Portuguese Preschool Research Articles

Malocclusion in deciduous dentition: a cross-sectional study in a Portuguese preschool population

PurposeTo determine the prevalence of malocclusion in Portuguese preschool children, to characterise occlusion in the deciduous dentition, and to study the relationship between malocclusion, sex, and age.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 3–6 years old children, from 25 randomly selected kindergartens from the Lisbon district. Data were collected through an oral examination. Malocclusion was defined as the presence of any type of occlusion anomaly (anterior crossbite, edge-to-edge, increased overjet, open bite, deep overbite, posterior crossbite, scissor bite), spacing anomaly (crowding), or dentition anomaly (supernumerary teeth, agenesis, malformations). Canine class, terminal plane of the deciduous second molars and type of Baume arch were also recorded. Statistical analysis included descriptive and chi-squared test (α = 0.05).ResultsThe sample included 426 children with a global prevalence of malocclusion of 60.6%. Occlusion anomalies were the most prevalent (59.2%), the most frequent being deep overbite (27%), increased overjet (22.1%) and posterior crossbite (14.1%). Crowding had a prevalence of 1.6% and agenesis of 1.4%. Class I canine (57.3%), straight second molar terminal plane (60.1%) and type I Baume arch (53.3%) were the most common. The mean overjet was 2.6 mm (sd = 2.1) and the mean overbite was 2.2 mm (sd = 2.1). Age was associated with the presence of occlusion anomalies (p = 0.03), and increased overjet prevalence was found to be higher in girls (p = 0.03).ConclusionsThe prevalence of malocclusion was high, with occlusion anomalies being the most prevalent. It is important to identify modifiable risk factors associated with malocclusion to prevent this condition in both the deciduous and permanent dentitions.

Conceptions of career choice and attainment in Portuguese preschool and elementary-school children

AbstractThe Conceptions of Career Choice and Attainment (CCCA) model has been supporting research on children’s career reasoning, particularly in the USA. This study examines the applicability of the CCCA model to Portuguese preschool and elementary-school children. The CCCA interview was answered by 101 children (38.6% preschoolers, 61.4% elementary schoolers; Mage = 6.68). Results indicated that elementary schoolers present significantly higher levels of career choice and attainment reasoning than preschoolers. Future studies with middle schoolers are needed to keep investigating the model in Portugal. Studies in other countries would also be useful to encourage collaboration in childhood career development research and practice.

Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices to Support Emergent Literacy Development in Preschool Education: The Moderating Role of Continuous Training

AbstractThe main goal of this study was to explore the relationship between emergent literacy beliefs and practices among Portuguese preschool teachers and to investigate the moderating role of experience and training (initial and continuous). The participants were 266 preschool teachers working in Portugal. The results indicate higher levels of holistic beliefs than technicist beliefs regarding emergent literacy. Practices aimed at promoting oral language and phonological awareness were reported as the most frequently used practices in the classroom. Teachers who had continuous training in emergent literacy had more holistic beliefs and performed more practices to promote children’s phonological awareness and knowledge of the relationship between oral and written language. Continuous training was also a significant moderator of the relationship between emergent literacy beliefs and practices. These findings highlight the importance of continuous training in fostering the use of quality research-based practices in the classroom.

Exploring Portuguese preschool educators’ attitudes and practices on information and communication technology (ICT)

AbstractThis study aims to explore preschool educators’ attitudes towards to information and communication technology (ICT), its factors and implementation of ICT tools in preschool education by the educators. To this end, a mixed-method research approach was applied, comprising qualitative and quantitative data, collected using survey and field observation. The data, gathered from 58 preschool educators from the north of Portugal, were analysed by SPSS and the qualitative data gathered by five classroom observations analysed by thematic analysis method. Findings indicated that preschool educators have positive attitudes towards ICT integration in education regardless of age, years of teaching experience and attending professional course predictors. Additionally, educators use ICT tools as materials to enhance classroom activities, engage children, and conduct research with them. The results of this study reveal that preschool educators hold positive attitudes toward ICT and actively implement activities using ICT. However, educators are still the main users of ICT in the classroom. It was also observed that as these five classrooms lack the technological infrastructure, the educators usually rely on their personal resources. The lack of ICT resources could affect the independent use of ICT by the children. According to the findings, the study recommends that there are some schools in Portugal that lack ICT infrastructure. In order to overcome this situation, school leaders and policymakers should invest in ICT infrastructure in preschool institutions in Portugal that face a lack of ICT tools.

Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale: Psychometric Evaluation in Portuguese Preschoolers.

to contribute to the validation of the Early Childhood Oral Impact Scale (ECOHIS) by studying its psychometric properties when applied to a Portuguese preschool population. Cross-sectional study conducted with children aged between three and five-years-old. The non-probabilistic sample included two preschools in the municipality of Lisbon. Children who agreed to participate and whose guardians signed the informed consent were included. Data collection included a questionnaire, administered to the parents, and an intraoral examination of the children. The questionnaire included the Portuguese version of ECOHIS. The intraoral examination included the caries diagnosis according to the World Health Organization criteria. Discriminant validity compared the ECOHIS score between children with and without caries experience (Mann-Whitney U-test). Cohen's d was calculated to estimate the magnitude of the difference. Reliability analysis included Cronbach's α and test-retest. Construct validity was analyzed by the correlation between the ECOHIS score and dmft (Spearman's correlation). A significance level of 5% was used. The sample included 104 children (mean age 4.1 years). ECOHIS values were significantly different between children with and without caries (p=0.004). The Cohen's d was 0.84. The Cronbach's was 0.78, with no significant increase in value when eliminating any of the items. The test-retest showed significant correlation (r=0.76; p=0.01). There was a significant correlation between the ECOHIS score and caries experience (r=0.28; p=0.004). The Portuguese version of the ECOHIS showed good psychometric properties, indicating that it is a reliable and valid tool to measure the impact of oral health in preschool children.

Portuguese Validation of the TAPQoL: A Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument for Children Aged 0-6 Years.

In Portugal, there are few generic and specific instruments to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children, especially those of preschool age. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Portuguese version of the Preschool Children Quality of Life Questionnaire (TAPQoL) in a community and clinical sample of children aged 0-6 years. The parents of 409 healthy children and 137 children undergoing treatment for burns and acute lymphoblastic leukemia completed the TAPQoL and were assessed on psychological morbidity and family functioning. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed, as well as analysis of the psychometric properties as shown by internal consistency measures, convergent validity, and average variance extracted. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed an 11-factor structure with good psychometric properties. The current version of the TAPQoL is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing HRQoL in Portuguese preschool children in community and clinical settings.

Preschool Teachers' Cognitions, Emotions, and Tolerance toward Children's Hypothetical Social Behaviors in the Classroom.

Teachers' tolerance toward children's social behaviors is, in part, guided by teachers' cognitions and emotions. Few studies have examined the associations between teachers' cognitions, emotions, and tolerance toward children's social behaviors. This study aimed to (1) describe the cognitions, emotions, and tolerance of Portuguese preschool teachers toward children's shy, physically and relationally aggressive, rough-and-tumble play, exuberant, and unsociable behaviors at preschool, depending on children's sex; and (2) examine the direct and indirect associations (via teachers' emotions) between teachers' cognitions and tolerance toward children's social behaviors, depending on children's sex. One hundred and seven preschool teachers completed the Child Behaviors Vignettes. Preschool teachers displayed more negative views toward children's physical and relational aggression, reported positive perspectives toward children's rough play and mixed attitudes toward children's exuberance, and differentiated shy from unsociable behaviors. Direct associations between teachers' cognitions and tolerance were found only for physical aggression. Teachers' anticipation of negative peer costs and academic performance appear to exert an indirect influence on teachers' tolerance toward physical aggression and unsociability, via increased levels of worry. These findings highlight the role of teachers' emotions for tolerance toward children's social behaviors and the need to enhance their self-awareness.

Nurturing Preschool Children’s Social Skills and Reducing Behavioral Difficulties Through Teacher Practices: The Answer of the Incredible Years Classroom Management Programme

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY-TCM) program is an evidence-based intervention intended to promote the social and emotional skills of children and to reduce the frequency of inappropriate types of behavior. This paper reports on its initial implementation in Portugal. The primary aim of this study is to establish preliminary evidence on the social skills of Portuguese children and behavioral difficulties at school and on teacher practices concerning the IY-TCM as a universal stand- alone intervention. Additional aims are to determine whether is effective in a subsample of children at risk of developing behavioral disorders and to assess its acceptance by Portuguese preschool teachers. Eight pre-school teachers who received IY-TCM training were compared to eight corresponding teachers who did not. A total of 296 children, aged 3-6 years old, took part in the experiment. Overall, the results from this study suggest that the IY-TCM program had resulted in changes in the expected direction at child level (including children with early signs of disruptive behavior) and at teacher level, with medium and high effects sizes. Teacher satisfaction with numerous aspects of the IY-TCM program was high. Practice or Policies: This program can be very useful to be used in initial teachers training.

Perceptions of Portuguese Preschool Teachers and Psychologists about the Acceptability of a New Evidence-Based Universal Intervention Program with Targeted Elements for Inhibited-Withdrawn Behaviors

ABSTRACTHigh and stable behavioral inhibition (BI) during early childhood place children at increased risk of experiencing anxiety, depression, peer exclusion, victimization, and academic difficulties. The bioecological developmental framework and existing limitations in the scope of the few available interventions targeted at behavioral inhibition during early childhood support the need to develop new teacher-led socioemotional learning programs to be implemented with the peer group in the classroom. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of Portuguese psychologists and preschool teachers about the acceptability of the aims, structure, contents, activities, and materials of a new universal intervention targeting inhibited behaviors and about the barriers/facilitators to its implementation. Participants were 15 preschool teachers and 14 psychologists, who were distributed into 6 focus groups. Each focus group was moderated by a trained psychologist, using a semi-structured interview guide. The thematic analysis revealed that the aims, contents, activities, and materials of the new intervention program were considered highly acceptable by preschool teachers and psychologists. Only minor modifications in the intervention structure (i.e. implementing less time-consuming psychoeducational workshops and reducing the time interval until the follow-up session) and adaptations in the mode of delivery (i.e. hybrid format, or introduction of add-on motivational modules for preschool teachers and families) were recommended to counteract barriers related to time constraints and workplace conditions before its dissemination and pilot study. These promising findings support the perceived need and acceptability of a new teacher-led universal intervention program with targeted elements for behavioral inhibition during early childhood.

Individual and Sociodemographic Factors Associated to Prosocial Behaviors and Academic Performance in Portuguese Preschool and Elementary School Children: Highlights from a National Study After COVID-19

Individual and Sociodemographic Factors Associated to Prosocial Behaviors and Academic Performance in Portuguese Preschool and Elementary School Children: Highlights from a National Study After COVID-19

“Too Young to Learn English?”—Nurturing Preschool Children’s English Language Learning across an Early Years Curriculum: A Case Study

School readiness can be used as a key target to support children’s social, emotional, language, and a wide range of communication skills, particularly to promote equity for children in a democratic society. This is especially important for Portuguese children attending early years foundation settings, as considering “school readiness” creates a much broader educational base for school subjects to subsequently build upon and, in particular, nurturing early years foundation stage Portuguese children’s literacy development in English, the privileged language of international communication. However, little is known about how the English language can be best taught at such young ages, as well as the unique outcomes from such an early exposure, at least in the Portuguese context. Language play has been argued to be a “universal” feature common to all human beings, regardless of their age. This study set out to prepare young preschool children with an English language background for the primary school years. As such, this study examined the impact of exposing children to classroom-based storybook reading sessions and original cartoon-based created materials, hence creating a print-referencing-style environment carried out during an academic year. The impacts on preschoolers’ early literacy development were examined, focusing specifically on the domain of print knowledge. The study reported here set out to determine to what extent a play-based, cross-curricular pedagogic programme for learning English, fastened in CLIL principles (English across the curriculum), could be effective in promoting early literacy development within an early years setting in Portugal, thus preparing children for the formal years of primary school to come. Fifteen native Portuguese preschool children (3–5 years old) were the focus of this study. Their engagement in English lessons was investigated through audio recordings of peer and group conversations. Cross-reference content analyses were carried out separately, with audio recordings of lessons and researcher’s field notes as part of triangulation of the data.

Associations between secure base script knowledge in early childhood and perceived quality of attachment in middle childhood

Previous studies suggest that mental representations of attachment can show moderate stability across childhood but none of these considered the child’s use of the Secure Base Script (SBS). This study tested the longitudinal stability of attachment representations from early to middle childhood, providing data that will allow us to determine whether the SBS score behaves like other attachment measures for early childhood in this regard. A sample of 70 Portuguese preschool children (36 girls) was assessed regarding their access to and use of the SBS when producing narratives relevant to attachment themes (e.g., separation, fear of ambiguous threat) at age 5 years using the Attachment Story Completion Task. Follow-up assessments were obtained at 8 and 9 years of age using the Kerns Security Scale. Security scores for both parents were obtained from the child in both years. All cross-time correlations were positive and significant. Subsequent tests on correlation magnitudes for mothers vs. fathers were not significant. Finally, correlations for mother/father security scores were significant at both age levels. Our findings indicate that children’s access to and use of the SBS in early childhood does predict their perceived quality of attachment with parents in middle childhood. Overall, our results indicate that access to and use of SBS in young children’s attachment-relevant narratives is a valid and potentially productive measure.

Supporting Preschoolers' Mental Health and Academic Learning through the PROMEHS Program: A Training Study.

There is compelling evidence that early school intervention programs enhance children's development of life skills, with a positive knock-on effect on their behaviors and academic outcomes. To date, most universal interventions have displayed gains in children's social-emotional competencies with a limited reduction in problem behaviors. This may depend on programs' curricula focused to a greater extent on preschoolers' social-emotional competencies rather than problem behaviors. Promoting Mental Health at Schools (PROMEHS) is a European, school-based, universal mental health program explicitly focused on both promoting students' mental health and preventing negative conduct by adopting a whole-school approach. In this study, we set out to evaluate the effectiveness of the program for Italian and Portuguese preschoolers. We recruited 784 children (age range = 4-5 years), assigning them to either an experimental group (six months' participation in the PROMEHS program under the guidance of their teachers, who had received ad hoc training) or a waiting list group (no intervention). We found that PROMEHS improved preschoolers' social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies, prosocial behavior, and academic outcomes. The more practical activities were carried out at school, the more children's SEL competencies increased, and the more their internalizing and externalizing behaviors decreased. Furthermore, marginalized and disadvantaged children were those who benefited most from the program, displaying both greater improvements in SEL and more marked decreases in internalizing problems compared to the rest of the sample.

Intake of added sugar, fruits, vegetables, and legumes of Portuguese preschool children: Baseline data from SmartFeeding4Kids randomized controlled trial participants.

The SmartFeeding4Kids (SF4K) program is an online self-guided intervention for parents with the propose of changing parental feeding practices and children's dietary intake, focusing on the intake of added sugars, fruit, vegetables, and legumes. This paper aims to describe children's dietary pattern at baseline through a 24-h food recall, the SmartKidsDiet24. Overall, 89 participants recorded at least one meal of the 3-day food recall. Mean age was 36.22 ± 6.05 years and 53.09 ± 15.42 months old for parents and children, respectively. Of these, 22 participants were considered to have 2 days of near complete 24-h food recalls. Children's dietary intake are reported for these 22 participants based on parents reports and, thus, represent estimations only, as it remains unknown whether children consumed other non-reported foods. Fruit was the group with the highest daily intake among children (mean 1.77 ± 1.10 portions/day), followed by added sugar foods (mean 1.48 ± 0.89 portions/day), vegetables [median 1.27 (1.64) portions/day] and legumes [median 0.12 (0.39) portions/day]. Fruit intake was positively correlated with vegetable intake (p = 0.008). Regarding Dietary Reference Values accomplishment, 13.6% of children exceeded the daily safe and adequate intake of sodium, 77.3% did not meet potassium and fiber recommendations, and 31.8% did not meet vitamin C recommendations. All children did not meet calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D intake recommendations. Our findings further justify the need for dietary interventions in this field, to improve young children's diets. ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04591496.

Children's understanding of length measurement using a ruler in preschool and primary education: A cross-national longitudinal study

Measuring length is a practice of everyday life and a mathematical principle shared across cultures. A cross-national and longitudinal study was designed to analyse the evolution of the strategies used by Spanish and Portuguese preschoolers and 1st graders when measuring length. The instruments were rulers designed to discriminate between the strategies demonstrated by young children in previous research, taking as variables the number of correct measurements and the strategy used to measure, and country as a covariate. Neither country nor age influenced correct measurements while the ruler used affected the strategy developed by the children. No significant differences were found in the strategies used from preschool to 1st grade, except for the ruler with numbered units and marks. Considering the sequence of sophistication of the strategies, our results reinforce the scaffolding role of discrete units for the understanding of length measurement towards the use of the standard ruler.

Parent-reported toothbrushing behaviour in the Portuguese preschool population.

Study toothbrushing behaviours and associated factors in a Portuguese preschool population. The study population was the parents of children attending Portuguese kindergartens. The data on sociodemographic and toothbrushing behaviours, at home and at school, were collected by an online questionnaire. The data analysis was performed using Chi-square, Fisher, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests (α = 0.05). The sample included 711 parents. Most of the children brushed their teeth at home at least twice-a-day (65.3%), with the help of an adult (62.9%). The majority of the children did not brush their teeth at school (71.2%); however, only 9.9% of the parents reported that they don't/wouldn't authorise it. Considering both toothbrushing, at home and at school, 75% of the children brushed their teeth twice-a-day. However, only 7.8% of the children performed all the correct toothbrushing related procedures. Toothbrushing at school was more frequent in private kindergartens (p < 0.001). A higher level of education was associated with non-authorisation of toothbrushing at school (p = 0.019) and with performing the correct toothbrushing related procedures (p = 0.007). Attending an oral health professional appointment was also associated with performing the correct toothbrushing related procedures (p = 0.005). Toothbrushing twice-a-day was frequent in the studied population, however, the percentage of children who brushed at school was low, as well as the percentage of children who performed all the correct toothbrushing related procedures. Toothbrushing at school was more likely in private kindergartens. Performing correct toothbrushing related procedures was more frequent in children who had a previous oral health appointment and whose parents had a higher education level.

Building inclusive preschool classrooms: How desirable and feasible is a set of strategies that facilitate teacher-child relationships?

Positive teacher-child relationships promote children’s engagement, as children feel more secure to explore and participate in free or oriented activities. For children with disabilities, a context wherein they can receive the support to maintain a positive engagement in different activities is even more relevant. A scarcity of research exists on how to promote ECEC quality, namely, how to facilitate teacher-child interactions in inclusive environments. This study aims to evaluate preschool teachers’ opinions about thedesirabilityandfeasibilityof a set of empirically validated strategies to improve teacher-child interactions in ECEC classrooms, for the group and children with disabilities. The participants were 89 Portuguese preschool teachers. Based on a non-systematic literature review, a questionnaire composed of 22 strategies to facilitate teacher-child interactions (in 4 dimensions: emotionally responsive interactions, classroom management, attend to children’s perspectives, and scaffolding learning) was developed. Along with the questionnaire, a set of socio-demographic variables was also collected. ECEC teachers scored significantly higher in thedesirabilitysubscale compared with thefeasibilitysubscale in all dimensions and at both thechildand thegrouplevel. This gap between teachers’ perceiveddesirabilityandfeasibilityprovides important insights regarding the dimensions which are important to reinforce in ECEC teachers’ education and professional development. The mean difference between thedesirabilityandfeasibilitysubscales registered a higher effect size at thechild’s level than at thegroup’slevel, confirming that the inclusion of children with disabilities in preschool settings remains a challenge. Moreover, the effect size was small to moderate in theEmotionally Responsive Interactionsdimension for bothchildandgrouplevels. These results are aligned with previous studies stating that among different self-identified dimensions for improvement, emotional support is the less evoked by ECEC teachers. Across all dimensions, the main reason teachers give for difficulty infeasibility, both at thegroupandchild’slevel, is lack ofknowledge. Overall, understanding the reasons teachers attribute to the difference between the strategies’desirabilityandfeasibilityinforms the assessment of teacher education needs and might be operationalized as a new observation instrument.

Unique and joint contributions of behavioral and emotional self-regulation to school readiness

This study aimed to examine the unique and joint contributions of behavioral and emotional self-regulation to key but understudied emergent literacy and early social skills, disentangling sex-differentiated paths. The participants were 231 Portuguese preschoolers (50% boys; M age = 59.5 months; SD = 8.5) enrolled in 47 classrooms. In the first assessment wave, the children’s behavioral self-regulation and receptive vocabulary were individually assessed. The teachers reported on children’s emotional self-regulation. In the second assessment wave, individual assessments on children’s expressive vocabulary, syntactic knowledge, oral-narrative production, and social problem-solving skills were conducted. The results showed that the children’s emergent literacy and early social skills were more related to their behavioral self-regulation than to their emotional self-regulation. Child sex moderated the links between behavioral self-regulation and oral-narrative production skills and the link between emotional self-regulation and early social skills. These findings may have important implications for planning early interventions for developing self-regulation skills.

Searching for creativity in the Portuguese preschool and basic education curricula

AbstractCreativity has become an essential curriculum competence, playing a pivotal role in the successful response to the ever‐changing demands of contemporary society. Yet, its complex, dynamic, and multifaceted nature seem conflicted with the predominant quantitative and easy‐to‐replicate curricular goals, resulting in potential incongruence between educational aims, pedagogical activities, and students' creativity development. Aiming to contribute to this debate, we designed a qualitative study, based on a documentary analysis of the Portuguese preschool and basic education‐intended curricula (legislation, legal norms, guidelines, programs, opinions, and recommendations). From an initial set of 194 documents, 20 complied with our selection criteria. Key findings underline the difficulties in outlining a clear and comprehensive definition of creativity as a distinctive dimension of psychological development, with consequences in how creativity‐focused pedagogical activities are applied within the classroom. Although recent educational reforms have attempted to overcome these limitations, they appear restricted to arts and sports subjects. Our results highlight the need to develop curricula anchored in an approach to creativity as a unique opportunity for psychological development. By intentionally promoting creativity in the curriculum, students' sense of agency, identity, self‐knowledge, and determination can be engaged, ultimately enhancing the underlying complexity of their socio‐cognitive emotional structures.

Veggies4myHeart—a digital game to promote vegetable consumption in preschool children

Abstract Background Vegetable consumption is particularly low in childhood and is one of the main concerns about diet in this age range. Vegetable consumption is associated with better cardiovascular health and the prevention of other chronic non-communicable diseases. Therefore, it is important to find strategies to promote vegetable consumption at early ages, since eating habits established in childhood tend to persist into adulthood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of using a digital game on knowledge about vegetables and his consumption, in preschool children. Methods This is an experimental study conducted in a Portuguese preschool, with children from 3 to 6 years (n = 39). A pre- and post-test were conducted to determine vegetable intake (carrot, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and purple cabbage) and knowledge about vegetables. The intervention consisted of 20-minutes educational sessions with the digital game Veggies4myHeart, once a week for five weeks. A 6-month follow-up was realized. Results There was a statistically significant increase in the consumption of all vegetables from the pre- test to the post-test. Intake at follow-up was higher than pre-test for the five vegetables and the intake of cucumber and tomato was higher in the follow-up than in post-test. In the knowledge assessment, a higher number of correct answers were obtained in the post-test. Conclusions The use of the digital game ‘Veggies4myHeart’ had a positive impact on the consumption and knowledge about vegetables in preschool children. The use of digital games could be a useful tool for conducting nutrition education with preschool children.