Children's Literacy Research Articles

"When one has no REAL illness"-analysis of the knowledge component of mental health literacy in children and adolescents of parents with a mental illness.

Mental Health Literacy (MHL) is important in promoting youth mental health. One key aspect of MHL is knowledge about mental disorders, which is particularly relevant for populations at risk for developing mental disorders, such as children of parents with a mental illness (COPMI), representing a mechanism within the transgenerational transmission. Currently, COPMI's level of disorder knowledge in general, and about the specific parental disorder has not been comprehensively researched. We, therefore, aimed to assess COPMI's disorder knowledge and clarify its association with COPMI's age and sex exploratively. To assess both general and disorder-specific knowledge, we took a novel approach that makes disorder knowledge comparable across samples and over time. A mixed method analysis of N = 181 semi-structured MHL interviews with COPMI (aged 5 to 17 years) was carried out in the COMPARE-family study in Germany. We conducted a DSM-oriented deductive qualitative content analysis to assess COPMI's general and specific disorder knowledge. Chi-square tests served to identify age and sex differences. Children revealed limited knowledge of mental disorders in general, whereas adolescents displayed more knowledge that was also partly consistent with descriptions of classification systems like the DSM-5. The level of specific knowledge about the parent's disorder depended on the disorder group. More children displayed adequate knowledge of somatic and anxiety disorders compared to trauma and depressive disorders, and more adolescents displayed adequate knowledge of depressive and anxiety disorders. COPMI's age and sex were found to be significantly associated with disorder knowledge: adolescents exhibited higher levels of adequate general and specific disorder knowledge, and males exhibited higher levels of adequate general disorder knowledge. Assessing COPMI's disorder knowledge and identifying associated age and sex differences yield valuable insights into the knowledge component of the MHL theory. Our findings can help to improve psychoeducational interventions for COPMI by orienting them to their prevailing levels of disorder knowledge. We recommend employing and extending the DSM-oriented deductive approach to assess knowledge within MHL. Analyses involving additional assessments within the COMPARE-family study are in preparation to identify potential knowledge gains over time, and associations to COPMI's own well-being and mental health symptoms.

The use of a computer-based program focused on the syllabic method to support early literacy in children with cochlear implants

BackgroundChildren with cochlear implants (CIs) often lag behind children with normal hearing (NH) in early literacy skills. Furthermore, the development of language skills associated with their emergent literacy skills seems to depend on good auditory access. Supporting language acquisition and early literacy in children with CIs may prevent difficulties in primary school. The use of technology may facilitate auditory and speech recovery in children with CIs, but evidence on computer-based early literacy programs is limited. ObjectiveThis study investigates (a) the effects of a computer-based program focusing on the syllabic method on the literacy skills of children with CIs (CIs group), comparing them with the literacy skills of a group of age-matched NH (normal hearing) peers (NHs group); (b) the associations between language and early literacy skills in the NHs group and between language, auditory and early literacy skills in the CIs group. MethodNine prelingually deaf children with CIs (M = 61.11, SD = 6.90) with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss and nine age-matched NH children participated in the program. Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) as measures of children's auditory skills were collected. All participants were tested on phonological, morphosyntax (grammatical comprehension and repetition), and early literacy skills (syllable blending and segmentation, syllable and word reading) (T1). Next, all children participated in the computer-based program for 12 weeks. After the program was completed (T2), only early literacy tests were administered to the children. ResultsAlthough, on average, both groups obtained higher scores in all literacy tasks at T2, the CIs group scored lower than the NHs group. In the CIs group, at T2 we found significant improvements in syllable segmentation (p = 0.042) and word reading (p = 0.035). In the NHs group, at T2 we found significant improvements in syllable segmentation (p = 0.034), syllable blending (p = 0.022), syllable reading (p = 0.008), and word reading (p = 0.009). We also found significant associations in both groups between measures of morphosyntax at T1 and measures of early literacy at T2. In addition, for the CIs group, we found significant associations between children's auditory performance at T1 and measures of morphosyntax at T1 and early literacy at T2. Conclusiona computer-based program focused on the syllabic method could support children with CIs in acquiring emergent literacy abilities. The auditory performance of children with CIs seems to influence their morphosyntax and later early literacy skills.

Hebrew–Russian Bilingual Children's Early Literacy Skills: The Roles of the Home Literacy Environment and Mothers' Writing Support

AbstractToday, many children worldwide grow up in bilingual or multilingual families. This study explores early literacy development in Russian–Hebrew bilingual families in Israel. It studies the contribution of the home literacy environment (HLE), the language of communication, and the nature of the maternal writing support in Hebrew and Russian, to children's early literacy skills in the two languages. Participants were 61 Israeli children (4–6 years old) and their mothers. The mothers completed questionnaires about home literacy activities in both languages and were videotaped while supporting their child in writing a list of eight words in Hebrew and Russian. Children's early literacy skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and word recognition) were assessed in both languages. Results showed that mothers adjusted their writing support not only to the child's skills but also to the particular orthography. The HLE and aspects of mothers' writing support predicted their children's early literacy skills, not only within each language but also in cross‐language models. The literacy activities provided at home and the nature of mothers' support seem to link to the children's literacy outcomes. The results stress the importance of parents' explicit efforts to support children's early literacy skills in both heritage and societal languages.

Reading for life-long health.

There is a strong, positive relationship between childhood literacy and physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. Through primary care-based literacy interventions, pediatricians reach children and their families long before they enter traditional education venues. In so doing, pediatricians play a key role in children's school readiness and in turn health outcomes. The current state of childhood literacy in United States defines an increasingly urgent platform for the healthcare profession generally, and pediatricians specifically, to embrace. Through reviewing the existing literature on the impact of childhood literacy on physical, mental, and social-emotional health outcomes, we hope to highlight the need for increased collaboration between the education and medical fields to further promote the literacy interventions in pediatric healthcare settings.

Dream vacations of children: exploring key motivations and preferred experiences by drawing

ABSTRACT Children have an important place in the family travel market as they have a strong influence on holiday decisions and their satisfaction can directly affect their parents’ satisfaction and future behavioural intentions. To attract this market and provide child tourists with a satisfying holiday experience, it is important to better understand their motivations and preferences. The aim of this research is to identify children's motivations and preferred destinations and activities in family tourism context. In this qualitative study, where children's voices were taken into account by giving them the opportunity to express their dream family holiday experience ‘drawing’, one of the widely preferred child-friendly techniques to reveal children's perspectives, was used. A total of 103 literate children aged 6–17, residing in five different cities in four regions of Turkey, participated in the research. The data were analyzed using the visual content analysis technique in Maxqda software. The results show that children's family holiday motivations can be divided into four categories: family bonding, escaping and exploring new places, activities and play, rest and relaxation. Additionally, the activities that children seek in destinations include opportunities for group activities, activities related to nature, cultural experiences, and built environment experiences.

Psychometric properties of the knowledge and understanding questionnaire of the canadian assessment of physical literacy-2 in low-income brazilian children

This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Physical Literacy Knowledge (PLK) questionnaire from Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 for Portuguese version, and to evaluate its psychometric properties (construct validation, content, composite reliability, measurement invariance) in low-income Brazilian children. The sample comprised of 562 children (247 girls), aged between 8.00 and 12.99 years-old (10.20±1.20 years), enrolled in the 12 public-school in Lagoa do Carro city, Pernambuco, Brazil. A translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PLK questionnaire was carried out. Content validity was determined by calculating the content validity coefficient, which assesses the relevance, clarity and pertinence of total (CVCt) and each question individually (CVCi). The dimensional structure of the PLK and alternative models were considered with first and second order models. Internal consistency was assessed using composite reliability. Structural invariance (configural, metric, scalar and strict) between sexes was also assessed using a multigroup factor analysis. Content validity was considered acceptable, varying between 0.88 and 1.00 for CVCi, and 0.91, 0.94 and 0.99 for clarity, pertinence and relevance in the CVCt, respectively. Construct validity was considered adequate, with 3 dimensions and 9 items model being the most appropriate [χ²(df)=34.01(24); CFI=0.92; TLI=0.87; RMSEA=0.03; SRMR=0.04; 90%CIRMSEA=0.00-0.05]. The questionnaire was structurally invariant (all ΔCFI<0.05). Based on the findings, the PLK questionnaire has adequate psychometric properties to assess the cognitive domain of Physical Literacy in low-income Brazilian children. Key-words: Physical Literacy; Cognition; Children; Psychometry; Child Development.

From brain to education through machine learning: Predicting literacy and numeracy skills from neuroimaging data

Abstract The potential of using neural data to predict academic outcomes has always been at the heart of educational neuroscience, an emerging field at the crossroad of psychology, neuroscience, and education sciences. Although this prospect has long been elusive, the exponential use of advanced techniques in machine learning in neuroimaging may change this state of affairs. Here we provide a review of neuroimaging studies that have used machine learning to predict literacy and numeracy outcomes in adults and children, in both the context of learning disability and typical performance. We notably review the cross-sectional and longitudinal designs used in such studies, and describe how they can be coupled with regression and classification approaches. Our review highlights the promise of these methods for predicting literacy and numeracy outcomes, as well as their difficulties. However, we also found a large variability in terms of algorithms and underlying brain circuits across studies, and a relative lack of studies investigating longitudinal prediction of outcomes in young children before the onset of formal education. We argue that the field needs a standardization of methods, as well as a greater use of accessible and portable neuroimaging methods that have more applicability potential than lab-based neuroimaging techniques.

LanguageScreen: The Development, Validation, and Standardization of an Automated Language Assessment App.

Oral language skills provide a critical foundation for formal education and especially for the development of children's literacy (reading and spelling) skills. It is therefore important for teachers to be able to assess children's language skills, especially if they are concerned about their learning. We report the development and standardization of a mobile app-LanguageScreen-that can be used by education professionals to assess children's language ability. The standardization sample included data from approximately 350,000 children aged 3;06 (years;months) to 8;11 who were screened for receptive and expressive language skills using LanguageScreen. Rasch scaling was used to select items of appropriate difficulty on a single unidimensional scale. LanguageScreen has excellent psychometric properties, including high reliability, good fit to the Rasch model, and minimal differential item functioning across key student groups. Girls outperformed boys, and children with English as an additional language scored less well compared to monolingual English speakers. LanguageScreen provides an easy-to-use, reliable, child-friendly means of identifying children with language difficulties. Its use in schools may serve to raise teachers' awareness of variations in language skills and their importance for educational practice.

Enhancing Early Childhood Literacy through Game-Based Interactive Digital Media Development

Literacy skills are one of the important skills needed by early childhood. Digital games are one of the media that can be developed into teaching materials. As we know, games have developed into many types. In this case, the research aims to develop digital games that can be useful for improving early childhood literacy skills. The game that was developed was then assessed for its feasibility to become teaching material by media experts. the results of the research by the two media experts showed 79.50%, which means that digital games are feasible to use to improve students' literacy skills. After going through an expert assessment, the digital games are implemented to early childhood to see the level of readability of letters by students. In the implementation stage carried out by giving pre tests and post tests, there was an increase in the readability of letters by children. Then the N-Gain test was conducted to find out how effective digital games are for improving literacy in children. The results of the N-Gain test found that digital games are very effective for use in learning with an N-Gain score of 77%.

Development of Read Aloud-Based Video Learning to Improve Early Age Children's Literacy Al-Quran

This study aims to develop Read Aloud-based learning videos to improve Early Childhood Literacy at Early Childhood Education Al-Quran Dian Asshobri which is appropriate and effective. The development of Read Aloud-based learning videos was developed with a System-based R & D research model, namely ADDIE. Product feasibility was tested by three experts, namely material experts, instructional design experts, and learning media experts as well as student feasibility tests through one-to-one tests, small-scale and large-scale tests. The sample media in this study were group B students with an age range of 5-6 years. The results showed that the quality of the Read Aloud-based learning videos developed was classified as good (89.71%), good for one-to-one trials (88.67%), good for small groups (90.20%) and very good for large groups (92.76%). Meanwhile, the t_count value is 7.87459 and the t_table value at a significant level of 5% is 2.306004, so t_count > t_table or 7.87459 >2.306004, so h_a is accepted and h_0 is rejected. This means that there is a significant difference in student learning outcomes before and after being given treatment. This shows that the Read Aloud-based learning videos are feasible and effective and can improve student learning outcomes.

Ethnomathematics in Traditional Food: Enhancing Mathematical Literacy in Early Childhood

Ethnomathematics in Traditional Food: Enhancing Mathematical Literacy in Early Childhood

LITERASI ANAK USIA DINI: OPTIMALISASI PENGGUNAAN PERPUSTAKAAN TAMAN KANAK-KANAK

Early childhood literacy is essential to children's cognitive and social development. A literacy environment helps build children's interests, including reading and writing. Reading readiness is very important so young children can develop a basic understanding of letters and sounds before formal learning at school. One practical approach to increasing early childhood literacy is to utilize kindergarten libraries. They are optimizing Kindergarten Libraries as a form of accommodating Early Childhood literacy. This research uses descriptive qualitative so that the author can describe in detail and interpret the data or symptoms obtained during the study, which was carried out at Kindergarten Pelita Hati Jember. Data collection techniques include interviews, observation, and documentation, with purposive determination of informants. So the informants chosen were the Principal, Class Teacher, Student Teacher, Library Teacher, and Students. The data analysis technique used is the Miles and Huberman data analysis technique. The research results show two developments in the optimization of the kindergarten library at Kindergarten Pelita Hati Jember, namely the development of book collections that are relevant to early childhood development and the development of new learning models. The library at Kindergarten Pelita Hati Jember is based on the tasks and functions of the library, including being a place for early childhood literacy activities. The room design and arrangement of books and other supporting equipment are very neatly arranged, with unique colours and a lovely study table.

Psychosocial Support After Galodo in Jorong Panti, Nagari Rambatan, Tanah Datar

The Galodo disaster that struck Jorong Panti, Rambatan District, Tanah Datar, not only caused physical damage but also had a significant impact on the psychosocial condition of the community. The loss of homes, family members, and livelihoods created a need for assistance that goes beyond material support, emphasizing the importance of psychosocial care. This community service program aimed to restore the psychosocial condition of disaster victims, reduce post-disaster trauma, enhance community skills and knowledge, and support local economic recovery. The method used in this service was Participatory Action Research (PAR), allowing direct community involvement in the recovery process. Activities included psychological support for families and children, reviving Quranic learning programs (TPA) that had stopped, enhancing early childhood literacy through storytelling and drawing, and organizing political education to prepare for local elections, as well as entrepreneurship workshops to reignite the survivors' work spirit and improve their skills. The results of this program show that the psychosocial assistance provided successfully reduced trauma impacts, particularly on children, and increased community participation in social and religious activities. Additionally, the entrepreneurship and political education programs contributed positively to local economic recovery and improved the community’s political awareness. In the final week, the program concluded with religious competitions and cultural performances as a form of appreciation and an effort to strengthen social traditions and values. In conclusion, this community service program had a positive impact on the psychosocial and economic recovery of the Jorong Panti community following the Galodo disaster by actively involving the community in every phase of recovery

Literasi Anak Usia Dini: Optimalisasi Perpustakaan Taman Kanak-Kanak

Early childhood literacy is essential to children's cognitive and social development. A literacy environment helps build children's interests, including reading and writing. Reading readiness is very important so young children can develop a basic understanding of letters and sounds before formal learning at school. One practical approach to increasing early childhood literacy is to utilize kindergarten libraries. They are optimizing Kindergarten Libraries as a form of accommodating Early Childhood literacy. This research uses descriptive qualitative so that the author can describe in detail and interpret the data or symptoms obtained during the study, which was carried out at Kindergarten Pelita Hati Jember. Data collection techniques include interviews, observation, and documentation, with purposive determination of informants. So the informants chosen were the Principal, Class Teacher, Student Teacher, Library Teacher, and Students. The data analysis technique used is the Miles and Huberman data analysis technique. The research results show two developments in the optimization of the kindergarten library at Kindergarten Pelita Hati Jember, namely the development of book collections that are relevant to early childhood development and the development of new learning models. The library at Kindergarten Pelita Hati Jember is based on the tasks and functions of the library, including being a place for early childhood literacy activities. The room design and arrangement of books and other supporting equipment are very neatly arranged, with unique colours and a lovely study table.

Game-based Digital Media Development to Improve Early Children's Literacy

One aspect of early childhood development that is very important is the language aspect, including early literacy skills. To enhance this development component, media development—including digital-based media—is required. In light of this, the goal of this research is to create digital media that is based on games to enhance early childhood literacy. Assessment/Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation are the five stages that make up the Lee and Owens paradigm. The kids in the study ranged in age from 4 to 5. Techniques for gathering data include documentation, interviews, and observation. Digital media is designed using the Android operating system. The results show that the N-Gain Score value is 0.77 and the N-Gain Score (%) is 77.00%. Thus, it shows that game-based digital media is effective in improving literacy skills in early childhood with an effectiveness value of 77.00% with very high level of effectiveness.

Латынь и церковнославянский как языки «ученого духовенства»: к истории духовного образования в XVIII веке

In the XVIII century, the clergy went through the most important processes related to the formation of the estate; the creation of a system of spiritual education plays an important role in this process. We will look at how the idea of literacy and scholarship as mandatory components of self-image was formed among the clergy, and how the languages included in these ideas have changed over the century. Having analyzed "literacy" and "scholarship" as elements of state regulation of the number of clergy, we will consider the concepts of literacy focused on the Church Slavonic language and literature, and their transformation after the spread of regular seminary "Latin" education. The material of archival documents allows you to see the assessment of the literacy of children of the clergy at admission to the seminary, as well as to understand exactly what skills were included in this assessment. Next, we reconstruct the semantic shift that has been taking place in the attitude of the clergy to seminary education over the course of a century: what kind of learning outcomes did the parents of seminarians expect when sending their children to educational institutions, and how these formulations have changed over the century. The system of spiritual education turns out to be built in such a way as to have priority over home schooling, and Latin is in the focus of attention as the main "filter" that allows separating the "learned" clergy from the "unlearned", i.e. "illiterate. But with the spread of seminary education, the status of "scholarship" begins to be associated no longer with the Latin language, but with less common languages: European (French and German) and "theological" (Greek and Hebrew).

Perceived physical literacy in children and early adolescents: Two valid and reliable versions of the PL-C Quest

Perceived physical literacy contributes to the understanding of individuals' physical activity (PA) engagement. It is important a scale is validated in the population of interest. Also, the type of administration may affect reliability and validity. So, the aim of this study was twofold: 1) to examine evidence of validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the Physical Literacy for Children Questionnaire (PL-C Quest) in a cohort of children and adolescents and 2) to assess two versions of administering the scale. The study was conducted in two stages, depending on the administration format of the PL-C Quest (double-dichotomous, and four-point response style) in a cohort of 2004 (n1 = 916; n2 = 1088) students. In both administration forms, evidence of validity (relation with other variables, i.e., concurrent and predictive, and structural validity), invariance (between boys and girls) and reliability (test-retest and internal consistency) were examined. There was evidence of validity for both administration types, with adequate reliability and good to excellent test-retest reliability for both administration forms. Both methods of administration for the PL-C Quest can capture perceived physical literacy in Spanish 8- to 14-year-old children and early adolescents.

Antecedents of child literacy in Romania

BackgroundThis paper investigates multiple antecedents of literacy in children, such as demographics, child reading behaviour, parent reading behaviour and family context.MethodsThe study included a Romanian sample of 924 primary schoolers (Grades 1–4) and their parents; children and parents were tested with a standardised measure of literacy, and parents answered a number of self‐report questions about their and their child's literacy‐related behaviours.ResultsRegression analyses and relative predictor weights showed a significant positive association between child literacy and child behaviour (time currently spent by the child reading books), as well as with family context (especially parent literacy), followed by demographics and, to a lesser degree, with parent behaviour.ConclusionsThe findings provide a first solid understanding of the children's literacy phenomenon in the less investigated educational and cultural environment of Romania and encourage further research on this important topic.

COVID-19 prevention education using interactive comic and animated videos on the health literacy of school-aged children: Implications for healthcare policy and management

Background: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the proliferation of fake news and an infodemic has highlighted the necessity to enhance health literacy, particularly among school-aged children in the concrete operational phase of cognitive development. However, current health literacy studies predominantly focus on the adult population and overlook COVID-19 prevention protocols. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention education utilizing interactive comic and animated videos on the health literacy of school-aged children in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental research design with pretest-posttest nonequivalent control groups conducted from July to November 2021. Non-random sampling was utilized to select elementary schools and students, resulting in seventy-eight respondents. Health literacy was assessed using the modified 22-item Indonesian version of the Health Literacy Scale of COVID-19. Data analysis employed the Wilcoxon test. Results: Significant improvements in children’s health literacy were evident within the intervention group from pretest to posttest (p = 0.046, p <0.05). Conversely, no significant change was observed within the control group post-intervention. Furthermore, comparable pre-intervention health literacy levels were noted across both groups, with a modest increase post-intervention, suggesting the intervention’s potential to enhance health literacy, albeit to a limited extent. Conclusion: The research highlights the significance of focused health education for school children, particularly in preventing COVID-19. Incorporating interactive media such as animated videos and comics in school programs can improve health literacy. Policymakers need to invest in creating and sharing engaging health education materials working with schools, communities, and parents. Moreover, integrating artificial intelligence-driven personalized learning platforms may be possible to enhance information delivery, enabling children to confidently address health issues in the digital era. These findings may also guide post-pandemic health education approaches, ensuring children are informed and ready for future health challenges.

I feel well, i play well, i learn well: Direct and indirect divergent thinking mediate the role of well-being in supporting literacy achievements

In this study, we focused on children's well-being and dual manifestations of divergent thinking (DT), both direct and indirect, to investigate how these constructs correlate with children's literacy achievements. For this purpose, 107 children (52 % boys, mean age: 5.5 years, standard deviation (SD = 0.47 years) were recruited. Children's well-being was studied by counting their negative and positive affects expressed during solitary play and indicated by the positivity ratio, an index commonly used in adult studies but not previously employed in child samples. The same play episodes were used to examine indirect DT through object substitution generation (e.g., using a banana as a telephone), whereas direct manifestations of DT were examined using an alternate uses task that provided an indication of DT's triadic dimensions: fluency, flexibility, and originality. Vocabulary, morphology, and letter recognition tests were used to measure children's literacy achievements. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that well-being is related to literacy achievements through indirect DT manifestation, which drives the flexible thinking dimension when DT is induced directly. We concluded that allocating multiple representations of objects in a play setting provides children with an opportunity to practice flexible thinking, a critical mechanism that connects well-being with literacy skills. This study is significant in revealing the possible mechanisms that explain how well-being affects children's cognitive and academic development. Practically, it provides educational practitioners with insights into monitoring children's mental states and promoting flexible thinking, both implicitly through play activities and explicitly through structure tasks.