Table 1 Preschool developmental assessment methods in Ghana

 Pre-academic skills

Parents’ evaluation of developmental status: developmental milestones pre-academic subscale.

 Paired-associate memory

The child was taught novel names for eight objects and tested for recall and recognition.

 Language

Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY-II) body part naming and identification and comprehension of instruction sub-tests.

 Block design

Adapted British Abilities Scales pattern construction sub-test.

 Visual search

Adapted NEPSY visual search sub-test.

 Inhibitory control: head/toe task

Head/toe sub-test of the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA).

 Inhibitory control: delay of gratification

Whether the child chose to receive one treat immediately or to wait for two, three, or four treats at the end of the second, third, and fourth tasks, respectively.

 Cognitive factor score

Factor score calculated as the first component of a factor analysis using principal-axis factoring method including all cognitive z-scores except delay of gratification, which was the only score that was not strongly associated with the others. This component accounted for 79% of the variance in these scores.

 Fine motor

National Institute of Health (NIH) Toolbox 9-Hole Pegboard test.

 Socioemotional Competence and Difficulties

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

 Behavior rating scale

Adapted from the Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment (PSRA) Assessor Report.