Educational Intervention For Children Research Articles

Effectiveness of early childhood education interventions to improve complementary feeding practices in children 4 to 36 months of age: a systematic review protocol.

Healthy eating habits, which start with food introduction, can influence children's growth and development. Therefore, the educational actions carried out at school for children who are beginning to eat, involving families and school staff who attend daycare centers, can serve as strategies to improve complementary feeding practices. This review will analyze the effectiveness of early childhood education interventions to improve complementary feeding practices in children aged 4 to 36 months. The review will consider randomized clinical trials, cluster-randomized clinical trials, and controlled clinical trials that evaluate the effectiveness of early childhood education interventions involving children aged 4 to 36 months, their families, or school staff to improve complementary feeding. In their absence, observational cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies may be considered. This review will be conducted in line with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. The search for relevant studies will be conducted in PubMed, Embase (Ovid), BIREME, Scopus, the Cochrane Library (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials CENTRAL and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and the ProQuest Databases (ProQuest Central). No date or language limitation will be applied. Two independent reviewers will select studies by screening titles, abstracts, and keywords against the inclusion criteria. This will be followed by full-text screening. Two independent reviewers will then conduct the study method quality evaluation and data extraction. GRADEpro will be used to assess the certainty in the findings, which will be reported in a systematic review, and, if possible, grouped in a meta-analysis. PROSPERO CRD42022384704.

Early Childhood Educators' Knowledge of Language Development: An Integrative Literature Review

Abstract Background: The aim of this paper is to identify the scientific production on the knowledge of early childhood educators regarding language development and their pedagogical practices in Brazil, considering the educators’ perceptions. Objectives: This review aims to identify relevant literature and synthesize existing research on the topic of early childhood educators' knowledge of language development. Methods: For this purpose, the following databases were searched: LILACS, SciElo and ERIC, using the following keywords: language development, language acquisition, oral language, children's language, early childhood education and preschool teachers. The inclusion criteria for the review were scientific articles published in English and/or Portuguese, studies with early childhood education teachers /educators as participants, published between 2012 and February 2022, qualitative and/or quantitative studies, and articles published as full text and open access. Results: The low production found may reflect the need for more publications on this topic, especially in the Portuguese context. It was concluded that the knowledge acquired by teachers during their training paths has a reciprocal impact on the beliefs and practices presented by these professionals in the context of early childhood education intervention. Conclusion: After identifying the published works, this research proved to be relevant and convergent with current conceptions regarding the importance of the link between the knowledge of language acquisition and development acquired by early childhood educators and their practices in school contexts on a daily basis. Keywords: Early Childhood, Language Development, Pedagogical Practices, Teacher Training.

School-based psychosocial and educational interventions for children and adolescents after the 1999 Marmara earthquakes in Turkey: A review on lessons learned

The massive earthquakes experienced in August and November 1999 affected thousands of people in the Marmara region, the most densely populated and industrialized part of Turkey. The humanitarian and economic cost was so enormous, and these earthquakes have changed the Turkish disaster management system and the Turkish people’s approach to disasters. Marmara earthquakes are also considered as a milestone in the provision of psychosocial services for disaster victims. This paper aims to review the psychosocial interventions targeting children, adolescents, and their families after the 1999 earthquakes in Turkey. The progression from initial responses to more organized psychosocial interventions is outlined. Conducting the interventions at schools has ensured that thousands of children, teachers, and parents are reached in the most efficient and effective way possible. The significance of the school context in designing psychosocial interventions is highlighted and implications of the lessons learned for traumatic experiences of children and parents are also explored. It is evaluated that these inferences obtained from the Marmara earthquake in Turkey can be used in disasters around the world.

The Situation of Speech and Language Disorders in Morocco: A Comprehensive Analysis of the RSK Region

This research delves into the nuanced dynamics of speech and language development disorders and academic achievement disorders, unveiling disparities across demographic, environmental, and age-related dimensions. A distinct urban-rural divide emerges, emphasizing the influence of environmental factors on prevalence rates. Individuals in urban settings face higher rates of disorders, necessitating tailored interventions acknowledging the unique challenges of urban environments. Conversely, rural populations demonstrate lower prevalence, urging policymakers to consider resource allocation and intervention strategies attuned to the specific needs of diverse locales. A crucial revelation is the heightened prevalence among individuals under 18 years old, underscoring the imperative for early intervention strategies. Early childhood programs and educational interventions prove pivotal, requiring customization to address the evolving needs of different age groups. Gender-specific considerations become evident, with males exhibiting a higher prevalence. Tailoring interventions to understand and address gender-specific factors is paramount for enhancing support systems and intervention effectiveness.

Bridging Priorities Between Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions for Autism and Educational Practice in Inclusive Early Childhood Education

Practice guidelines for early childhood education (ECE) and clinical autism interventions (Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention, NDBI) have emerged separately in history, represent different disciplines, and operate within different service systems in the United States. This article identifies priorities, principles, and practices that are shared across the NDBI and ECE frameworks, unique to each framework but compatible with the other, or in conflict. Both frameworks support converging inclusive ECE models focused on autism in that they are both grounded in responsive relationships, natural learning environments, and strategies to promote children’s motivation and active engagement. While compatible in general, each framework extends the other in important ways. For example, NDBI goes beyond the ECE frameworks by focusing on a more fine-grained examination of learning strategies and targets. Opportunities for bridging gaps are identified, including the use of implementation science frameworks to integrate perspectives from different stakeholder groups, supporting the scale-up of inclusion preschools in community settings.

Organizational readiness and implementation fidelity of an early childhood education and care-specific physical activity policy intervention: findings from the Play Active trial.

Many children do not accumulate sufficient physical activity for good health and development at early childhood education and care (ECEC). This study examined the association between ECEC organizational readiness and implementation fidelity of an ECEC-specific physical activity policy intervention. Play Active aimed to improve the ECEC educator's physical activity practices. We investigated the implementation of Play Active using a Type 1 hybrid study (January 2021-March 2022). Associations between organizational readiness factors and service-level implementation fidelity were examined using linear regressions. Fidelity data were collected from project records, educator surveys and website analytics. ECEC services with higher levels of organizational commitment and capacity at pre-implementation reported higher fidelity scores compared to services with lower organizational commitment and capacity (all Ps<0.05). Similarly, services who perceived intervention acceptability and appropriateness at pre-implementation to be high had higher fidelity scores (P<0.05). Perceived feasibility and organizational efficacy of Play Active were associated with higher but nonsignificant fidelity scores. Results indicate that organizational readiness factors may influence the implementation of ECEC-specific physical activity policy interventions. Therefore, strategies to improve organizational readiness should be developed and tested. These findings warrant confirmation in the ECEC and other settings and with other health behavior interventions.

Meningkatkan Kemampuan Sosial Emosional Anak Usia Dini melalui Permainan Petak Umpet di TK Karya Bunda Mandiri

This study aims to investigate the potential of hide-and-seek games as a tool in improving social-emotional abilities in early childhood. Improving social-emotional abilities is an important goal in Early Childhood education interventions because children's social-emotional development is often hampered. In this study researchers used an approach based a hide-and-seek game that attracts children's interest and utilizes the social-emotional concepts involved in this game, such as developing interaction skills, the ability to work together in groups and the ability to manage emotions. The research method used involved participants in the apple group at Karya Kindergarten Mandiri mothers with an age range of 4-5 years arranged in an intervention group. Researchers provide a scaled structured hide-and-seek game session in which children will be given the opportunity to participate in games and apply previously learned emotional social skills. Researchers also use various supporting strategies such as role models, positive reinforcers and tailored feedback in shaping children to understand and use desired social emotional skills. The results of the study showed a significant increase in children's social emotional abilities after participating in a game-based intervention of hide and seek .Children show improvement in the ability to interact with peers, understand and express their emotions better and work effectively in groups.In addition, hide-and-seek games also show effectiveness in increasing children's involvement in group activities, which can increase children's motivation and reduce the level of social anxiety in children.

Adaptations to scale-up an early childhood education and care physical activity intervention for real-world availability — Play Active

BackgroundAdaptations for scale-up are ubiquitous but are rarely described in detail. Adaptations may be a key reason for the “scale-up penalty” which is when there is a reduction in intervention effect size following scale-up. The Play Active intervention consists of a physical activity policy for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, with accompanying implementation support strategies. It was first implemented with 81 ECEC services in Perth, Western Australia, in 2021 — with significant positive changes in physical activity practice uptake. The aim of this paper is to describe the extent, type, fidelity consistency, goals, size, scope, and proposed impact of proposed adaptations to the implementation support strategies for scaling-up Play Active.MethodsProposed adaptations were defined as planned changes, made prior to making the intervention available. The authors created a list of adaptations from a comparison of the Play Active implementation support strategies, before and after adaptation for proposed statewide availability across Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia, Australia. We used the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced Implementation Strategies (FRAME-IS) to code adaptations to implementation support strategies. Three authors coded each adaptation and rated their size, scope and proposed impact.ResultsFifty-three adaptations to Play Active were identified. Most (68%) were proposed for the ‘content’ of implementation strategies, including aspects of their delivery. In practice, this involved changing the delivery mode of implementation support strategies from phone call and email support, to website-based delivery. More than half (56%) of adaptations involved ‘adding elements’ for scale-up. Most adaptations were ‘fidelity consistent’ (95%). The main goals for adaptations were related to ‘increasing the acceptability, appropriateness, or feasibility’ (45%), ‘decreasing the costs’ (19%) and ‘increasing adoption of the evidence-based practice’ (19%). Adaptations were small to medium in size, with most proposed to have a positive (87%) or neutral (8%) effect on the effectiveness of the intervention, rather than negative (4%).ConclusionsA large number of small, fidelity-consistent, adaptations were proposed for Play Active scale-up. Overall, the process of reporting adaptations was found to be feasible. To understand the impact of these adaptations, it will be important to re-evaluate implementation, effectiveness and process outcomes, at-scale.

Supporting social-emotional development in early childhood education and care – a randomized parallel group trial evaluating the impact of two different interventions

ABSTRACT A randomized controlled parallel-group trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of two 10-week early childhood education and care (ECEC) interventions “SAGA” and “Pikkuli” for supporting social-emotional and verbal development. All children above the age of 4 were invited from 15 Finnish volunteer ECEC groups (n SAGA = 52, n Pikkuli = 56, n control group = 42). The children and caregivers, but not the personnel (who carried out the intervention), were blinded to the group assignment. Children in the SAGA intervention advanced in prosocial behavior and social orientation and had fewer internalizing and externalizing problems after the intervention. Children in the Pikkuli intervention advanced in prosocial behavior and had fewer internalizing problems after the intervention. There were no significant changes in any of the aforementioned outcomes in the control group. The results suggest that both interventions have good potential in supporting children’s social-emotional development in the ECEC environment.

New insights into the behavioral structure of Pikler educators: An application of T-pattern detection and analysis with THEME.

The recent generalization of early childhood schooling has given rise to a need for the development of rigorous, specific training programs aimed at early education professionals (0-3 years of age). This work emanates from the unique nature of Pikler-Lóczy education as a reference for early childhood education centers, and its expertise in providing quality care in an everyday classroom situation. The aim of the study is to use T-pattern detection and analysis, within the framework of observational methodology, to identify relevant aspects of the choreography followed by Pikler educators during breakfast, and thus provide substantial material with a view to creating a training plan. Two expert educators in Pikler-Lóczy education were directly and systematically observed in their own classrooms, following a nomothetic, follow-up and multidimensional design. The observation instrument underwent a molarization process so that the detected elements would be more significant and understandable for novice educators. Using THEME, the invariant aspects of the educators' behavior were analyzed. The significance level for the critical interval was the THEME default (α = 0.005). The results show: on the one hand, changes expected in T-patterns in accordance with the observation instrument molarity; and on the other hand, stability in terms of the comparison between the two educators. These results help us to identify the complex structure of the breakfast choreography, and how educators establish interaction with children. In addition to specific issues pertaining to Pikler-Lóczy education, the conclusions highlight the advantages of using T-pattern analysis within the framework of observational methodology, in order to dissect a mealtime routine in its natural context, and explain components of early childhood education intervention that satisfy basic childhood needs. This constitutes a starting point from which to generate instructive material for the training of professionals working in early education.

Adapting early childhood education interventions to contexts: Lessons and challenges of using different evaluation designs

This paper analyzes the experience of three waves of implementation of UBC, an intervention to improve early childhood education quality in schools serving disadvantaged children in Chile. It delves on the notions of context as a primary source of information to adapt and improve educational programs in order to adjust to local needs. The results show that adapting to context improves both the quality of classroom interactions and child outcomes. The paper discusses the tensions between experimental and quasi-experimental methods in assessing these types of programs.

Design and validation of a handbook and photographic atlas on complementary food for use as a food education tool

The use of visual tools to calculate the adequate portion of the infant's food with an adequate education would allow to provide correct, simple and clear information to those responsible for their feeding. The objective was to design a manual and photographic atlas on complementary feeding (CF) for children between 6-12 months of age, to be used as a tool in food and nutrition education. Methods: The instrument was divided into two sections: a manual that includes advice on CF, and another corresponding to the food atlas, adapted to children aged 6 to 12 months. Content validity was performed by expert judgment, and the degree of agreement was measured using the Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). The designed tool includes 47 foods, 323 photographs and 6 chapters, where key concepts were developed, feeding in the sick child, measurements and capacities of the utensils used, images accompanied with recommendations for food and nutritional education about consistency, frequency, quantity, progression in the incorporation of food, safety, recipes and menu ideas according to age. The atlas was divided into food groups, subdivided into raw and cooked foods, and in different presentations: puree, pieces and whole. The content validation showed a high percentage of general acceptance (85.86%) and reported a 95% ICC of 0.884 (0.712-0.973). The designed tool is very useful for carrying out nutrition counseling and education interventions for children of the age of starting their CF.

Children Receiving a Nutrition and High-Quality Early Childhood Education Intervention Are Associated with Greater Math and Fluid Intelligence Scores: The Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries.

Background: About 47% of children < 5 years of age are stunted in Guatemala. In this study, the investigators aimed to compare growth and cognitive outcomes between children in second grade that attended five Guatemala City Municipal Nurseries (GCMN) vs. same sex, grade, and age-matched children. Methods: A cross-sectional design nested in a retrospective cohort was implemented between 2015 and 2019. Children that attended the GCMN and matched controls completed a math test and validated receptive language and fluid intelligence tests. The primary caregivers completed a sociodemographic survey. General and generalized linear mixed effect models were used to compare children that attended the GCMN vs. controls. The models were adjusted by maternal education, sex, asset score, and other relevant covariates. Results: Children that attended the GCMN exhibited greater math and fluid intelligence scores relative to the controls in the adjusted models (ß = 6.48; 95% CI (2.35–10.61)) and (ß = 1.20; 95% CI (0.12–2.29)), respectively. Lower odds of stunting were significant for children who went to any early childcare institution (AOR = 0.28; 95% CI (0.09–0.89)). Conclusions: The importance of integrating nutrition and high-quality early childhood education interventions in cognitive and growth outcomes is highlighted in this study. The GCMN model may be a scalable model in similar low-resource settings.

Serving students with autism: Ensuring a place for applied behavior analysis

The prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown dramatically, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires educators to use evidence-based practices to improve academic and/or behavior outcomes for children with ASD. There is definitive scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of applied behavior analysis (ABA) as an educational intervention for children with autism, yet ABA is not formally included as a related service under IDEA. Juliet Hart Barnett discusses how ABA can address the needs of students with autism, the barriers to its implementation, and why it should be treated as a related service that schools provide under IDEA.

Exploring the Effect of Robot-Based Video Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as an Alternative to Remote Education

Education systems are currently in a state of uncertainty in the face of the changes and complexities that have accompanied SARS-CoV2, leading to new directions in educational models and curricular reforms. Video-based Intervention (VBIs) is a form of observational learning based on social learning theory. Thus, this study aims to make use of a humanoid robot called NAO, which has been used in educational interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. Integrating it in video-based interventions. This study aims to characterize, in an everyday context, the mediating role of the NAO robot presented in group videoconferences to stimulate video-based on observational learning for children with cognitive and social communication deficits. The children in the study demonstrated a minimal ability to understand simple instructions. This qualitative study was applied to three children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), level III special education students at Center for Special Basic Education (CEBE) in the city of Arequipa, Perú. Likewise, an instrument was designed for assessment of the VBIs by a group of psychologists. The results showed that the presence of the NAO robot in the VBIs successfully stimulated their interaction capabilities.

QUAN ĐIỂM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN GIÁO DỤC ĐẶC BIỆT VỀ MÔI TRƯỜNG XANH BỀN VỮNG TRONG CAN THIỆP VÀ GIÁO DỤC TRẺ KHUYẾT TẬT

The implementation of green environment and sustainable development activities in schools has led many schools in many countries to follow green school models, also known as sustainable schools. From understanding the characteristics and concepts of a green school environment, schools with sustainable development, the article explores the views of teachers of special education through a survey of 68 teachers teaching children with disabilities in different provinces: Hanoi, Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh, Quang Ngai on green environment contents and activities in educational interventions for children with disabilities, consult teachers about activities and contents about green environment for sustainable development, the results of the article also show that teachers appreciate the necessity and benefits of bringing a green environment and sustainable development into intervention and education for children with disabilities to be well being children, relieve stress and joyful learning environment.

Evaluating implementation of LEAPS, a youth-led early childhood care and education intervention in rural Pakistan: protocol for a stepped wedge cluster-randomized trial

BackgroundThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the importance of investments in early childhood care and education (ECCE) and youth development. Given Pakistan’s large young population, and gender and urban-rural inequalities in access to education, training, and employment, such investments offer opportunities. LEAPS is a youth-led ECCE program that trains female youth, 18–24 years, as Community Youth Leaders (CYLs) to deliver high-quality ECCE for children, 3.5–5.5 years, in rural Sindh, Pakistan.MethodsWe use a stepped wedge cluster-randomized trial to evaluate implementation of LEAPS. Ninety-nine clusters will be randomized to receive the intervention in one of three 7-month steps (33 clusters/step). The primary outcome is children’s school readiness (indexed by the total score on the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA)). Secondary child outcomes are children’s IDELA domain scores and executive functions. Data are collected in cross-sectional surveys of 1089 children (11 children/cluster from 99 clusters) aged 4.5–5.5 years at four timepoints (baseline and at the end of each step). Additionally, we will enroll three non-randomized youth participant open cohorts, one per step (33 CYLs: 66 comparison youth per cohort; 99:198 in total). Youth cohorts will be assessed at enrollment and every 7 months thereafter to measure secondary outcomes of youth personal and professional development, depressive symptoms, and executive functions. A non-randomized school cohort of 330 LEAPS students (10 students/cluster from 33 clusters) will also be enrolled and assessed during Step 1 after intervention rollout and at endline. The quality of the learning environment will be assessed in each LEAPS ECCE center and in a comparison center at two timepoints midway following rollout and at endline. A concurrent mixed-methods implementation evaluation will assess program fidelity and quality, and the extent to which a technical support strategy is successful in strengthening systems for program expansion. A cost evaluation will assess cost per beneficiary. Data collection for implementation and cost evaluations will occur in Step 3.DiscussionYouth-led models for ECCE offer a promising approach to support young children and youth. This study will contribute to the evidence as a means to promote sustainable human development across multiple SDG targets.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.govNCT03764436. Registered on December 5, 2018.

Educational interventions used to improve the cognitive and social development of children and adolescents with autism

Difficulty in communication and socialization are the main characteristics presented by individuals diagnosed with autism. For children and adolescents with autism to have a better inclusion and understanding of the contents covered in the classroom, several methodologies have been developed and used that include active ASD teaching and learning strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to carry out a systematic review to verify which educational interventions have been used to improve the cognitive and social development of children and adolescents diagnosed with autism. For this reason, a search for scientific articles published between the years 2015 and 2020 was carried out in the Scielo, PubMed, Lilacs, Bireme, and Medline databases. The research included only studies that aimed at social and educational interventions for children and adolescents (2 to 18 years old) with autism. In the bibliographic survey, 227 articles were found. From the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 articles were evaluated in this systematic review. The studies addressed educational strategies that explored various aspects related to vision, hearing, smell, language, and sociability. The use of technological resources (applications, virtual games, video modeling, and robots) stimulated the cognitive and social development of the evaluated population. The results presented were favorable for the increase, mainly, in the frequency of non-verbal initiatives and the use of eye contact in responses to communication partners.

The role of infant and early childhood mental health consultation in reducing racial and gender relational and discipline disparities between Black and white preschoolers

AbstractThis study presents findings from an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) initiative in Arizona called Smart Support. The IECMHC used an early childhood mental health consultation model as an early childhood education intervention to address the needs of preschoolers with challenging behaviors. Disparities in teacher‐child relationships and discipline are some of the most persistent racial disparities impacting young Black children. The goal of IECMHC is to facilitate teachers' skills to respond to challenging child behavior and to shift teachers' internal representations of young children. This study is one of the first to link a statewide IECMHC intervention to the analysis of racial and gender teacher‐child relational and discipline disparities. Multilevel growth analyses examined whether child scores at baseline and growth over time differed as a function of child race and gender. At baseline, Black children, compared to white peers, and Black boys, compared to white boys, had higher teacher‐child conflict scores. These scores decreased more strongly over the course of IECMHC such that Black children's outcomes surpassed those of white peers by the end of consultation. A trend was also seen for the reduction of Black boys' preschool expulsion risk, although this trend was only marginally significant.

The Impact of the Coordination between Healthcare and Educational Personnel on the Health and Inclusion of Children and Adolescents with Rare Diseases.

Rare diseases produce multiple impacts for the people who suffer from them, but they also have repercussions for their families, education and healthcare. The objective of this study is to analyze the coordination between healthcare and education professionals who intervene with children and adolescents with rare diseases. It is a qualitative study designed with a critical paradigm, and it was carried out through focus group discussions. A total of 50 people participated in the study, including healthcare professionals, teachers and families. The results suggest that poor communication and coordination negatively impact minors with rare diseases, placing an extra burden on their families, who take on an intermediary role in communication. Participants in the study recognized coordination as an area for improvement as it can compromise equitable social and health services and inclusive education. Other measures must also be put into action at the public administration level not only to establish protocols for intersectoral coordination, but also to increase the knowledge and awareness of staff involved in health and education interventions for children with rare diseases.