Children's Academic Skills Research Articles

Cognitive, Social, and Emotional-Behavioral Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome.

Although Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome spectrum (BWSp) is not usually associated with intellectual disability, recent evidences calls for further investigation of cognitive development and academic skills in children with BWSp. Moreover, research has documented social difficulties and emotional-behavioral problems associated with BWSp. Nevertheless, a full characterization of socio-emotional development in BWSp is still lacking. In the current study, cognitive and socio-emotional development was assessed in 29 children with BWSp aged 5-18 years, using a test of nonverbal intelligence, a neuropsychological battery covering multiple domains, academic skills tests, and questionnaires evaluating autistic traits and emotional-behavioral problems. As expected, most participants showed adequate performance in cognitive tests. However, the findings also highlighted greater difficulties in language than visuospatial processing, strengths in social perception, as well as slowness in reading and mental calculation. The assessment of emotional-behavioral difficulties indicated a prevalent phenotype characterized by increased anxiety, low self-esteem, social withdrawal and a tendency to control externalizing reactions, but no associations with autistic traits, cognitive outcomes, and the clinical score proposed by the recent Consensus statement. Increased social perception and internalization problems likely result from coping strategies with social and care-related stress. Overall, the findings of this study inform clinical management and genetic counseling for children and adolescents with BWSp.

Cognitive enhancement through technology: A review of transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) interventions in children and adolescents with specific learning disabilities.

In recent years, the exploration of innovative interventions for addressing problems of children and adolescents with specific learning disabilities (SLD) has garnered significant attention within the realm of neurocognitive research. Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing cognitive skills in children, offering a non-invasive and safe method that may particularly benefit those with learning difficulties. We aimed to appraise the extent and the quality of studies about impact of TES on cognitive skills including academic skills in children and adolescents with SLD. A literature search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles published between January 2000 and January 2024 were searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The study eligibility criteria were previously established according to the PICO model. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and Cochrane Collaboration tool (ROB2) were used to assess the methodological quality and the risk of bias of the included studies, respectively. The initial search yielded 1571 studies among which 30 studies were systematically reviewed. The total number of participants was 224 individuals (intervention: 114; control: 110). Findings showed significant improvements in reading skills such as text reading, high-frequency word reading speed and efficiency and mathematical skills. Conversely, other cognitive skills such as working memory were not improved in people with dyslexia and dyscalculia. TES interventions can positively affect cognitive skills in children and adolescents with SLD; However, due to the small number of studies, medium methodological quality and high risk of bias, caution should be taken when interpreting the results.

Penanaman Karakter Anak Pedesaan Melalui Kajian Dan Seni Al-Quran: Perjalanan Mahasiswa KKN Di Desa Tanjung Dalam

This article reviews the experience of students from KKN Group 10 of UINFAS Bengkulu in instilling character in children in Tanjung Dalam Village through Quranic studies, learning Arabic through songs, and writing and coloring calligraphy. This program is designed to enhance academic skills while fostering religious, creative, and cultural character in children using developmental methods and the ABC (Activity-Based Curriculum) Method. The results show significant improvements in children's participation, teaching quality, academic skills, and creativity. Support from parents and the community also played a crucial role in the program's success. This program is expected to serve as a model for other villages to adopt in order to instill character in children through engaging and educational activities.

Implementation of Learn to Play Therapy for Children in Special Schools.

Play is the primary occupation in childhood and fundamental to occupational therapy practice. To evaluate a play intervention in special school settings. Pre- and postinvolvement of a 7-mo play program. Four special schools in Victoria, Australia, for children with IQs < 70. Thirty-eight children with diagnoses including intellectual disability, autism, and global developmental delay, 7 teachers, 2 speech pathologists, and 2 occupational therapists. Learn to Play Therapy for 1 hr per week over a 7-mo period. Pre-post outcome measures included children's pretend play skills, language, social skills, emotional regulation, and academic competence. Mean age of 38 children (15 girls and 23 boys) at baseline was 5 yr 7 mo (SD = 0.46 yr). Results showed significant changes in children's pretend play (p = .03), ability to recall sentences (p = .02), social skills (p = .022), and academic competence (p = .012). Learn to Play had a large effect on children's narrative skills (d = 2.72). At follow-up, object substitution at baseline influenced expressive language (p < .001), narrative mean language utterance (MLU; p = .015), social skills (p < .001), and academic competence (p < .001); elaborate play at baseline plus time influenced social skills (p < .001); and elaborate play at baseline influenced narrative MLU (p =. 016), sentence recall (p = .009), and academic competence (p = .001). Embedding pretend play within practice positively influenced children's language, narrative, social, and academic skills. Plain-Language Summary: This study adds to the limited research on play-based therapy programs in special school settings for children with an IQ of less than 70. Children participated in Learn to Play Therapy, during which an occupational therapist, who has observed and assessed the child's play and understands the child's play abilities, played beside the child. Learn to Play Therapy is a child-centered therapy that is used to increase a child's ability to self-initiate and enjoy pretend play. The positive impacts of supporting the children's pretend play ability were highlighted by increases in their pretend play, language, social skills, academic competence, and narrative language after participating in Learn to Play Therapy in their special schools.

Playfulness and Kindergarten Children's Academic Skills: Executive Functions and Creative Thinking Processes as Mediators?

ABSTRACTThis study examined the direct and indirect relationships between playfulness (social and cognitive spontaneity), executive functions, convergent thinking, divergent thinking, and academic skills in Hong Kong Chinese kindergarten children. Participants were 181 second‐year (4 to 5 years) kindergarten children (45.9% boys) and their parents. Parents reported demographic information and children's playfulness and executive functions through a questionnaire. Children were administered behavioral assessments of convergent thinking, divergent thinking, Chinese word reading, and number word comparison at their kindergarten. Results from a path analytic model revealed the mediating roles of convergent and divergent thinking in the relationship between playfulness and number word comparison. In contrast, convergent thinking mediated the link between playfulness and Chinese word reading. Executive functions were positively related to playfulness but unrelated to children's academic skills. The findings suggest that playful children might develop better creative thinking processes, supporting their academic skills. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of play‐based learning in developing children's creativity and academic skills in the early years.

Advances in the etiology and neuroimaging of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, characterized by age-inappropriate inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which can cause extensive damage to children's academic, occupational, and social skills. This review will present current advancements in the field of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, including genetics, environmental factors, epigenetics, and neuroimaging features. Simultaneously, we will discuss the highlights of promising directions for further study.

Patterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Neurocognitive Development

Early life adversity is associated with higher risk of many adult health problems, including mental illness, substance abuse, suicide attempt, and chronic diseases. Many previous studies investigated adversities one at a time or investigated the health toll associated with the cumulative number of adversities. To examine the co-occurrence of adversities among children and how specific patterns of adversities are associated with neurocognitive development. This cohort study used data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP), which enrolled a national sample of women during pregnancy and followed their offspring to ages 7 to 8 years, between 1959 and 1974. The CPP was a community-based study conducted in 12 US medical centers. The CPP sample was ascertained through prenatal clinics and is diverse with respect to race and socioeconomic status. Data analysis was performed from August 2023 to March 2024. A latent class analysis was conducted of 12 adverse childhood experiences that occurred between birth and 7 years to identify common patterns of childhood adversities. Five neurocognitive tests were used to measure children's visual-motor, sensory-motor, auditory-vocal, intelligence quotient, and academic skills. The analysis sample included 49 853 offspring (25 226 boys [50.6%]); 24 436 children (49.0%) had low probability of experiencing any adversity, whereas the remaining half were classified into 5 groups reflecting distinct patterns of childhood adversities: parental harshness and neglect, 1625 children (3.3%); parental separation and poverty, 8731 children (17.5%); family instability, 3655 children (7.3%); family loss, instability, and poverty, 1505 children (3.0%); and crowded housing and poverty, 9901 children (19.9%). Children in 4 of these groups had lower neurocognitive scores than children with a low probability of experiencing adversity, with standardized mean differences ranging from -0.07 (95% CI, -0.11 to -0.03) to -0.86 (95% CI, -1.06 to -0.65). These findings suggest that adverse childhood experiences are associated with deficits in children's neurocognitive functions. It is important to understand the complexity in children's exposure to adversity and the resulting developmental consequences, as well as the underlying mechanisms, to help support children exposed to adversity and foster healthier and resilient trajectories of development.

Investigation of the Relationship between Physical Activity Level and Quality of Life in Children with Specific Learning Disabilities using Regression Analysis

It has been reported that the academic skills of children with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) and their participation in physical activity may be affected. This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity level and quality of life in children with SLDs. The study was conducted with children diagnosed with SLDs at the Afyonkarahisar Special Education and Rehabilitation Center. Once the sociodemographic information of the participants was recorded, their physical activity levels were determined using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C, ages 8-14 years), and their quality of life levels were assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). A total of 51 individuals, 21 girls and 30 boys, were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 10.58±1.51 years. Physical activity score had a weak positive correlation with the physical health summary score (rspearman=0.342, p=0.014); weak positive correlations with the emotional functionality score (rspearman=0.308, p=0.028) and the school functionality score (rspearman=0.337, p=0.016); and moderate positive correlations with the school functionality score (rspearman=0.427, p=0.002), the psychosocial health summary score (rspearman=0.440, p=0.001), and the total PedsQL score (rspearman=0.462, p=0.042). In addition, the physical activity score was determined to statistically significantly predict the total PedsQL score (F=13.297; p=0.001). In conclusion, this study revealed that the physical activity levels of children with SLDs significantly affected their quality of life.

‘Every day we’d have an arranged activity, so she’d have football, swimming, dance, gymnastics’: A sociological analysis of parenting and sports-based enrichment activities for the under-fives

In this article we provide a sociological analysis of parental choice in pre-school sports and physical activity, as a form of concerted cultivation, to understand the uptake of sports-based physical activity (PA) enrichment activities in England. Despite a growth in the under-five pre-school enrichment market, little is known about why parents pay for their under-five child(ren) to participate in sport and/or PA enrichment or how this relates to wider patterns seen in contemporary parenting. 24 semi-structured interviews with parents of early years children from across England were conducted. Findings suggest the reasons why parents enrol their child(ren) in sports-based enrichment activities can be considered a form of concerted cultivation. In particular, parents value routine and socialisation for themselves and their children. Parents look for paid-for activities that enhance their child's social and academic skills but do not emphasise the health benefits of being physically active as important in their decision making. Instead, they prioritise opportunities to enhance their child's social and cultural skills in ways that enable the child(ren) to be accepted and interact positively with adults and other children in key institutional settings. Parents also valued spaces where their young child(ren) could expend energy, although the importance of this was distinctly gendered. We conclude by outlining that paying for under-fives sport-based enrichment is linked to wider social and cultural expectations on parenting, and highlighting that more needs to be understood about the gendered, racialised and ableist spaces of commercial pre-school sport and PA.

Ethical Issues in Educational Technology

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the ethical issues created by educational technology from the perspective of children and youth and to develop recommendations for addressing the ethical problems they face in educational technology based on ethical evaluations. &#x0D; Design/Methodology/Approach: This study utilizes the "Narrative Review" method. &#x0D; Findings: This study reveals scientific findings on the inequalities created among students by educational technology, its impact on the child's privacy, values, and world of meaning, its effects on students' learning, cognitive functions, and creativity, its influence on students' emotional development and human relationships, as well as the negative effects of virtual reality and gamification, and the impact of technology on children's fundamental academic and physical skills.&#x0D; Highlights: This research emphasizes the significant responsibilities that educational managers, decision-makers, policymakers, and teachers, especially those concerning "minors" under the age of 18, need to take on regarding the responsible, safe, and ethical use of technology in educational processes. The study delves into protecting children from potential harm and negative effects resulting from their use of educational technology.

Home food practices and Latino kindergarteners’ academic skills

Latino parents support children's academic skills through their involvement in daily living activities. Prior work has focused on conventional literacy (e.g., book reading) and numeracy activities (e.g., teaching numbers). Less-visible home activities that are high-priority, high-value cultural practices in Latino communities are food sharing (e.g., eating together) and food-related household chores (e.g., grocery shopping together). This study examined whether food sharing and food-related household chores contributed to children's academic skills beyond conventional literacy and numeracy activities, in a sample of 152 Latino parents from low-income households and their kindergarten children (M age = 67.24 months; 51.32% female). At the beginning of kindergarten, parents completed a home learning activities questionnaire and children's literacy and math skills were assessed. We found that food sharing, but not food-related household chores, positively related to children's literacy skills (vocabulary), beyond conventional literacy and numeracy activities. Food sharing and food-related household chores did not relate to children's math skills. Findings suggest the need to consider food sharing and food-related household chores as part of the constellation of Latino home learning activities that are likely to support children's academic skills.

Big little leap: The role of transition difficulties in children's skill development during kindergarten

Considerable interest is directed to promoting children’s success as they transition to kindergarten. It is generally proposed that children who experience lower levels of transition difficulties at kindergarten entry achieve higher academic and socialemotional gains, although this premise has seldom been explicitly evaluated in tandem with children's kindergarten readiness skills. To improve understanding of the consequences of transition difficulties, this study investigated the role of transition difficulties at the child level to children's achievements at the end of the kindergarten year in a Midwestern state in the US. Results from a series of covariate-adjusted regression models showed that children who experienced less transition difficulties at the beginning of kindergarten demonstrated relatively more gains in math, reading, and social-behavioral skills at the end of kindergarten, even when controlling for kindergarten readiness skills, child and family characteristics, and classroom-level contextual factors. The findings also indicated that the associations between kindergarten transition difficulties and academic and social-behavioral skill development at the end of kindergarten did not vary by children's academic and social-behavioral skills at kindergarten entry. Taken together, these findings suggest that transition difficulties that children encounter within the kindergarten context may have significant and independent implications for children's skill development. Possible practices to ease transition difficulties are discussed.

Academic skills in children with cerebral palsy and specific learning disorders.

To investigate the prevalence and clinical manifestations of reading, writing, and mathematics disorders in children with cerebral palsy (CP). We explored how the clinical profile of these children differed from those with specific learning disorders (SLDs), taking into account several factors, particularly IQ scores, neuropsychological aspects, and the presence of a visual impairment. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 42 children with CP (mean age 9 years 8 months; SD = 2 years 2 months) and 60 children with SLDs (mean age 10 years; SD = 1 year 7 months). Clinical characteristics, neuromotor and cognitive profiles, neuropsychological aspects (speech performance, academic skills, visual attention, phonological awareness, working memory), and signs of visual impairment (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual field, oculomotor functions) were assessed. A machine learning approach consisting of a random forest algorithm, where the outcome was the diagnosis and the covariates were the clinical variables collected in the sample, was used for the analyses. About 59% of the children with CP had reading, writing, or mathematics disorders. Children with CP with learning disorders had a low performance IQ, normal phonological awareness, and working memory difficulties, whereas children with SLDs had normal performance IQ, impaired phonological awareness, and mild working memory difficulties. There were no differences in verbal IQ between the two groups. Learning disorders are frequently associated with CP, with different clinical characteristics, compared with SLDs. Assessment of academic skills is mandatory in these children, even if the IQ is normal. At school age, specific interventions to promote academic skills in children with CP could be a major rehabilitative goal. Reading, writing, and mathematics disorders in cerebral palsy have specific clinical characteristics. Their underlying mechanisms differ from those described in specific learning disorders. Working memory impairment can be considered a hallmark of learning disorders in children with cerebral palsy.

Theological Values in the Poda Nalima Philosophy and Their Contribution to Early Childhood Education in Batang Baruhar Jae

Poda Na Lima as local wisdom is an expression of giving advice and order to clean oneself. The research was conducted during the six months of February-July. This research was carried out in Batang Baruhar Jae Village in Gunung Tua, North Sumatra. This type of research is qualitative using a realist ethnographic approach. The research objects are traditional elders, parents and teachers who teach at Early Childhood Education Programs (PAUD). The PAUDs that are the research objects are AN Nur Batang Baruhar Jae PAUD, RA Darul Hakim and Al-Furqon, all of these are in Batang Baruhar Jae Village. Data collection techniques were carried out using observation, in-depth interviews and literature studies that directly examined Poda Na Lima. Then analyze the data used systematically starting from data collection, data presentation, to drawing conclusions. The research results provide an illustration that 1) Poda Na Lima is the basis for teachings, advice or life guidelines for the Angkola-Mandailing community, especially in Batang Baruhar Jae Village. 2) The Poda Na Lima philosophy really emphasizes theological values, from the Pillars of Faith, the Pillars of Islam, Development, Leadership and Service. 3) Its contribution to PAUD is; increasing children's spirituality and religion from an early age, improving children's academic skills, increasing children's self-confidence, instilling children's sense of caring from an early age, and increasing parental pride and society.

The effect of metacognitive executive function training on children's executive function, proactive control, and academic skills.

The current study investigated the effects of metacognitive and executive function (EF) training on childhood EF (inhibition, working memory [WM], cognitive flexibility, and proactive/reactive control) and academic skills (reading, reasoning, and math) among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Children (N = 134, Mage = 8.70 years) were assigned randomly to the three training groups: (a) metacognitive training of basic EF processes (meta-EF), (b) training of basic EF processes (basic-EF), and (c) active controls (active control). They underwent 16 training sessions over the course of 2 months. No effects of EF and/or metacognitive training were found for academic outcomes. However, both meta-EF and basic-EF groups demonstrated greater gains than the active control group on proactive control engagement and WM, suggesting that EF training promotes a shift to more mature ways of engaging EF. Our findings suggest minimal near- and far-transfer effects of metacognitive training but highlight that proactive engagement of EF can be promoted through EF training in children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Trajectories of Low-income Mothers’ and Fathers’ Engagement in Learning Activities and Child Academic Skills

Trajectories of Low-income Mothers’ and Fathers’ Engagement in Learning Activities and Child Academic Skills

A Comparative Study of Social Information Processing and Executive Functioning in Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Typically Developing Children

Introduction: Examining the performance of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in each step of the social information processing and their executive functioning behaviors while comparing them to typically developing (TD) children and determining their limitations in these processes is important for reducing the future risks that children with ADHD may face in academic and social life. In this context, the aim of the study is to comparatively examine the social information processing and executive functioning behaviors of children with ADHD and TD children. Method: The study was conducted using a general survey model, which is one of the quantitative research designs. The participants of the study included 25 children diagnosed with ADHD, aged between 8 and 10, and 25 TD children of the same gender and age range. Additionally, 25 teachers and 50 parents participated in the study. The data collection tools used in the study were the Social Information Processing Assessment Form and the Parent and Teacher Form of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF). Findings: The study findings showed significant differences between children with ADHD and TD children in all stages of the Social Information Processing Assessment Form. Similar significant differences were also found in all the sub-scales and sub-dimensions of the Parent and Teacher Form of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions. The relationships between social information processing skills and executive functioning skills also revealed significant associations between some sub-stages of the Social Information Processing Skills Assessment Form and some sub-dimensions of the Parent and Teacher Form of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions. Discussion: The findings indicate that children with ADHD experience limitations in each of the six steps of the Social Information Processing Model and in some sub-dimensions of executive functions when compared to their TD peers. The findings emphasize the significance of the relationships between social information processing and executive functioning in the development of social and academic skills in children with ADHD.

Associations between physical activity, screen time, sleep time and selected academic skills in 8/9-year-old children

BackgroundHigh levels of physical activity (PA), low levels of screen time, combined with sufficient sleep time, provide better health benefits. However, few studies have examined the association of these behaviours with academic skills. Therefore, this study aims to determine how PA, screen time, and sleep time are related to selected academic skills of 8/9-year-old children while examining compliance with the guidelines on PA, sedentary behaviour, and sleep among this population group.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 114 primary school children (50% girls) aged 8–9years old from 2nd grade. The levels of PA, screen time, and sleep were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The selected academic skills (based on reading and writing) were assessed by a battery of methods designed to diagnose the causes of school failure in students aged 7–9. Non-linear regression was applied to build multivariate models aimed at finding the most significant predictors for the selected academic skills separately.ResultsSixty-seven percent of children met the sleep guidelines, 22% met the screen time guidelines, and only 8% met PA guidelines. In terms of screen time, boys spent more time playing games than girls (p = .008). Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was associated with higher/better scores of the visual-auditory integration (B = -0.07, p = .040). Not meeting the sleep guidelines was associated with lower scores in visual-auditory integration among children (B = 0.12, p = .042). Children who did not meet the screen time guidelines had lower scores in perceptual-motor integration (B = -0.09, p = .040).ConclusionsParticipating in PA, limiting screen time and sufficient sleep time may benefit/support academic skills in children.

INSTITUSI PENDIDIKAN ISLAM ANAK USIA DINI

Early childhood education institutions (PAUD) are places or institutions specifically designed to provide education and care for children aged 0 to 6 years. The function of PAUD educational institutions is to help create a strong foundation for children's future academic, social, emotional and life skills development.

Neuroelectric indices of attention are related to academic skills in preschool-aged children

PurposeThis study assessed the relationship between neuroelectric indices of attention and inhibition and academic skills in children 4–6 years-old. We hypothesized that modulation of the P3 and N2 components would be related to academic skills. MethodsParticipants (N = 27, 16 female) completed The Woodcock Johnson Early Cognitive and Academic Development Test to assess general intellectual abilities (GIA) and early academic skills (EAS). Electroencephalography was recorded during an auditory oddball task to elicit P3 and N2 components. Two-step linear regressions including age, sex, income, and GIA assessed relationships between P3 and N2 modulations and EAS. ResultsP3 peak amplitude (R2=0.765, β=0.379, p = 0.030) and N2 mean (R2=0.759, β=0.302, p = 0.039) and peak (R2=0.759, β=0.303, p = 0.038) amplitude modulation were positively related to EAS. ConclusionUpregulation of P3 and N2 components was associated with EAS independent of GIA. Therefore, neuroelectric assessments of attention and inhibition may a biomarker of academic achievement in early childhood.