Preschool approaches to learning and their relationship to other relevant classroom competencies for low-income children

The validity generalization of the Preschool Learning Behavior Scale (PLBS; McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 2000) dimensions was assessed for low-income, urban, preschool children. A three-factor structure was found: Competence Motivation, Attention/Persistence, and Attitude Toward Learning. This structure was congruent with the PLBS structure derived from the national standardization sample. Multi-method, multi-source concurrent validity analyses further substantiated the PLBS dimensions for use with this population. Measures of interactive peer play behaviors at home and at school, dimensions of classroom self-regulation, and assessments of receptive and expressive vocabulary provided convergent validity for the PLBS dimensions, while measures of disruptive and disconnected peer play behaviors at home and at school provided divergent validity.