Children's Knowledge Research Articles

Associations of Infant Sleep Characteristics with Childhood Cognitive Outcomes.

The objective of this study was to quantify associations of infant 24-hour sleep duration and nighttime sleep consolidation with later child cognition. This study included children from Project Viva, a prospective cohort in Massachusetts with (1) sleep measures in infancy (median age 6.4 months) and (2) child cognition in early childhood (median age 3.2 years) or mid-childhood (median age 7.7 years). Main exposures were parental reports of infant 24-hour sleep duration and nighttime sleep consolidation (% of total daily sleep occurring at nighttime). Cognitive outcomes were (1) early childhood vocabulary and visual-motor abilities and (2) mid-childhood verbal and nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ), memory, and visual-motor abilities. We examined associations of infant sleep with childhood cognition using linear regression models adjusted for child sex, age, and race or ethnicity; maternal age, education, and parity; and household income. Early and mid-childhood analyses included 1102 and 969 children, respectively. Most mothers reported infant race or ethnicity as White (69%) and were college graduates (71%). The mean infant 24-hour sleep duration was 12.2 ± 2.0 hours, and the mean nighttime sleep consolidation was 76.8% ± 8.8%. Infant 24-hour sleep duration was not associated with any early or mid-childhood outcomes. Higher infant nighttime sleep consolidation was associated with higher mid-childhood verbal intelligence (β: 0.12 points per % nighttime sleep; 95% CI, 0.01-0.22), but not with any early childhood cognitive measures. In this cohort, higher infant nighttime sleep consolidation was associated with higher verbal IQ in mid-childhood. Future studies should investigate causal relationships of infant sleep consolidation with child cognition among diverse populations.

The Effectiveness of Video Tutorials to Increase Knowledge and Practices of Brushing Teeth in Preschool Children (Study of Preschool Children at Putra Harapan and Dewi Sartika Kindergarten Tuban)

Preschool children are children aged between 3-6 years, at this age, children like to imagine that they have the strength to do any activities without help. During the development period, children will increase their independence to a greater extent. The stage of development that indicates independence is that they can brush their teeth without help. One effort to increase children's independence in brushing their teeth is by providing education about brushing their teeth using video tutorial media. Problem: Low knowledge and practices of brushing preschool children's teeth. Method: The type of research is pre-experimental with a pre-test and post-test Control Group Design, with a population of 38 preschool children. The data collection instrument used was an observation sheet. The data analysis technique uses the Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney test. Results: There was a difference in the effectiveness of education using video tutorials to increase the knowledge and practices of brushing teeth in preschool children at Kindergarten Putra Harapan and Kindergarten Dewi Sartika Tuban after 21 days of observation. Conclusion: There was an increase in preschool children's knowledge and teeth-brushing practices before and after education using video tutorial media. There are differences in the effectiveness of education using video tutorials to increase the knowledge and practices of brushing teeth in preschool children.

Analisis Dampak Dari Penggunaan Gawai Pada Anak Usia Dini Di Sekitar Rumah

ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) refers to the broad category of technological tools used to process and communicate information. Gawais are one part of ICT that plays a crucial role in early childhood development. Advancements in media and technology present challenges to children's growth. This study uses qualitative methods with data collection technique to process it as research material. This data is sourced from several relevant journals, then selected, processed, presented, discussed, and finally complied into a single conclusion. There are various negative impacts that can affect children's health, development, safety, behavior, concentration, and brain function. Early childhood education aims to stimulate all aspects of a child's development by providing enjoyable play activities that support the integration of their abilities optimally. Language development in early childhood plays a central role in their lives. However, the use of Gawais can influence children's language skills, sosial interaction, health, information acquisition, and knowledge. These skills typically develop through a series of stages including habituation, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Parents play a crucial role in monitoring, controlling, and observing children's activities to ensure their optimal growth.

Parental report of vocabulary in 3- to 6-year-old Polish children: Reliable but not valid.

For over 30 years, parental reports have been used to study the vocabulary of children under 4 years of age. Research exploring parental checklists as a measure of vocabulary in older children is very limited. Typically, authors of parental checklists report the reliability of the developed tools but do not explore validity in terms of the agreement between parental assessments and the children's actual word knowledge. We aimed to explore the reliability and validity of a parental checklist for assessing vocabulary in children aged between 3 and 6 years. Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate the agreement between indirect (parental checklist) and direct (picture naming and picture recognition tasks) assessments of children's vocabulary. A group of 94 typically developing monolingual Polish-speaking children aged between 3 and 6 years were first directly tested onsite with picture naming and picture recognition tasks (Cross-Linguistic Lexical Tasks). Subsequently, the participants' parents completed an online checklist containing the same set of 128 items and marked all the words that they had ever heard in their child's spontaneous speech. The parental checklist demonstrated very high internal consistency. The scores of the parental checklist and vocabulary tasks were moderately correlated. We compared the total number of words marked by parents and the number of items correctly identified by children in the picture naming and picture recognition tasks. In picture naming, we found no difference between the children's scores and the number of words selected by parents. However, parents selected significantly fewer words than children correctly recognised in the picture recognition task. When data were analysed at the level of individual items (i.e., whether parents selected exactly the same items that children answered correctly), we found that the level of agreement was low. The level of agreement correlated negatively with the children's vocabulary; that is, the more words a child knew, the lower the agreement between the direct measure and the parental checklist. Parental checklists should be used with caution in children aged between 3 and 6 years, especially if the assessed children have a large vocabulary and if item analysis is planned. Such checklists may be of more use in younger children or in children with limited vocabulary. What is already known on the subject Parental checklists are commonly used to assess the vocabulary of children younger than 4 years of age. Previous research has indicated that parental checklists are reliable in terms of internal consistency and valid in terms of predictive and convergent validity. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This study introduces a parental checklist designed for assessing the vocabulary of monolingual Polish-speaking children aged between 3 and 6 years. Statistical analyses reveal that while the parental checklist exhibits high reliability, and the scores on the checklist correlate with direct measures of vocabulary, the agreement between parental reports and direct vocabulary measures (i.e., validity) is notably low, particularly when examining individual test items. What are the clinical implications of this work? These findings underscore the importance of exercising caution when using parental vocabulary checklists with children aged between 3 and 6 years. These checklists can serve as a replacement for direct vocabulary tests only when the general/overall score is needed. However, when specific words are the subject of interest, parental reports may not be a valid measure.

Pengembangan Game Edukasi Digital Tema Seni dan Bahasa dengan Metode Multimedia Development Life Cycle

Education for early childhood, especially for PAUD TK-B in the age range of 4-6 years, is crucial in providing and shaping the foundation of children's knowledge. An engaging teaching method will enhance children's interest in learning, thus the need for digital learning media as an alternative. One step in implementing digital learning is through Educational Games. This research is conducted by developing the PAUD TK-B Nurussunnah Educational Game using the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) method. The game's validation includes usability aspects such as effectiveness, satisfaction levels, and adaptation to the TK-B curriculum. After development, the educational game undergoes alpha and beta testing using the black box method. Beta testing involves evaluating usability for the efficiency and satisfaction of TK-B students, with an effectiveness rate of 98.94% and satisfaction rate of 88.57%. The interview results with expert teachers indicate that the educational game aligns with the curriculum at the educational unit level for PAUD. Thus, based on the research findings, the PAUD TK-B Educational Game application can be considered an alternative learning media for TK-B students.

Effectiveness Of Phbs Android Educational Games On Clean And Healthy Living Behaviors In Primary School Children In The Coastal Area Of Bengkulu City

School-aged children are a strategic or appropriate target for implementing health programs because apart from being large in number, they are also a target that is easy to reach and can be well organized. The high level of student ignorance regarding clean and healthy living behavior (PHBS) is still due to environmental factors, influence from peers, and educational patterns provided by parents. One way to increase children's knowledge is by providing education using a method that children like, namely through games. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of educational games on knowledge and attitudes about PHBS among elementary school children in the coastal area of Bengkulu City. This type of research used a quantitative method with quasi experimental design two group pretest posttest. The sample was taken from 70 people using a simple random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using the paired T-Test. The results of statistical tests show that there is an increase in average knowledge after providing educational game intervention (p=0.000, t= -5.111, one tail) and there was an increase in average attitude after providing the educational game intervention (p=0.000, t=-1.548, one tail). The intervention was effective in knowledge and attitudes about PHBS among elementary school children in the coastal area of Bengkulu city. It is hoped that this research can be used as a medium to increase knowledge and attitudes towards implementing PHBS in children.

The relationship between receptive vocabulary and word and nonword reading skills in monolingual and language minority bilingual children in Italy across primary school grades

ABSTRACT The role of children's receptive vocabulary knowledge in word and nonword reading (decoding) in an orthographically transparent language is debated. Moreover, we have little understanding of how the role of vocabulary might differ between monolingual children and bilingual children from immigrant families (or language minority bilingual children (LMBC)) at different stages of reading development. This study examined the relation of receptive vocabulary to word and nonword reading accuracy and speed in 140 monolingual and bilingual students attending Grades 1, 3, or 5 in Italy. Both receptive vocabulary and reading performance were assessed using standardized tests in Italian. Regression models showed that for monolingual Italian children receptive vocabulary was related to word reading accuracy and speed in Grade 1 and word reading accuracy in Grade 5. In the LMBC group, receptive vocabulary was related to word and nonword reading accuracy and speed in Grade 1, to word reading accuracy in Grade 3, and to word reading speed in Grade 5. These findings suggest that vocabulary knowledge supports reading even in the earlier stages of reading development in a language with transparent orthography and underscore the importance of strengthening and assessing LMBC's receptive vocabulary for the adequate development of their reading skills.

Empowerment-based Teddy Bear Clinic for Pre-school Children: A Student-led Educational Project.

Nurses are at the forefront of providing health education for the general public and are leaders in developing health education programs for all ages. Research has shown that the pediatric population often experience anxiety surrounding common medical procedures. However, evidence-based health education has been shown to enhance self-management, increase knowledge, and decrease anxiety in the pediatric population. One such successful evidence-based health education approach designed for the pediatric population is the Teddy Bear Clinic. The purpose of this article is to report on the efficacy of a nursing student-led Teddy Bear Clinic designed to increase the awareness of common medical equipment and procedures in the pre-school pediatric population. This quality improvement project used a program evaluation design to assess the children's knowledge of common medical procedures and equipment. Participants were a convenience sample of 16 children aged 3-5 years old, attending one daycare center in a large city in Atlantic Canada. Findings showed that after participation in the clinic, the pre-schoolers reported a high level of knowledge of common medical equipment and procedures. This project shows that a Teddy Bear Clinic run by senior nursing students can promote community partnerships and enhance health knowledge in pre-school children.

Questionnaire of Natural Disaster for Mitigational Education

Mitigation knowledge is essential, especially for those who live in areas with annual disasters. Therefore, analyzing children's knowledge about mitigation is also necessary because it is the basis for preparing lessons about introducing natural disaster preparedness. This research aims to develop a questionnaire related to natural disaster preparedness based on the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. This research is quantitative research using a quantitative descriptive approach. The sampling method used was purposive sampling. The questionnaire development method in this research consists of several stages: itemm preparation, item selection, item sorting, and item validation. The subjects of this research were 5 lecturers, 30 students at the item preparation stage, 2 lecturers and 2 practitioners at the item selection stage, 150 elementary school students at the sorting stage, and 170 elementary school students at the validation stage. The data collection method used is cross-sectional. Then, the questionnaire was created and tested for validity and reliability. The research results show that the developed natural disaster questionnaire for mitigation education meets the requirements for validity and reliability. The research implies that this research can improve disaster mitigation education in schools.

Reading comprehension in elementary levels: a Systematic literature review

Reading comprehension is currently crucial to children's knowledge acquisition. As a result, several study have been conducted to improve their reading comprehension skills. Furthermore, the purpose of this research is to investigate how it is enhanced in primary schools and ditermine current trends in the field. This is a systematic literature review that employed ERIC, PubMed, and Science Direct as databases. It gathered articles published in 2023. Article filtration method employed PRISMA stages. Out of 162 articles retrieved, 9 articles were considered relevant. The results stated that instructors use a variety of approaches, strategies, and school programs to increase students' reading comprehension. Strategies and media still remains dominant in this field and they preferably integrate technology into the teachig and learning process.

Understanding Hearing Loss and Strategies for Prevention and Intervention of Hearing Impairment

The ability to perceive sound is called 'hearing'. This is possible when the ear senses the vibrations of sound in solid, liquid and gaseous substances. The ear helps us to recognize various kinds of sounds. The child starts hearing soon after birth. These sounds get imprinted on his mind and brain. These imprinted sounds become the basis of the child's knowledge of language. The child communicates through language only. Communication is an important basis for the growth of knowledge. If the child's hearing ability is normal, then his development in speech, language, communication and other areas takes place normally. But if the child has difficulty in hearing, and there is no early identification and intervention, then his development in speech, language, communication and other areas is limited in comparison to a hearing child of the same age group. Therefore, early identification and intervention of hearing impairment is absolutely necessary. Many stages have to be passed in the process of early identification and intervention. This article discusses sequentially the aspects related to understanding hearing loss, prevention of hearing impairment, and intervention.

Verbal Perceptual Prompts Facilitate Children's Sensitivity to False Beliefs.

False belief understanding is always regarded as a milestone of Theory of Mind (ToM), which is an important aspect of social intelligence. Recently, some researchers have suggested the existence of two ToM systems in individuals: one that explicitly guides false belief understanding and another that implicitly directs sensitivity to false beliefs. However, studies on sensitivity to false beliefs have encountered challenges with replicability, and the factors influencing the manifestation of sensitivity to false beliefs remain to be explored. Based on the anticipatory looking task, we investigated whether verbal perceptual prompts could improve children's performance of sensitivity to false beliefs. Fifty-eight children aged 5 to 6 were randomly assigned tasks with or without verbal perceptual prompts, involving verbal descriptions and explanations of the protagonist's perceptual state. The findings showed that verbal perceptual prompts could slightly reduce children's propensity to look at the actual location of the object in false belief situations and increase the likelihood of exhibiting accurate anticipatory looking patterns across false belief and true belief situations. The results suggest that children's sensitivity to false beliefs may be situation-dependent, yet further investigation is needed to determine which situational factors can most effectively trigger robust sensitivity to false beliefs in children. The results enlighten educational practice, indicating that introducing cues in social environments that convey insights into others' mental states, akin to the use of learning scaffolding, is advantageous for the development of children's social cognitive abilities.

Exploring the relationship between executive function and social competence of preschoolers: a moderated mediation model

ABSTRACT Executive function (EF) is essential for developing social competence (SC) in early childhood. However, previous research has primarily taken a general perspective of SC and overlooked its components. Furthermore, although EF and SC are known to influence each other across childhood, the mechanisms of this interaction remain unclear. Therefore, the current study aims to explore the intricate relationship between EF and overall SC and its distinct components, aiming to clarify the underlying dynamics of their interplay. A total of 448 children, aged 36–72 months, from 12 Chinese kindergartens participated in this study. Results indicated significant associations between EF and overall SC and its components. Moreover, ER mediated the association between EF and SC, while gender moderated this association, with a stronger effect among boys compared to girls. Implications for informing and refining educational practices and policies to foster children's cognition and emotional development are discussed.

Sleep problems and duration in school-aged children at different levels of giftedness

ObjectivesOptimal sleep is crucial for developing and maintaining gifted children's cognitive abilities. However, only a few studies have explored the sleep profiles of gifted children and overlooked their internal variations. This study aimed to investigate subjective and object sleep profiles in school-aged gifted children with different levels of giftedness. MethodsThis study included 80 school-aged children (50 % male) aged 6–11 years. Giftedness was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). Subjective and objective sleep were evaluated using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Actiwatch 2. ResultsThe sample was divided into three groups based on their full scale intelligence quotient (IQ): 16 typically developing children (IQ < 130), 38 moderately gifted children (IQ: 130–145), and 26 highly gifted children (IQ > 145). The highly gifted children had the mildest sleep problems, particularly in sleep duration and daytime sleepiness. Moderately gifted children had the shortest subjective average sleep duration, while the three groups had no significant differences in Actiwatch-measured sleep variables. Furthermore, CSHQ total and daytime sleepiness subscale scores were negatively associated with the full scale IQ in gifted children after controlling for confounders including emotional and behavioral problems. ConclusionsChildren with higher levels of giftedness experience fewer subjective sleep problems but have similar objective sleep parameters. It is imperative to implement tailored sleep strategies for fostering intellectual development and nurturing young talents.

Bidirectional relations between parents' discipline strategies and children's inhibitory control from early to middle childhood.

Parents' use of harsh discipline and inductive discipline are theorized to change normatively across the transition from early to middle childhood (ages 5-7 years), with harsh discipline decreasing and inductive discipline increasing. Importantly, within-person support for these changes is lacking. Additionally, these changes are argued to be driven by improvements in children's cognitive and social abilities, including inhibitory control. The present study examined within-family bidirectional relations between parents' (primarily mothers') harsh discipline, inductive discipline, and children's inhibitory control across the transition to middle childhood. Participants were 118 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds and their primary caregivers. At two time points, separated by 12 months, parents completed a questionnaire about their use of harsh and inductive discipline, and children completed a battery of inhibitory control tasks. A latent change score model was used to examine within-family bidirectional relations. More inductive discipline at Time 1 was related to a decline in harsh discipline over the year for parents of 5- and 6-year-olds, but not 4-year-olds. Harsh discipline at Time 1 was not related to change in inductive discipline. Parental discipline was not related to the change in children's inhibitory control, nor was inhibitory control related to the change in parental discipline. Relations between inductive discipline and change in harsh discipline provide within-person support for expectations of normative change in parents' discipline strategies across the transition to middle childhood. Further research examining when parents of 4-year-olds make this transition and predictors of change in parental discipline will inform research of normative trajectories of parental discipline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An isochronic substitution benefit study of the effects of screen time on the cognitive abilities of 3-6 children.

To investigate the impact of substituting screen time with other activities on children's cognitive ability. A total of 583 children (299 males and 284 females), aged 3-6 years, were selected as participants. Correlation, regression, and isochronic substitution analyses were used. Screen entertainment time on TV (SET_TV) was negatively associated with children's math ability. However, screen learning time on other electronic devices besides TV (SLT_OED) and non-screen learning time by learning alone (NSLT_LA) were positively associated with math ability and language ability. After controlling for gender, age, and family socio-economic status, SET_TV remained negatively associated with math ability, while NSLT_LA remained positively correlated. Furthermore, substituting 10 min of SET_TV with NSLT_LA resulted in an increase of 0.55 in language ability and 0.87 in math ability. Similarly, substituting SLT_OED, sleeping at home, and exercising outside of kindergarten for 10 min of SET_TV resulted in an increase of 0.90, 0.43, and 0.61 in math ability, respectively. There are cognitive benefits when screen recreation time is replaced with screen learning time, non-screen learning time, sleep time, and exercise time, with the highest benefits observed when screen recreation time is substituted with NSLT_LA.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS LEARNING IN DEVELOPING EARLY CHILDHOOD NUMERACY SKILLS

This study describes the importance of mathematics learning in developing early childhood numeracy skills. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method, with the subject being a 3-year-old child. Data collection was done through direct observation and interviews. The results show that children have difficulty understanding the concept of numbers. Still, using appropriate methods such as counting games with candy, number recognition through pictures, and using clay to form numbers can improve children's counting skills. Effective and fun maths learning can provide a strong foundation for children's future thinking and problem-solving skills. Therefore, educators and parents must provide exciting and effective arithmetic education to build a strong foundation for children's cognitive abilities.

Beyond the false belief task: How children develop their knowledge about the mind

AbstractPrevious research on children's knowledge about the mind has primarily focused on their comprehension of false beliefs, leaving the conceptualization of thoughts and thinking less explored. To address this gap, we developed a new assessment tool, the interview about the mind (IaM), to assess children's understanding of the mind. Two studies involving Polish preschool and early school‐aged children were conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the tool: a cross‐sectional study with 212 preschoolers aged three to 6 years (106 boys, M = 59 months) followed by a longitudinal study with approximately 200 children (110 boys) assessed at ages 5.5, 6.5, and 7.5 years. We found that the IaM possesses robust psychometric properties and a one‐factor structure. Younger children recognize that thoughts are imperceptible to the senses and identified the mind's location as the head. Older children exhibited difficulties with analogical or abstract definitions of thoughts. As expected, a linear developmental trajectory was evident from ages 5.5–7.5, with children's language abilities showing a positive correlation with IaM scores. Future research should explore the relationship between knowledge about the mind and theory of mind (ToM), as well as cross‐cultural differences in children's mind conceptualization.

Enhancing Early Mathematical Learning through Multimedia Technologies: A GeoGebra-Based Approach in Preschool Education

Multimedia technologies, encompassing images, animations, and sounds, offer innovative possibilities for preschool educators, particularly in the context of presenting mathematical content and fostering children's mathematical cognition. This study is driven by a dual objective: firstly, to formulate a GeoGebra-based model for the assimilation of fundamental mathematical concepts related to numbers and sets; secondly, to execute this model in practical educational settings. The research conducted for this paper spanned five years (2018-2023) as part of a comprehensive five-year project, comprising three distinct phases, each featuring specialized workshops. A cohort of 380 preschool teachers completed GeoGebra training, which was followed by the integration of the proposed model into the educational curriculum across preschool institutions in two districts within the Republic of Serbia. Preschool educators independently implemented two activities aligned with their project themes. The study's findings emphasize the effectiveness of implementing an interactive project-based learning approach in preschool settings, where well-integrated GeoGebra applets, particularly when harmonized with activities involving physical and tangible elements, can yield positive outcomes.

The benefits of educational games in developing speech and vocabulary in early ages

Since ancient times, the game has been the basic and most beloved activity for preschoolers, as it allows them to express their ideas, thoughts, feelings, desires, and joy. In kindergarten, the child's knowledge sphere expands, supporting the learning process by branching out various types of activities and intertwining play with learning, thus combining the useful with the enjoyable. Through the method of educational games, vocabulary enrichment is achieved, focusing on acquiring new words and consolidating and activating them. Through the entire educational process in kindergarten and through specific vocabulary development activities, children's speech is perfected phonetically, the sphere of active and passive vocabulary expands, and grammatically correct forms are consolidated. Vocabulary enrichment should be a constant objective in preparing children for continuous learning. The child will not be able to understand the content unit transmitted if they do not know the meanings of the words. The importance of the games lies in the fact that it directly involves the preschooler in their own development, in all aspects.