of the third revision of the Maryland Preschool Self-Concept of Scale originally developed by Smith (1977). Two samples of 4-, 5-, and 6-year old children (N = 54 and N = 78) were administered the Maryland Preschool Self-Concept Scale - Revised (MPSS-R). In the first study, the measure was given twice, 3 to 5 weeks…

This article discusses the assessment of language and cognitive development as reflected in preschool activities and describes the Preschool Language-Cognitive Assessment for Curriculum Entry (PLACE). Five task-skill areas associated with common preschool activities (building with blocks, completing puzzles, pounding pegs, etc) are identified. How…

The overall purpose of the national Head Start evaluation is to assess the impact, on the children and parents being served, of: (1) the educational services component of Head Start, and (2) a new demonstration program within Head Start, Basic Educational Skills. The evaluation deals with a total of 65 Head Start programs and their families. This…

This guide provides a set of qualitative and quantitative procedures and criteria for determining if a preschool handicapped child is talented in any of 6 areas: intellectual, academic, creative, leadership, visual and performing arts, and psychomotor. The guide developed by the RAPYHT project (a model program for Retrieval and Acceleration of…

THE PRESCHOOL INVENTORY BEGAN AS AN ANSWER TO THE NEED FOR SOME TYPE OF INSTRUMENT THAT WOULD PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF HOW MUCH A DISADVANTAGED CHILD, PRIOR TO HIS INTRODUCTION TO HEAD START, HAD ACHIEVED IN AREAS REGARDED AS NECESSARY FOUNDATIONS FOR SUBSEQUENT SUCCESS IN SCHOOL. MEASURING BASIC INTELLIGENCE WAS NOT THE GOAL. RATHER, THE…

In 1970, the Illinois Legislature passed bills requiring that elementary school districts institute procedures to identify and treat preschool children who, without such intervention, would not progress satisfactorily in a normal school environment. Efforts in this regard resulted in the screening instrument called Developmental Indicators for the…

The Cognitively Oriented Prekindergarten Experience (Project COPE) is a preschool effort to accelerate the development of children from predominantly low-income families. This program was nationally validated as an ESEA Title III project and has received support from the U.S. Office of Education as a National Developer/Demonstrator site. Having…

Gross Motor Observations is a test for preschool children which measures motor skills. Individual administration takes only two to three minutes and items are scored 0-3, low to high. The child is asked to perform a series of simple physical tasks which reveal the level of his motor ability. No skill is required for either administration or…

This instrument assesses readiness for school in preschool disadvantaged children. Two forms, A and B, are available and it is recommended that one be used as a diagnostic pretest and the other as a progress measure. The test is an individually administered, non-verbal, untimed, but paced instrument. The child responds to questions, given in…

Three short forms of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) have been developed to screen the cognitive skills of young children suspected of learning disorders and developmental delays. Correlations were obtained between scores on the full form of the MSCA and the Kaufman, Taylor, and McCarthy Screening Test short forms. (Author/LMO)

Discusses the effectiveness of Kuwait University Language Center Placement Tests in promoting homogeneity of class ability levels. Looks at the appropriateness of multiple-choice tests of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension for placement and diagnostic purposes in large programs. Concludes that carefully designed and written…