EYT Not This

The ‘Not This’ Task is an iPad-based phonological working memory measure (i.e., the amount of auditory information that concurrently can be coordinated in in mind). In this game, children are presented with an array of characters (i.e. shapes that have cartoon expressions on their faces) that vary in shape, size and colour (e.g., a large blue circle). Before the characters are shown, participants hear an auditory instruction to point to a card that does not fulfill a certain descriptive quality (e.g. “Find a shape that is not red” or “Find a shape that is not a triangle and is not large”). For each level, the number of descriptive qualities that must be held in mind increases; however, the game ceases after 3 incorrect responses within the same level, to ensure the game does not continue beyond the child’s ability level. This game takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

The 'Early Years Toolbox' (EYT, for short) is comprised of six brief, engaging game-like assessments of young children’s self-regulation, executive functioning and vocabulary. These games are based on well-established and widely used measures for young children (e.g., go/no-go, dimensional change card sort), yet have been adapted and optimised on the basis of 20+ years of research experience with this age group.

NOTE FOR RESEARCHERS. If using this app for research and/or publication purposes, please cite the following as the original source articles (please feel free to contact us for copies of these articles):

Howard, S. J., & Okely, T. (2015). Catching fish and avoiding sharks: Investigating factors that influence developmentally appropriate measurement of preschoolers’ inhibitory control. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 33(6), 585-596.

Howard, S. J., & Melhuish, E. (2015). An Early Years Toolbox (EYT) for assessing early executive function, language, self-regulation, and social development: Validity, reliability and preliminary norms. Manuscript submitted for publication.