Primarily studying executive functions of children from low-income backgrounds in comparison to more affluent peers can promote a deficit perspective that they are uniformly lacking in skills. We used latent profile analysis to investigate patterns of heterogeneity in executive functions in a sample of 232 preschoolers (Mage = 52.15 months, SDage = 6.70 months; 50 % female; 34 % Latine, 31 % White, 10 % Asian, 7 % Black, 14 % Multiracial, and 4 % other) from low-income backgrounds in the Midwestern United States. Five executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, complex planning, and behavioral self-regulation) were used as indicators. We found evidence of four latent profiles including three profiles with consistently below average, above average, and high executive functions. A fourth discordant profile had high executive functions but below average behavioral self-regulation. We also estimated relations among executive function profiles and concurrent numeracy, vocabulary, and geometry; patterns of relations differed by pre-academic skill. Educational relevance and implications: Primarily studying executive functions of children from low-income backgrounds in comparison to more affluent peers can promote a deficit perspective that they are uniformly lacking in skills. Using a statistical method that allowed us to explore sub-groups of children based on their executive function skills, we found evidence of four distinct sub-groups in a sample of preschoolers from lowincome backgrounds. One sub-group scored high in executive functions but lower in incorporating them into gross motor behavior, which may be particularly important for early math. Results disrupt deficit perspectives and point to future areas of research for designing targeted and differentiated instruction.

The goals of the current study were: 1) to modify and expand an existing spatial mathematical language coding system to include quantitative mathematical language terms and 2) to examine the extent to which preschool-aged children used spatial and quantitative mathematical language during a block play intervention. Participants included 24 preschool-aged children (Age M = 57.35 months) who were assigned to a block play intervention. Children participated in up to 14 sessions of 15-to-20-minute block play across seven weeks. Results demonstrated that spatial mathematical language terms were used with a higher raw frequency than quantitative mathematical language terms during the intervention sessions. However, once weighted frequencies were calculated to account for the number of codes in each category, spatial language was only used slightly more than quantitative language during block play. Similar patterns emerged between domains within the spatial and quantitative language categories. These findings suggest that both quantitative and spatial mathematical language usage should be evaluated when considering whether child activities can improve mathematical learning and spatial performance. Further, accounting for the number of codes within categories provided a more representative presentation of how mathematical language was used versus solely utilizing raw word counts. Implications for future research are discussed.

Social-emotional competencies are important for school-readiness and can be supported through social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions in the preschool years. However, past research has demonstrated mixed efficacy of early SEL interventions across varied samples, highlighting a need to unpack the black box of which early interventions work, under what conditions, and for whom. In the present article we discuss the critical implementation component of active child engagement in an intervention as a potential point of disconnect between the intervention as designed and as implemented. Children who are physically present but unengaged during an intervention may lead to decreased average impacts of an intervention. Furthermore, measuring young children’s active engagement with an intervention may help to guide iterative intervention development. We propose a four-step protocol for capturing the multi-dimensional and varied construct of active child engagement in a SEL intervention. To illustrate the utility of the protocol, we apply it to data from a pilot study of a researcher-implemented, semi-structured block play intervention focused on supporting the development of SEL and math skills in preschoolers. We then present future directions for the integration of active participant engagement into the measurement of implementation of SEL interventions for young children.