Fluid ability is defined by Schneider and McGrew as the
deliberate but flexible control of attention to solve novel “on the spot”
problems that cannot be performed by relying exclusively on previously learned
habits, schemas, and scripts. Executive functions are needed when we deal with a new task that
requires planning, choosing between alternative courses of action, monitoring
the course taken, flexibility in changing course if needed, and the inhibition
of automatic responses. Executive
functions involve behavioral inhibition (self control) and cognitive
inhibition, working memory and mental flexibility. Because they are theoretically close, I tend
to wrap these concepts together (although they are not identical).
How do fluid ability
and executive functions affect a child's functioning in kindergarten?
Fluid ability helps the child to understand
what is taught in kindergarten. A child
with poor fluid ability needs simplification, examples and concrete
demonstrations to a greater extent than what is usually needed by a
kindergarten child.
Fluid reasoning enables the child to classify
and sort objects into groups, and to find an exceptional object in a group.
Fluid reasoning enables the child to deal with
complex tasks that require planning, organization and monitoring (for instance,
to explain the rules of a new game to his friends).
Fluid reasoning enables the child to understand
a story that the teacher reads, to draw conclusions, understand consequences
and attribute feelings and intentions to characters in the story. That is, the child can go beyond what is
written explicitly in the text – at a basic level that fits the child's development.
Fluid reasoning enables the child to understand
social situations, and the intentions that lie at the base of his friend's
behaviors – in a basic level that suits this age.
Fluid ability enables the child to understand
cause and effect (for example, to guess at the reasons for an event that he
witnessed and what can happen later, at a level that suits this age).
Executive functions enable the child to
monitor his work, correct himself, make sure he finishes tasks, and get back to
tasks after internal or external distractions.
Executive functions enable the child to respond flexibly when the
situation changes, resist temptation, restrain himself, withstand frustration
and self regulate – as fits the child's age (executive functions are still
developing at the age of 5-6).
How do fluid ability
and executive functions affect a kindergarten child's functioning in the
assessment process?
Obviously, fluid ability and executive
functions don't affect the child's functioning only on tests that measure these
abilities. It's important to look for
their manifestations in the entire assessment process.
We will look, for example, at the child's
ability to tell CAT stories that do not merely describe the picture but involve
planning, imagination, and have internal coherence. We'll look at the child's ability to define
some of the words in the vocabulary test in an abstract way. We'll look at the child's ability to plan a
drawing or to plan his work on the Bender test, to monitor his work and to
correct himself.
This information is not the main source for
conclusions about the child's fluid ability, but it can support the information
we derive from tests that map onto the fluid ability.
How do fluid ability
and executive functions affect a school child's functioning?
Fluid ability affects children's ability to
understand ideas taught in class, understand complex and abstract ideas, and think
about complex and abstract ideas. A
child who has difficulties with fluid reasoning needs simplification, examples
and demonstrations beyond what is needed by his friends.
Fluid ability and executive functions enable
children to deal with complex tasks at school and in everyday life that require
planning, organizing and follow up (completing homework, organizing time and priorities).
Fluid ability enables children to understand
texts: to draw conclusions, understand consequences, and attribute intentions
that are not written explicitly in the text.
Fluid ability is at the base of mathematical
reasoning.
Fluid ability helps the child understand
social situations and intentions that lie at the base of his friend's
behaviors.
Executive functions enable children to stay on
task until it's finished, despite internal or external distractions, to plan and to think about a strategy for
performing a task, to benefit from feedback, to exercise
self monitoring, to respond flexibly when the situation changes, to resist
temptation, to stand frustration and to work for a goal they set for themselves.
How do fluid ability
and executive functions affect a student's functioning in the assessment
process?
Obviously, fluid ability and executive
functions will not affect only the child's functioning on tests that measure
them. It's important to look at their
manifestations in the entire assessment process.
We'll look at the child's ability to tell TAT
stories which do not merely describe the picture but involve planning,
imagination and have a coherent narrative.
We'll look at the child's ability to define words and concepts abstractly
in the vocabulary test, to see the main elements in the RCFT test and to
integrate them into a whole, to monitor his work, to correct his performance
following his own or external feedback, to get back on task after a
distraction, to avoid perseveration (on the Bender test, for instance) and to inhibit
automatic reactions.
This information will not be the main source
for conclusions about the child's fluid ability, but it will support the
information we derive from tests that map onto the fluid ability.
What tests assess fluid
ability?
Tests such as Planning (KABC2), Concept
Formation, Analysis-Synthesis (WJ3), Picture
Concepts, Verbal Reasoning and Matrix Reasoning (WWPSI3). Of course we
consider both the child's scores on these tests and the way he performed these
tests.
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