Linking Assessment of Basic
Concepts to Early Childhood
Education Standards
Bruce A. Bracken, Ph.D.
The College of William & Mary
What this Webinar Will Cover
•
•
•
•
A definition of basic concepts
The importance of basic concepts
Challenging assumptions about concept acquisition
Categorizing basic concepts
– An in-depth understanding of basic concepts
– Basic concepts in state educational standards
• Resources
– Assessing and teaching basic concepts
– 50 States’ educational standards article and Excel database
A Definition of Basic Concepts
A basic concept in all languages is:
… a word, in its most elementary sense, that is, a label for one of
the basic colors, comparatives, directions, materials, positions,
quantities, relationships, sequences, shapes, sizes, social or
emotional states and characteristics, textures, and time. Basic
concepts are basic in the sense that they represent the most
rudimentary concepts in these specific categorical areas…
Concepts are the ‘foundation of intelligence’
Jerome Kagan
A Definition of Basic Concepts
Conceptual Levels
• Basic Concepts: The most rudimentary words
used to describe the environment (e.g., rough, hot,
blue, hard).
• Topical Concepts: Conceptual terms used within
specific content or subject areas (e.g., desert,
marsh, jungle).
• Over-arching Concepts: Concepts that span and
go beyond basic and topical concepts (e.g.,
systems, change, patterns).
The Importance of Basic Concepts
• Basic concepts represent the foundational language terms used to
describe the world that young children experience on a daily basis
(Bracken, 1984; 1998; 2007).
• Research supports the importance of vocabulary development in
young children, especially among students at risk for school failure
(e.g., Shaywitz & Shaywitz, 2005).
• Newman (2006, p. 28) concluded: “Low-income preschool children
need content-rich instruction…including knowledge of words and the
concepts that connect them.”
• Basic concepts significantly extend the relative importance of
vocabulary because concepts are cognitively more complex and
functional than common vocabulary terms
The Importance of Basic Concepts
• Basic concepts are needed to
understand classroom conversations and
teacher directions
(Boehm, Classon, & Kelly, 1986; Bracken,
1986)
• Basic concepts predict both reading and
mathematics better than do traditional
vocabulary tests (e.g., PPVT) (Larabee,
2007).
• Basic concepts are needed to
understand administration directions of
early childhood tests of intelligence
(Bracken, 1986; Flanagan, Alfonso, Kaminer,
Rader, 1995; Kaufman, 1978) and tests of
achievement (Cummings & Nelson, 1980)
The Importance of Basic Concepts
• Basic concepts have been mapped, categorized, and
can be effectively assessed and remediated in a
functional, prescriptive (i.e., test-teach-test) instructional
methodology (Bracken & Crawford, 2006, 2010;
Bracken & Panter, 2010; Panter; 2000; Panter &
Bracken, 2009).
• Basic concepts are central to the early childhood
educational standards of all 50 states (Bracken &
Crawford, 2006, 2010).
The Importance of Basic Concepts
• Basic concept acquisition correlates with powerful educational
constructs
• Correlations with Intelligence Tests
.91 with the Stanford- Binet IV (Bracken & Howell, 1991)
.80 with the Differential Abilities Test (McIntosh et al., 1995)
.85 with the WPPSI-R (Panter, 2000)
.57 with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children
(Laughlin, 1995)
The Importance of Basic Concepts
• Basic concept acquisition correlates with powerful educational
constructs
• Correlations with Speech and Language Tests
.78 to .88 Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (Bracken & Cato, 1986)
.67 to .88 Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (Dunn & Dunn, 2006)
.61 to .78 Preschool Language Scale - 4 (Bracken, 2006)
.68 Token Test (Bracken & Cato, 1986)
The Importance of Basic Concepts
• Basic concept acquisition correlates with powerful educational
constructs
• Correlations with Achievement Tests
.64 with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children: Achievement
(Zucker &Riordan, 1990)
.50 to .60 with the Wide Range Achievement Test
(Sterner & McCallum, 1988)
.65 with the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducatonal Battery Achievement (Bracken & Walker, 1997)
.67 to .81 with the Metropolitan Readiness Test (Panter, 2002)
Challenging Assumptions About
Concept Acquisition
“All children enter school already knowing important
basic concepts.”
–
Young children do not understand basic concepts commonly used in
classroom directions and discussion (Boehm, Classon, & Kelly, 1986)
–
Preschool intelligence test directions are replete with basic concepts
children do not understand (Bracken, 1986; Flanagan, Alfonso, & Kaminer,
1995; Kaufman, 1978)
–
Early childhood achievement test directions are replete with basic
concepts children do not comprehend (Cummings & Nelson, 1980)
Challenging Assumptions About
Concept Acquisition
“Parents and teachers know which concepts children
need to master.”
• My research has identified the universe of basic concepts children
need to describe and discuss their world or to follow others’ directions
• Parents often teach only easily recognized concepts prior to their
children attending school (e.g., colors, numbers/letters)
• Parents and teachers often have misperceptions about the
taxonomical nature of concept domains and sub domains
(e.g., primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors, absolutes)
Challenging Assumptions About
Concept Acquisition
“Schools systematically teach basic concepts to children
in early childhood grades.”
–
None of the 50 states’ early-childhood educational standards include all
or even most basic concepts (Bracken & Crawford, 2006)
–
Schools typically do not follow a systematic ‘conceptual map’ or proven
pedagogy for teaching basic concepts (Bracken, 1986, 2006)
–
Basic concepts are usually taught with little consideration for the scope
and sequence of concept development
Challenging Assumptions About
Concept Acquisition
“All children begin school on an equal conceptual
footing.”
–
Children of poverty know fewer basic concepts than more
economically advantaged students
–
ELL/ESL students know far fewer basic concepts (in English) than
native English speakers
–
Children with speech/language, hearing, vision, and cognitive
disabilities know fewer basic concepts than nondisabled students
Categorizing Basic Concepts
Conceptual Categories,
Concept Examples,
and
Early Childhood Educational Standards
Categorizing Basic
Concepts: Colors
Sub-domain
– Primary Colors
– Secondary Colors
• Combination of
two primary colors
– Absolutes
– Tertiary Colors
• Combination of a primary
color and a secondary
color
Concept Examples
– Red, Yellow, Blue
– Orange, Green, Purple
– White, Black
– Violet, Heather
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Colors
Show me which color is… purple
State Standards Examples: Colors
Missouri State Standards
Uses descriptive language (e.g. colors),
matches, sorts and regroups objects
according to one or more characteristic
(e.g., color), describes self using several
basic characteristics (e.g., hair color, eye
color), duplicates and extends patterns
(e.g., color), arranges objects by color,
size, texture and/or shape (PreK); Sorts
items according to some of the physical
properties of the materials (e.g., color),
sorts objects based on observable physical
properties (e.g., color) (K); Sorts and
classifies items according to attributes (1st)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Letters and Letter Sounds
Pre-Literacy Skill
• Recognition
– Upper-case
– Lower-case
• Naming
– Upper-case
– Lower-case
• Letter Sounds
• Letter Blend Sounds
Concept Examples
• Recognition
– Point to M, B, S, D
– Point to u, v, c, b
• Naming
– Name this letter, W, P, R, E
– Name this letter, a, e, g, k
• What sound does b make?
• What sound does ch make?
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Letters and Letter Sounds
Show me… K
Show me the… G
State Standards Examples: Letters
Maryland State Standards
Recognizes that letters represent
sounds, identifies and names some
upper and lower-case letters in
words, identifies pictures, shapes,
letters, and numerals (PreK);
Identifies in isolation all upper and
lower-case letters of the alphabet (K);
Identifies letters and corresponding
sounds (1st)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Numbers
Math Literacy Skill
Concept Examples
•
•
Rote Counting
Place Counting
•
•
Counting without place value
Counting with one-to-one
correspondence
•
Number Identification
•
Number Identification
– Point to the 1, 5, 8, 0
– Point to the 22, 58, 95
– Point to 138, 395, 783
– 0-9
– Double Digits
– Triple Digits
•
Number Naming
– 0-9
– Double Digits
– Triple Digits
•
Number Naming
– What is this number? 2, 6, 9
– What is this number? 44, 78
– What is this number? 234, 783
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Numbers
Show me… the ninety-five
Show me… three flowers
State Standards Examples: Numbers
Florida State Standards
Compares two or more sets and
identifies which set is equal to, more
than, or less than the other, identifies
objects that do not belong to a
particular group (K); Compares and
orders whole numbers to 100 or
more, compares two or more sets and
identifies which set is equal to, more
than, or less than the other (1st)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Sizes/Comparisons
Dimensions and Size
• Three-Dimensional Size
• Two-Dimensional Size
– Vertical
– Horizontal
• Comparative Sizes
Concept Examples
• Big, Large, Small, Little
– Tall, Short
– Long, Short
• Similar, Same, Different
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Sizes/Comparisons
Show me… which animal is big
Show me… which fence is tall
State Standards Examples: Sizes
California State Standards
Names opposites (e.g., big/small),
names and describes objects by
relative size (PreK); Identifies, sorts,
and classifies objects by attribute
(e.g., by size), describes the
properties of common objects (K);
Classifies objects by common
attributes (e.g., size), represents and
compares data (e.g., largest,
smallest), sorts objects and data by
common attributes and describes the
categories (1st)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Sizes/Comparisons
Show me… which boats are alike
State Standards Examples:
Comparisons
Illinois State Standards
Makes comparisons of quantities,
shows understanding and use of
comparative words, sorts and
classifies objects by properties,
makes comparisons among observed
objects (PreK); Identifies objects that
are the same shape, compares and
sorts two- and three-dimensional
objects (1st-2nd)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Shapes
Shapes
• Linear (vertical/horizontal)
– Curvilinear Line
– Diagonal Line
– Angular Line
Concept Examples
• Line, Straight
– Curve
– Diagonal
– Angle
• Two-Dimensional Shapes
• Circle, Square, Triangle
• Three-Dimensional Shapes
• Sphere, Cube, Pyramid
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Shapes
Show me… the star
Show me… the curve
State Standards Examples: Shapes
Texas State Standards
Discriminates and sorts objects based
on the basis of one dimension (e.g.,
shape), identifies and labels several
shapes (e.g., circle, square, triangle,
rectangle) (PreK); Recognizes and
names circles, squares, triangles, and
rectangles (K); Sorts objects by two
attributes, names 2-Dimensional
geometric figures (i.e., rectangle,
square, triangle, circle), names 3Dimensional geometric figures (i.e.,
cube, cylinder, sphere, cone). (1st)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Shapes
Show me… which children
are in a line
Show me… the pyramid
State Standards Examples: Shapes
Arizona State Standards
Demonstrates understanding of
spatial relationships and attributes of
common shapes (e.g., identifies or
names basic shapes; circles,
cylinders, squares, cubes, triangles)
(PreK); Identify 2-Dimensional shapes
by attribute (size, shape, number of
sides) (K, 1st);
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Relational Concepts
Direction and Position
•
•
•
•
•
•
Three-dimensional
Internal/External
Relative Proximity
Self/Other Perspective
Front/Rear
Specific Locations
Concept Examples
•
•
•
•
•
•
Under, Over, Right, Left
Inside, Outside, Around
Near, Far, Beside
My Right, My Left, Your
In Front of, Behind
Edge, Corner
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Relational Concepts
Show me… which child
is behind the chair
Show me… which clown
is up-side-down
State Standards Examples:
Relational Concepts
Montana State Standards
Understands positional words (e.g.,
in/on, same/different, top/bottom,
over/under, on/off, middle, between),
uses position words that indicate
where things are located in space
(i.e., inside, outside, behind, in front,
above, below, over, under, next to,
near, far) (PreK); Identifies positional
relationships (K-4)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Self and Society
Personal and Cultural
•
•
•
•
•
Affective Feeling
Health/Physical
Gender
Familial Relationships
Age
• Mores
Conceptual Examples
•
•
•
•
•
Happy, Sad, Excited
Healthy, Sick, Tired
Boy, Girl, Woman, Man
Mother, Father, Sister
Old, Young
• Right, Wrong, Correct
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Self and Society
Show me…
which person is sad
Show me… which child
is wrong
State Standards Examples:
Self and Society
Hawaii State Standards
Understands and expresses feelings,
begins to develop a sense of self,
learns about self and other people
(PreK); Sorts objects or people
according to stated attributes, uses
greetings, leave-takings, and simple
courtesy expressions, creates art that
expresses feelings (K); Identifies a
variety of feelings (e.g., anger, joy,
sadness, frustration), identifies the
feelings that result from participation
in physical activities (K-2)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Textures / Materials
Environmental Conditions
•
•
•
•
States of Matter
Textures
Materials
Material Characteristics
• Temperatures
Concept Examples
•
•
•
•
•
Solid, Liquid, Gas
Rough, Smooth, Sharp
Cloth, Wood, Metal
Wet, Dry, Shiny, Dull
Hot, Cold
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Textures / Materials
Show me… which one is a gas
Show me… which rock is smooth
State Standards Examples:
Textures and Materials
Virginia State Standards
Sorts and classifies objects according
to one or two attributes (e.g., texture),
recognizes water in its three forms
(i.e., solid, liquid, gas) (PreK);
Compares two objects or events (e.g.,
by temperature), understands that
water occurs in different states (i.e.,
solid, liquid, gas), classifies objects in
the environment by using texture (K);
Uses descriptive words when writing,
identifies and uses texture (1st)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Quantity
Concept Examples
Quantitative Characteristics
•
•
•
•
•
•
Part/Whole Relations
Relative Quantity
Volume
Multiples
Comparatives/Superlatives
Fractions
• Math Signs/Symbols
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Whole, Part, Piece
Lots, Few, Some, None
Full, Empty
Pair, Double, Triple, Dozen
More, Less, Most, Least
Half, One-Third
+, -, x
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Quantity
Show me… which tree has
many apples
Show me… where neither
child has a balloon
State Standards Examples: Quantity
Maine State Standards
Demonstrates understanding of
concepts whole and part, recognizes
and compares objects based on
differences in length, volume, weight,
width (PreK); Determines
reasonableness of results when
working with quantities, shows
understanding of addition and
subtraction, estimates and measures
length, time, temperature, weight, and
capacity, identifies and gives the
value of different coins…,
State Standards Examples: Quantity
Maine State Standards
…uses numerals and symbols (>, <,
=, +, -) to report numerical data and
relationships, describes and
compares things in terms of number,
shape, texture, size, weight, color,
and behavior (PreK-2)
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Time / Sequence
Relative Time
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mathematical Seriation
Frequency
Natural Occurring Events
Temporal Absolutes
Temporal Order
Speed
Relative Age
Temporal Nuances
Larger Temporal Periods
Concept Examples
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
First, Second, Third
Once, Twice
Morning, Daytime, Before,
Never, Always
Early, Late, Next, Arriving
Fast, Slow
New, Old, Young, Old
Nearly, Just, Waiting
Days, Weeks, Months, Seasons
Categorizing Basic Concepts:
Time / Sequence
Show me… which person
has quit working
Show me… which child is waiting
State Standards Examples:
Time and Sequence
Washington State Standards
Uses time-related words and concepts
(e.g., first/last, morning/night) (PreK);
Retells familiar stories using a
beginning, middle, and end, identifies
the ordinal position of objects at least
through tenth, groups human and
natural events in proper sequence on a
time line (K); Retells stories with
correct sequence of events,
understands sequential relationships
among whole numbers, knows daily
changes of the position of the sun (1st)
Resources
• Assessment Resources:
– Bracken, B. A. (2007). Bracken School Readiness Assessment
– 3rd Edition. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment.
– Bracken, B. A. (2006). Bracken Basic Concept Scale –
Receptive 3rd Edition. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment.
– Bracken, B. A. (2006). Bracken Basic Concept Scale:
Expressive.
San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment.
• Teaching Resources:
– Bracken, B. A. (1987). Bracken Concept Development Program.
San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
– Bracken, B. A., & Panter, J. E. (in press). Using the Bracken Basic Concept
Scale and the Bracken Concept Development Program for assessing and
remediating concept development. Psychology in the Schools.
Resources
• Early Childhood State Educational Standards:
– Bracken, B. A., & Crawford, E. (2010). Basic concepts in early childhood
educational standards: A 50-state review. Journal of Early Childhood
Education, 37, 421-431.
– For a complete 50-state review of concepts embedded in early childhood
states’ standards, cut and paste: http://faculty.wm.edu/babrac/Standards.xls
Bruce’s Contact Information
Bruce A. Bracken, PhD
The College of William & Mary
School of Education
301 Monticello Avenue
Williamsburg, VA 23187
(757) 221-1712
babrac@wm.edu
http://babrac.people.wm.edu/