Research on the development of argumentation has traditionally focused on adolescent and preadolescent populations, based on the assumption that argumentative skills begin to consolidate around the age of twelve. However, recent studies suggest that some components of argumentation may emerge earlier in childhood. To address these inconsistencies, the present study investigates how argumentative competence develops during primary education years. The study explores children's ability to produce arguments, counterarguments, rebuttals, and supporting evidence within dialogic contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 95 Mexican primary school children in three age groups (7-8, 9-10, and 11-12 year-olds). Data were analyzed using a coding rubric to identify developmental patterns in argumentation structure and complexity. Results reveal an age-related progression in argumentative competence, with older children showing greater coordination between claims and evidence. Unexpectedly, high intragroup variability was observed, indicating that progression is not uniform across individuals. Notably, our study identifies precursor forms of counterargumentation and rebuttal in Mexican children, suggesting that these argumentative moves can be fostered through tailored support even in early school years. The findings provide insights about the developmental nature of argumentation and the importance of task framing in revealing students' potential to engage in complex argumentative reasoning.
This study investigated the relationships among phonological awareness (PA), executive functions (EF), and self-regulation (SR) in Turkish first-grade children attending public primary schools during the early stages of formal literacy instruction. Participants were 368 first-grade students in T & uuml;rkiye. PA was assessed through direct child assessment, whereas EF and SR were measured using teacher-report instruments. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analyses and multiple linear regression. The findings showed that PA was positively and significantly associated with all SR components, including inhibitory control, attention, and working memory. PA was also positively associated with EF-working memory, EF-inhibitory control, and total EF scores. Regression analyses indicated that SR-inhibitory control and SR-attention were significantly associated with PA, accounting for approximately 10% of the variance. Overall, the findings suggest that regulatory processes are modestly associated with individual differences in PA among first-grade children; however, these associations should be interpreted cautiously given the reliance on teacher-reported EF and SR measures, the high overlap among regulatory indicators, and the modest proportion of explained variance.
