Children's Learning Research Articles

Perceptual discrimination learning in children with and without autism: The effect of feedback, modality, and progressive-learning.

Research suggests autistic children learn and generalize visual family-resemblance categories atypically (e.g., Church, et al., 2010, 2015), particularly when learning incidentally from exposure. This may reflect differences in perceptual learning (Mercado et al., 2020). However, it is unknown whether perceptual discrimination learning is also atypical and if differences extend to other modalities. To address this, autistic children with normal language abilities and IQ and typically developing (TD) matched comparison children completed auditory and visual discrimination tasks, after either incidental exposure to or direct training with stimuli presented in either progressive (easy-to-hard) or random orders of difficulty. In the visual task, both autistic and TD children only performed well after progressive training, suggesting limited perceptual learning from incidental visual exposure. In the auditory task, autistic children showed a progressive learning advantage after both exposure and training, but TD children only showed this advantage after training. They also had significantly better auditory discrimination than TD children after progressive training. These findings suggest typical visual discrimination learning after progressive training and enhanced auditory discrimination learning after progressive training and exposure. This enhanced auditory perceptual learning may help explain why these autistic children are socially impaired while retaining the capacity to learn language.

Prenatal stress increases learning and memory deficits in offspring: A toxicological study on hippocampal neuronal damage in rats.

Prenatal stress increases learning and memory deficits in offspring: A toxicological study on hippocampal neuronal damage in rats.

The Impact of Noise on Learning in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Given the growing body of research on the impact of noise, synthesizing these findings is crucial to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the influence of noise on student performance. This meta-analysis investigates the effects of environmental and classroom noise on learning, with a focus on cognitive and academic performance in elementary and secondary school students. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on 21 studies comprising 152 effect sizes. Different noise types were analyzed in relation to cognitive functions such as attention, memory, comprehension, and overall academic performance. The Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) method was used to estimate the overall effect size, resulting in a value of −0.46 (95% CI: −0.54 to −0.38), indicating the moderate negative impact of noise on performance. The negative effects were particularly significant in children aged 6 to 12. Despite high heterogeneity across the studies, likely due to variations in noise types and study designs, model fit measures confirmed the adequacy of the meta-analytic model. These findings underscore the importance of mitigating noise in educational settings to improve students’ cognitive and academic outcomes.

CLIL and Crescendo: An Exploration of the Contribution of Music to Language Learning in Early Childhood

Acquiring a second language is challenging but vital task to thrive in today’s society. Children’s exposure to English as a foreign language from early age has become a norm, which, however, faces several obstacles. In this regard, the use of music could be a suitable tool to ensure successful early language acquisition. Through ethnographic research, carried out at Bambini Bicocca Infant School, it was possible to understand the impact of music on English language acquisition. More precisely, in harmony with existing literature, the research highlighted the impact of music on vocabulary retention, phonological awareness and emotional state.

Integrating coding education into early STEM programme: the changing roles of children and integrative learning context

ABSTRACT Coding is a crucial foundation for young children's cognitive development that enhances their logical and computational thinking skills for long-term learning. This study examines how young children in Hong Kong acquire coding skills through integrated STEM activities. In an innovative educational program enacted in a technology-rich 'Creative Lab' with augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and a 3D printer, the study focuses on three children aged 6–8. An explanatory case study approach was employed to collect data from classroom observations and teacher interviews. Observations targeted children's learning progress in coding activities, while the interview unpacked the applied teaching repository. The findings reveal that young children developed early coding skills using various technologies to create and apply symbols. Three strategies scaffold children’s skills enhancement stemmed from situated learning theory: 1) integrating learning content in an authentic context, 2) leveraging learners' intuitive knowledge through inquisitive practice, and 3) providing immersive learning resources.

The positioning of parental engagement within England's current educational policy landscape

AbstractParental engagement with children's learning is strongly linked with improved outcomes for children and has thus become a major focus of educational policy around the world. Yet to date, there has been little scrutiny of how parental engagement is positioned within policy documents, nor how this relates to parental engagement practices. This paper analyses the positioning of parental engagement in England's current national educational policy landscape. Through applying Taylor's et al.'s (1997) policy analysis framework, we identify seemingly inconsistent conceptualisations of parental engagement appearing across different policy documents. This may explain the apparent mismatch between the types of parental engagement supported by research and those being implemented in schools. The analysis also highlights a lack of focus on equity in relation to parental engagement policy statements. We recommend that the Department for Education work with other stakeholders—including parents, teachers, teacher educators, school leaders and researchers—to produce a clearly articulated vision for parental engagement, which could be used to ensure a coherent approach across policies. Furthermore, we suggest an explicit focus on engaging all parents. Without this, the potential of parental engagement for improving children's outcomes and narrowing attainment gaps is unlikely to be realised.

Tools for Assessing the STEAM Learning Affordances and Quality of Outdoor Learning Environments of Childcare Centers: A Systematic Review

Abstract Science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) learning is directly connected with children's cognitive development. Measuring the cognitive advancements of young children is more challenging than that of older ones because young children experience vast variations in the different personal, developmental, and environmental factors affecting their learning behaviors. Also, much learning in the early years is informal in nature, posing added challenges in systematic assessment. There are several assessment tools available for evaluating childcare settings and assessing science learning within the context of the classroom, but none for assessing outdoor learning environments. However, research shows that the outdoor physical environment of early childcare facilities has a long-lasting influence on cognitive development as well as on the quality of STEAM learning for children. There is a critical need for systematic tools to assess formal and informal early STEAM learning outdoor environments to advance both fields of early childhood education and design. This systematic review aims to document all existing tools available for assessing (a) the quality of the childcare outdoor environments and (b) the quality of STEAM learning of children aged 3–5 outside the classroom context, addressing the current lack of reliable and valid assessment measures in this emerging field. The synthesis of information from a selection of 20 studies revealed that STEAM-based outdoor learning at the preschool age is a relatively new topic and that there are no assessment tools or indicators that can assess the available opportunities in the outdoor physical environment and their affordances of STEAM learning activities and activity settings in early childhood environments (e.g., childcare centers, family care homes, or preschools). This deficiency demands more research in the areas of systematic environmental assessments of landscape design indicators in early childhood settings to advance spontaneous STEAM learning behaviors in the early years.

Utilizing VR Visual Novels Incorporating Social Stories for Learning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts social, communication, and emotional skills, presenting significant challenges in learning and social interaction. Traditional teaching approaches often fail to engage children with ASD, highlighting the need for innovative solutions. This study investigates the potential of virtual reality (VR) visual novels, incorporating social stories, as a tool to enhance social skills in children with ASD Level 1. Through a comprehensive literature review, the research evaluates VR environments that blend the interactive, choice-based structure of visual novels with immersive social narratives. Key aspects such as empathy, communication, and emotional regulation are analyzed to assess whether VR-based social stories provide better learning outcomes compared to conventional 2D methods. The findings aim to inform about the application of VR technologies in educational interventions, demonstrating how immersive learning experiences can promote essential social competencies in children with ASD.

Mushir Fatma: Early Childhood Educator and First Principal of the Jamia Nursery, c.1955–1982

Abstract This paper attempts to outline the main features of the life and educational philosophy of Mushir Fatma (Mushīr Fāt̤imah), who established a nursery at Jamia Millia Islamia in 1955. It relates her efforts to the larger context of pre-school education in early independent India as well as the understanding of the child prevalent in Urdu writings of women’s magazines in the 1930s and 1940s. Using textual sources and oral interviews, it illustrates not only how childhood had become closely implicated in understandings of community and nation, but also how it was central to the history of Muslim women and their public activism. The paper makes three broad arguments about childhood and early education: Firstly, I argue that childhood and early learning were critical to conceptions of national and community revival both in late colonial and early independent India. Female educators like Mushir Fatma are central for understanding ideas and programs about education. Early children’s education thus is an important arena for Muslim women’s participation in national life. Secondly, I argue that women like Mushir Fatma had considerable autonomy to imagine and recreate the space of the nursery, partly due to the limited interventions of the State. Finally, although she worked in Jamia, Mushir Fatma’s life encapsulates what some scholars call the “transnational” in the history of education. The worlds of childhood education and Muslim women’s activism were shaped by the international as much as the local and the domestic.

Pathways to learning: exploring the impact of augmented reality on vocabulary development in children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Augmented reality (AR) technology has shown promise in facilitating vocabulary learning for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study employed a single-subject research design with a withdrawal approach to investigate the effectiveness of an AR mobile application, in enhancing vocabulary learning performance among children with ASD. Nine participants aged 8–12 years diagnosed with mild ASD were recruited from a local special needs center. The study consisted of four phases: familiarization, baseline, intervention, and maintenance. Quantitative measures included correct response rates, percentage of data exceeding the median (PEM), and response time, complemented by qualitative behavioral observations. Results revealed substantial individual variability, with some participants exhibiting significant improvements in vocabulary learning performance during the intervention and maintenance phases, as evidenced by increased correct responses and high PEM values. Other participants showed more moderate improvements or minimal changes. Response time data indicated minimal differences, except for one participant who demonstrated remarkably faster response time post-intervention. Behavioral observations highlighted factors influencing engagement and learning, such as sustaining attention, personalization through interest-based content, and the potential benefits of interacting with 3D models. These findings suggest that while AR interventions can effectively support vocabulary learning for children with ASD, their effectiveness may depend on tailoring strategies to individual learner characteristics and needs within this heterogeneous population.

Does Focusing on the Unit of Change Help Children Learn Growing Pattern Skills?

ABSTRACT Children regularly encounter growing and decreasing patterns in songs, games, and daily routines. Over development, children learn to extend and abstract (i.e., recreate the pattern using different materials) growing patterns made of shapes or numbers. Critically, performance on patterning tasks relates to mathematical performance later in childhood. Can instruction about the pattern unit help children learn skills for working with growing patterns? We addressed this question in an online experiment in which kindergarten through second-grade children (N = 84) in the United States were randomly assigned to one of two lessons about shape pattern extension or to a block rotation lesson (control). Both of the pattern lessons focused on using the pattern unit to extend shape patterns; one lesson also included subtle perceptual support to highlight the pattern unit, building on past research suggesting the benefits of perceptual support for learning. Both lessons about shape extension helped children learn to extend shape patterns and use a pattern unit strategy. However, lessons with perceptual support did not provide additional benefits. Further, the lessons did not lead to gains in extending number patterns or abstracting shape or number patterns. On both extension and abstraction tasks, children who used the pattern unit strategy were significantly more accurate than were participants who did not use the pattern unit strategy.

Early childhood educators’ understandings of quality in five countries: similarities and differences to policy

ABSTRACT Early childhood educators work in a highly regulated environment in many countries and are constantly asked to produce and improve quality. Our international study of Australian, Canadian, Danish, Georgian and Italian educators’ work examined their notions of quality and how this was impacted by government policies and documents such as frameworks, standards and curricula. Quantitative data were analysed using cross-tabulation and descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that some educators’ notions of quality aligned with their governments’ ideas, but many revealed nuanced concepts. Educators expressed frustration at these differences and the perceived limitations and impact of the imposed policies and documents. Many educators identified how these differences were experienced in the workplace and impacted their teaching, relationships and children's learning. This study will interest policymakers, educators, and teacher educators.

Teacher Perception Towards Empowerment of Students with Special Needs in the Learning Process

Children with special needs (ABK) are children who have special characteristics and are different from children as usual, in other words they are not able to show mental, emotional or physical disabilities, which are included in the category of children with special needs including: blind, deaf, mentally retarded, physically disabled, mentally retarded, learning difficulties, and behavioral difficulties. Barriers to the education of children with special needs require the form of educational services that are in accordance with their abilities and potential. The purpose of this study was to examine the description of the perception and role of teachers on the learning of children with special needs. This research method uses descriptive qualitative. This research was conducted in scool TK ABA KALAKA. The result of this study is that in general, teachers perceive children with special needs as requiring intensive learning. Children with special needs need continuous guidance between teachers and parents. In order to improve the readiness of classroom teachers in dealing with children with special needs and provide a shadow teacher to facilitate children with special needs. The teacher as a teacher in his role also focuses on training the independence of children because children with special needs cannot always depend on others but at least children with special needs can take care of themselves

Engineering habits of mind in preschool children at Scottish forest nurseries and Australian bush kinders

AbstractNature‐based learning environments for early childhood are expanding, as is research into their affordances and pedagogies. Engineering in these environments is not well studied. Previous work considered engineering experiences through the lens of ‘designerly play’, finding that natural materials, the space for larger creations and constructions, the altered group dynamics and less gendered environments, promote engineering play. Other engineering frameworks have not been applied. In this study, we have identified ways in which preschool‐aged children engage with Engineering Habits of Mind while at forest nursery and bush kinder. Ethnographic and video data from two Scottish forest nurseries and two Australian bush kinders have been collected and with our vignettes, we have shown that young children readily engage with all six Engineering Habits of Mind in a variety of different play scenarios when in natural learning environments. As well as demonstrating the benefits of forest nursery and bush kinder to young children's engineering learning, our examples can be used to guide educators looking for ways to increase engineering play in other learning contexts.

External versus internal focus enhances motor performance and learning in children with different visuospatial working memory capacities.

External versus internal focus enhances motor performance and learning in children with different visuospatial working memory capacities.

Annual Research Review: Exposure to environmental chemicals and psychosocial stress and the development of children's learning difficulties.

Although awareness of the role of environmental exposures in children's cognitive development is increasing, learning difficulties have not yet been a major focus of environmental health science. Learning difficulties disproportionately affect children living in economic disadvantage, yielding an 'achievement gap.' Studies examining the neurobiology of reading and math have mostly included economically advantaged youth, leaving a great deal unknown about the neural underpinnings of reading and math difficulties in youth living in disadvantaged contexts. Critically, due to environmental injustice, these youth are disproportionately exposed to environmental neurotoxicants. Herein, we review literature supporting a theoretical framework of environmentally associated phenotypes of learning difficulties. We propose that prenatal exposure to neurotoxicants and early-life exposure to psychosocial stressors increases risk for learning difficulties via effects on neural circuits that support cognitive processes which, in addition to literacy and numeracy, are integral to acquiring and performing academic skills. We describe models in which (1) prenatal exposure to air pollution has a main effect on learning via brain structure and function or associated domain-general cognitive processes and (2) a joint 'two-hit' pathway in which prenatal air pollution exposure followed by early life stress-when combined and sequential-increases risk for learning difficulties also via effects on brain structure, function, and/or associated cognitive processes. We review a select literature documenting effects of exposure to pollutants and early life stress on relevant neural circuits and associated cognitive processes in animal models and parallel findings in human epidemiologic studies. We advocate for team science in which researchers, practitioners, and policymakers collaborate to increase health literacy about environmentally associated phenotypes of learning difficulties and support the development of precision-oriented instructional and environmental intervention methods for youth living in economic disadvantage.

Adventure Time: Dilo World – An Adventure Game with Educational Elements for Kids

The rapid development of the gaming industry has led to the integration of entertainment and education in game design. Adventure Time: Dilo World is a 2D platformer educational game aimed at enhancing children's learning through interactive and engaging gameplay. The game features three distinct levels, each representing a different season—summer, autumn, and winter—with unique challenges and enemies. Players navigate through these environments, overcoming obstacles and answering educational questions to unlock treasure chests containing rewards. Developed using the Godot game engine, the game incorporates a structured game flow, interactive controls, and visually appealing graphics to maintain engagement. The educational content focuses on mathematics, Indonesian history, and English, making it a valuable learning tool for children aged 7-12 years. The gameplay mechanics encourage problem-solving, critical thinking, and perseverance, reinforcing cognitive development in a fun and interactive manner. The results of this study highlight the effectiveness of game-based learning in improving children's educational engagement. Future development may include additional levels, new enemies, multiplayer options, and expanded educational material to further enhance its impact. Overall, Adventure Time: Dilo World demonstrates that gamification can be a powerful tool in supporting educational growth, making learning an enjoyable experience.

A ludicidade como Metodologia de ensino no primeiro seguimento da Educação de jovens e adultos – EJA

This article is an excerpt from the Master's Dissertation that addresses "PLAYFULNESS IN TEACHING STUDENTS IN THE FIRST SEGMENT OF EJA ATALAIA DO NORTE - AM". When considering children and their early life trajectory, it is believed that this is a period full of pleasure and fun, keeping in mind that in the school environment it cannot be different, since it is considered a stage of life in which they only have fun. In fact, children, during their moments of pleasure, that is, when they are playing alone or with friends, experience a very personal world, created and imagined by them, a world full of fantasies that lead them to express all their feelings and emotions. Thus, it is understood that all their representations about the world and the understanding of everything they have created are responsible for transforming their process of formation as a subject. Therefore, it is believed that the playful practice inserted in the children's educational process is of great relevance, not only for their full formation, but also for their intellectual development. With this in mind, a theoretical-bibliographical study was carried out using concepts from authors who are experts in the subject in question, with the purpose of understanding more carefully and efficiently the importance of playfulness for the teaching-learning process, as well as how it is used in children's learning, aiming for significant learning.

An assessment of organophosphate ester mixtures and the placental transcriptome.

An assessment of organophosphate ester mixtures and the placental transcriptome.

Knowledge and attitudes about perinatal marijuana use among U.S. postpartum mothers: A BORN network study

Knowledge and attitudes about perinatal marijuana use among U.S. postpartum mothers: A BORN network study