Kindergarten Children Research Articles

Caries Incidence and Its Associated Factors in Hong Kong Kindergarten Children

ObjectiveThe study aimed to investigate caries incidence and its associate factors among kindergarten children in Hong Kong. MethodThis 30-month prospective study recruited 3- to 4-year-old children when they started their kindergarten study. A self-administered parental questionnaire survey was used to collect the children's social demographic information and their oral health-related habits. Child's caries experience was recorded using the decayed, missing, and filled tooth (dmft) index and the visible plaque index (VPI) was used to measure their oral hygiene status. A final examination was performed after 30 months when they were in the final year of kindergarten. Data were analysed using the zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model. ResultsThis study examined 660 children at baseline and 501 children at the final examination (dropout 24%). At baseline, the caries prevalence among 501 children was 23%, with mean (SD) dmft scores of 0.7 (1.8). At the final examination, caries prevalence increased to 41%, with mean (SD) dmft scores of 1.6 (2.8). The 30-month incidence rate was 34%, and the mean (SD) number of new carious teeth developed was 0.9 (1.7). Lower first molars exhibited the highest caries increment rate (11%), followed by upper second molars (9%) and upper central incisors (9%). ZINB regression analysis revealed associations among caries incidence and family income, baseline dmft, and baseline VPI (P < .05). ConclusionsOne third of Hong Kong kindergarten children developed new caries. Low family income, prior caries experience and poor oral hygiene were the significant factors associated with their caries incidence. Clinical RelevanceMany children developed new caries during their kindergarten years, with their caries experience more than doubling. Preventive measures, including oral health education and reinforcing oral hygiene practice in kindergarten, are essential to reduce their caries incidence, particularly for children with low family income, caries experience and poor oral hygiene.

The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in alleviating the severity of behavioral problems among deaf kindergarten children

The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in alleviating the severity of behavioral problems among deaf kindergarten children

Using action research to infuse nature-based loose parts play into the Kindergarten Program

ABSTRACT This research explores how nature-based loose part play helps unfold young children’s learning connected with the natural world in the Kindergarten Program. It uses action research to investigate nature-based loose parts play in connection with the Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum to provide unique insights into identifying and addressing action research questions in practice and enhancing educational discourses. Nature-based loose parts play is an approach for learning to reconnect young children with nature and environment through hands-on experiential experiences, to build a foundation that enhances their learning indoors and outdoors and to develop deeper understanding of the relationships of all living things. The findings reveal that, through nature-based loose parts play, creating invitations for environmental learning is the first step to intrigue Kindergarten children towards further exploration and investigation. Nature-based loose parts play is viewed as a methodology and a pedagogy to fully integrate outside and inside learning environments to enrich children’s learning.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of Young Children’s Attitudes Towards Peers with Disabilities in South Korea and the United States

ABSTRACT Despite much research effort in promoting young children’s positive attitudes towards peers with disabilities, little is known about cultural influences on the attitude formation. In this study, data were collected from 111 kindergarten aged children from South Korea (n = 59) and the United States (n = 52) to measure the participating children’s attitudes towards peers with disabilities and compare their responses to an attitude measure, the Acceptance Scale for Kindergarteners-Revised (ASK-R). Results revealed that American children had significantly more positive attitudes towards peers with disabilities than Korean children did. When comparing children’s responses to each item in the ASK-R, larger differences were found on the items that did not specifically ask about peers with disabilities (e.g. Do you play with kids even if they look different?). Based on the results, cultural influences on children’s understanding and acceptance of peers with disabilities are discussed.

Promoting Sustainability Together with Parents in Early Childhood Education

This multimethod study investigated an environmental recycling project in a Finnish kindergarten group, tailored for children aged 4 to 6, as part of early childhood environmental education for sustainable development. We aimed to identify the main drivers of sustainable lifestyles in the families of kindergarten children and evaluate the project’s effective practices. We utilized a qualitative approach using interviews with parents and feedback from teachers and employed the Following a Thread approach alongside inductive thematic analysis. The results highlight the crucial role of Finland’s socio-cultural context, including the emphasis on free play in natural settings and the encouragement of exploration under gentle guidance, in fostering sustainable behaviors among children. Additionally, the parents’ strong environmental sensitivity was manifested in their will to engage with their surrounding community to promote sustainability. The results underscore the importance of collaboration between parents and educators in promoting environmental awareness from an early age. The study advocates for policy changes to ensure that children and teachers have access to natural environments during day care, suggesting that integrating free play in nature with hands-on recycling activities can significantly contribute to sustainable education. Moreover, this topic should be further investigated in different living environments.

A Psychometric Review of Universal Reading Screeners Approved by the State Board of Education

In 2023, the Georgia Legislature passed the Georgia Early Literacy Act (HB 538), representing a sweeping reform effort to improve the quality of early reading instruction in the state. HB 538 requires schools to screen children in kindergarten through third grade three times yearly. Related to this requirement, HB 538 requires that the State Board of Education approve a list of 16 universal reading screeners that can: 1) provide relevant information to target instruction, 2) measure foundational literacy skills, 3) identify students who are struggling to acquire reading skills, and 4) be used to monitor progress. The purpose of this review is to provide a supplement to the SBOE’s approved list so that Local Education Agencies (LEAs) can assess the relative psychometric strength of each screener as they select the most appropriate screener for the students they serve. We compiled information regarding each screener's reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity to create an exposition of their strengths and weaknesses. We found that GaDOE's approved list contains numerous tools with acceptable psychometric properties; however, large variability in the amount of psychometric data available for each screener is problematic. LEAs are recommended to consider psychometric strength as a critical factor when selecting an early literacy screener.

About birds and bees, snails and trees: Children's ideas on animal and plant evolution

AbstractEvolution is the integrative framework of the life sciences. Even though the topic is often not formally introduced before high school, young children already have various ideas about evolutionary principles (variation, inheritance, and selection) and their underlying key concepts (e.g., differential fitness, reproduction, and speciation). Describing and refining those ideas has increasingly received attention over the last two decades. However, we see two scopes of improvement in the field: (1) There is a need to examine children's ideas about evolutionary concepts holistically rather than focusing at specific aspects. (2) Although research has shown that older students have different ideas about animal and plant evolution, there is little data on children's ideas about plant evolution to compare with their ideas about animal evolution. All of this results in an incomplete record of children's pre‐existing ideas that would help to design assessments or interventions. Consequently, we developed a set of questions, about the evolutionary principles and interviewed 24 kindergarten children. Most children had basic ideas about individual variation in animals and plants but experienced a lack of knowledge about the origin of variation. Most children seemed to acknowledge plants as living beings and reasoned equally about animals and plants for most concepts. However, many children failed to reason about reproduction and inheritance in plants because they believed plants would not reproduce sexually. Confronted with a selection scenario, most children struggled applying concepts previously shown on an individual level to a population level. Considering our findings, we propose ideas about how to measure and foster children's pre‐existing ideas about evolution.

Development and validation of an artificial intelligence literacy assessment for kindergarten children

Development and validation of an artificial intelligence literacy assessment for kindergarten children

Upaya Meningkatkan Kemampuan Motorik Halus Pada Anak Usia 5-6 Tahun Melalui Metode Mewarnai Gambar di TK Anugerah Soe

This research aims to determine efforts to improve the fine motor skills of children aged 5-6 years through the method of coloring pictures. This research uses a classroom action research approach carried out in two cycles. Each cycle goes through four stages, namely: planning, implementation, observation and reflection. The subjects of this research were Anugerah Soe Kindergarten with 27 children aged 4-6 years, consisting of 8 girls and 19 boys. Data is collected through observation, documentation and performance. Data analysis uses qualitative descriptive methods. The results of the research show that coloring activities are very appropriate for developing the fine motor skills of kindergarten children because through coloring activities children learn about initial writing skills, namely the ability to hold coloring tools, move the wrist and hand-eye coordination which is very useful for the next level of education. Therefore, implementing coloring activities for kindergarten children is considered very appropriate.

Creating equal groups from n items: mathematical creativity in kindergarten

This study examines the solutions of 34 kindergarten children as they create equal groups from n bottle caps, where n was equal to 8, 9, 22, and 23. For each n, children were asked to find as many different solutions as possible. The number of solutions they found, i.e., children’s fluency, as well as the strategies used to create equal groups, was analyzed. Findings indicated that for large numbers, fluency was greater for an even number of objects than for an odd number of objects. In general, most children reached only one solution. For all four tasks, most children created only two equal groups of caps, even though they could have created three groups or more. A significant association was found between tasks and a preferred strategy. While children employed between one and two strategies when working on a single task, when considering all four tasks, they generally employed between two and three strategies.

Designing a Proposed Program Based on Artificial Intelligence Applications and Measuring Its Effectiveness in Developing the Positive Thinking Skills of Kindergarten Children

The aim of the research is to develop the positive thinking of kindergarten children through a proposed program designed in the light of artificial intelligence, the research community being one of the 227 kindergarten children. The research sample was limited to a random sample of 30 children divided into two groups, a pilot group (15) and an officer group (15). The results revealed statistically significant differences between the average grades of children of the pilot groups and those in the remote application of the positive child reflection test for the pilot group; statistically significant differences between the average grades of children of the pilot group in the tribal and remote applications to test the positive image of children in the interest of remote application for the total test score, as well as in the four dimensions of the test: (personal consent — positive expectations and optimism — acceptance of difference with others ∙ personal responsibility); which demonstrates the success and effectiveness of the programme in developing the positive thinking of children in the kindergarten phase.

The Effectiveness of a Program based on Integrated Activities on Environmental Awareness among Kindergarteners in Jordan

This study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of a program based on integrated activities in developing environmental awareness among kindergarten children. The quasi-experimental design was used. The study sample consisted of (59) kindergarten children in the second level (KG2) who were regular in the second semester of the scholastic year 2020/2021 in Al-Bayt Al-Arabi Kindergarten which followed to the first Directorate of Education in Amman, and the experimental and control groups were randomly distributed in which section (A) represented the experimental group and consisted of (29) children and section (B) represented the control group and it consisted of (30) children. To collect the study data an environmental awareness scale, and a guide for using the program based on integrated activities were built as well as the validity and reliability of the study tool were identified. The results showed the effectiveness of the program based on integrated activities on developing environmental awareness among kindergarten children. In light of the results of this study, the researchers recommended that kindergartens use the program based on integrated activities in teaching kindergarten children to develop environmental awareness among them.

A proposed educational program in developing the arts of dealing with others (Etiquette) for kindergarten children

The current research aims to: 1- Constructing a measure of the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) for a kindergarten child. 2- Constructing an educational program based on social learning theory to develop the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) for kindergarten child. 3- Identifying the impact of an educational program based on social learning theory to develop the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) among kindergarten child. 4- Identify the statistical differences in the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) according to gender (males, females). The research sample consisted of (60) male and female children aged (5-6) years in the (primary stage), from the kindergarten (Jannat al-Zahra) affiliated with the Directorate of Education of the Najaf Governorate. The sample children were distributed equally into two experimental and control groups. To verify the objectives of the research, The researcher built an illustrated scale to develop the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) for kindergarten children, in which she relied on social learning theory. The scale of the arts of dealing with others included (50) items distributed over (10) arts, and the psychometric properties of the scale were extracted from validity and reliability. An educational program was prepared based on social learning theory to develop the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) among kindergarten children, based on social learning theory. The data was analyzed and processed statistically using the Statistical Portfolio for Psychological and Social Sciences (SPSS) The researcher concluded that there are statistically significant differences at the level of (0.05) between the average scores of children in the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) in the pre- and post-measurements of the experimental and control groups, and in favor of the experimental group. There are statistically significant differences at the level of (0.05) between the average Children's scores in the arts of dealing with others (etiquette) in the post-measurement of the experimental group according to gender (males - females), in favor of females, According of the research results, the researcher concluded with a set of recommendations and proposals.

Differences in Gross Motor Skills of Preschool Children Aged 5-6 Years Before and After Playing the Traditional Engklek Game

Background: Gross motor skills are important for a child's survival because they are stimulated during childhood, which is a long time to practice everything that will be carried into adulthood. According to national data, in Indonesia, 11% of children below the age of 5 experience growth and development disorders. The purpose of this research was to analyze the differences on the child's gross motor skills before and after the traditional engklek game at Dharma Wanita Tisnogambar Kindergarten, Jember Regency. Methods: Pre-experimental is the method used in this research with a one-group pre-post test approach. With a total population of 30 Dharma Wanita Tisnogambar Kindergarten children and a sample of 16, the SOP for playing crank and gross motor observation sheets, the intervention was carried out for 2 weeks with 4 meetings, the Wilcoxon Match Pairs Test is the analysis used by the researchers. Results: The results of the gross motoric research before the game were carried out in the BB category of as many as 11 children (68.8%) and in the MB category of as many as 5 children (31.3%). Meanwhile, after the game was played, the results were in the BSB category, namely 10 people (62.5%), in the BSH category, namely 4 people (25%), and 2 other people were in the MB category (12.5%). The results of the analysis show that there are differences on the child's gross motor skills before and after the traditional engklek game, the p-value is 0.03 - 0.05. Conclusions: The conclusion is that before and after the traditional engklek game, there are differences in the gross motor skills of children in kindergarten.

Implementation of the Role-Playing to Develop Speaking Skills for Early Childhood

Some kindergarten children exhibit delayed speech development and require an appropriate learning methodology to enhance their speaking skills during early childhood, specifically between the ages of 4-5 years. This study aimed to investigate the application of role-playing in developing speaking skills and to identify the supporting and inhibiting factors for developing speaking abilities in kindergarten children aged 4-5 years in Samarinda, Indonesia. This qualitative study employed observations, interviews, and documentation as data-collection techniques. Data sources were derived from primary data, namely principals, homeroom teachers, and representatives of the curriculum section, whereas secondary data were obtained from documentation. Data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman method in three stages: data reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results indicated that role-playing in developing the speaking skills of children aged 4-5 years in kindergarten is determined by the theme, sub-theme, topic of activities, and play materials. It is implemented using a rolling system wherein the teacher explains the child's role, provides examples, and elucidates the game's rules regarding subsequent play activities. The teacher then invited the children to select their roles and read storylines. Once the child comprehends the activities, the teacher encourages the child to engage in play. The teacher's responsibility is to supervise while posing questions to obtain information about the child's play experience while providing examples of communication by delivering appropriate vocabulary. Evaluation of role-playing involves indirect observations during children's play, assessment of children's work, notes on children's developmental observations, and indicators that serve as learning targets.

A Study of Obesity in Kindergarten-Age Children in J City in 2020

Saat ini Indonesia sedang menghadapi beban ganda dalam masalah gizi atau biasa dikenal dengan istilah double burden malnutrition. Salah satu kondisi dari permasalahan gizi lebih adalah kegemukan yang jika tidak diantisipasi sejak dini akan menimbulkan berbagai masalah kesehatan lainnya terutama masalah penyakit-penyakit non infeksi (non-communicable disease). Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui studi kegemukan anak usia taman kanak-kanak di Kota Jayapura tahun 2020. Jenis penelitian menggunakan kuantitatif analitik dengan pendekatan cross-sectional. Populasi dan sampelnya sebanyak 90 anak usia taman kanak-kanak, dengan teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan purposive random sampling. Instrumen yang dipakai meliputi timbangan injak merk Camry dengan ketelitian 0,1 kg untuk mengukur berat badan dan mikrotoa dengan ketelitian 0,1 cm untuk mengukur tinggi badan dan untuk menganalisis status gizi menggunakan program komputer anthroplus. Sedangkan untuk penentuan asupan gizi menggunakan formulir recall 1 x 24 jam untuk penilaian asupan energi dan asupan serat. Untuk menganalisis data asupan menggunakan bantuan program Nutrisurvey. Data karakterisitik, riwayat genetik dan aktivitas fisik anak menggunakan kuesioner serta formulir chek list yang dibagikan pada saat penelitian. Data dianalisis menggunakan analisis univariat dan bivariat dengan uji chi-square p-value &lt; ? (0,05). Uji statistik penelitian ini menunjukkan terdapat hubungan antara genetik dari orang tua dengan kegemukan (p-value = 0,005, RP = 2,152 CI 95% (1,254-3,683)), tingkat asupan energi (p-value = 0,000, RP = 2,917 CI 95% (1,570-5,417)), dan aktivitas fisik anak (p-value = 0,013, RP = 2,121 CI 95% (1,150-3,14)), sedangkan tidak terdapat hubungan kegemukan dengan tingkat asupan serat (p-value = 0,955, RP = 1,067 CI 95% (0,664-1,716)).

Continued care and provision of glasses are necessary to improve visual and academic outcomes in children: Experience from a cluster-randomized controlled trial of school-based vision screening

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of a kindergarten vision screening program by randomly assigning schools to receive or not receive vision screening, then following up 1.5 years later.MethodsFifty high-needs elementary schools were randomly assigned to participate or not in a vision screening program for children in senior kindergarten (SK; age 5‒6 years). When the children were in Grade 2 (age 6‒7 years), vision screening was conducted at all 50 schools.ResultsContrary to expectations, screened and non-screened schools did not differ in the prevalence of suspected amblyopia in Grade 2 (8.6% vs. 7.5%, p = 0.10), nor prevalence of other visual problems such as astigmatism (45.1% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.51). There was also no difference between screened and non-screened schools in academic outcomes such as the proportion of children below grade level in reading (33% vs. 29%) or math (44% vs. 38%) (p = 0.86). However, more children were wearing glasses in screened than in non-screened schools (10.2% vs. 7.8%, p = 0.05), and more children reported their glasses as missing or broken (8.3% vs. 4.7%, p = 0.01), suggesting that SK screening had identified successfully those in need of glasses. Examination of individual results revealed that 72% of children diagnosed and treated for amblyopia in SK no longer had amblyopia in Grade 2.ConclusionThe prevalence of amblyopia and other visual problems was not reduced in Grade 2 by our SK vision screening program, perhaps because of poor treatment compliance and high attrition. The results suggest that a single screening intervention is insufficient to reduce visual problems among young children. However, the data from individuals with amblyopia suggest that continuing vision care and access to glasses benefits children, especially children from lower socioeconomic class.

“I know my idea is original!” Creative metacognitive monitoring and regulation in kindergarten children

The present study examined the relationship between kindergarteners’ creative performance, global metacognitive monitoring (i.e., the ability to self-evaluate their overall creative performance) and metacognitive regulation (i.e., the ability to select their most original idea). Prior research established a positive correlation between metacognitive accuracy in global self-evaluation and creativity in adults, but little is known about how these relate to idea selection in younger populations. The study involved fifty 4- to 6-year-olds who completed two creativity tasks (an Unusual Uses Task and a Product Improvement Task) and selected their most original idea for each. The results showed a moderate correlation between the children's ability to select their most original ideas for the two tasks, which suggests that metacognitive skills are transferable within the domain of creativity already at this age. Additionally, there was a moderate-to-strong trend in children capable of accurately identifying original ideas and the ability to perform more creatively, which is in line with previous findings in adults. Furthermore, children who displayed higher metacognitive accuracy in global self-evaluation were also better at metacognitive regulation, i.e., they were better capable of selecting their most original idea. However, even the children who performed best in idea selection tended to overestimate their overall creative performance. The study provides insights into the early development of creative metacognitive monitoring and regulation, and suggests potential implications for fostering creativity in education.

The impact of digital storytelling on motivation and achievement in teaching scientific concepts for Kindergarten children

هدفت الدراسة إلى قياس أثر رواية القصة الرقمية على الدافعية والتحصيل الدراسي في تدريس المفاهيم العلمية لدى أطفال مرحلة ما قبل المدرسة، وتم الاعتماد على التصميم شبه التجريبي لتحقيق أهداف هذه الدراسة، وتكونت عينة البحث من (40) طفلاً من مرحلة ما قبل المدرسة، حيث تكونت كل مجموعة من (20) طفلًا، وتم اختيار العينة عشوائيًا، وتحديدًا (العينة العشوائية المنتظمة)، وقامت الباحثة بتصميم رواية القصة الرقمية في مرحلة المعالجة التجريبية، وذلك بعد أن قامت باختيار أحد المفاهيم العلمية من المنهج الوطني لمرحلة ما قبل المدرسة، وأسفرت النتائج عن وجود فرق في التحصيل الدراسي بين الاختبار القبلي والبعدي، لصالح المجموعة التجريبية، وهذا يدل على الأثر الفاعل لاستخدام رواية القصة الرقمية في تدريس المفاهيم العلمية لهذه المرحلة، كما تم تطبيق مقياس الدافعية لعينة البحث، والتي أسفرت نتائجها إلى ارتفاع مستوى الدافعية لتعلُّم المفاهيم العلمية بعد استخدام رواية القصص الرقمية لتقديم هذه المفاهيم العلمية، وهذا يدل على فاعلية هذه الطريقة في جذب انتباه الأطفال وزيادة تركيزهم ودافعيتهم، وإعطاء المعنى لهذه المفاهيم العلمية.

Child behavioral problems and parental adjustment: Family, interparental, and parent-child processes as simultaneous mediators.

This study examined the associations of child behavioral problems with parental adjustment and whether family processes mediated such associations. Cross-sectional data were collected from the fathers, mothers, and class teachers of 186 kindergarten-aged children with special educational needs from Hong Kong, China (mean age = 61.6 months, and 136 of them were boys). Using questionnaires, parents reported their children's behavioral problems and their own adjustment and family processes. Meanwhile, class teachers rated children's behavioral problems. Multigroup analyses supported a mediation model that was invariant across fathers and mothers. Controlling for child and family demographic information, child behavioral problems were linked positively to parental depression and negatively to parental life satisfaction. Moreover, the link of child behavioral problems with parental depression was fully mediated by family economic pressures, marital conflict, and parent-child conflict, whereas the link of child behavioral problems with parental life satisfaction was fully mediated by family economic pressures and marital conflict. Theoretically, our findings pointed to the importance of considering multiple family processes in understanding the relationship between child characteristics and parental well-being among families with children with special educational needs. Practically, our findings highlighted the possible utility of equipping fathers and mothers of children with special educational needs with skills to reduce children's problem behaviors, cope with financial hardship, and manage marital and parent-child conflict. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).