Preschool Period Research Articles

Investigation of the relationship between gross motor maturation from 1 to 18 months and preschool gross motor performance in at-risk infants.

At-risk infants are predisposed to major and minor neurodevelopmental disorders due to various biological and environmental factors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between gross motor maturation from 1 to 18 months and gross motor performance in the preschool period, as well as the risk of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) in at-risk infants, referred to the Family Counselling Center of the Turkish Spastic Children's Foundation (FCCTSCF) between 2014 and 2016. Fifty-seven children who had their gross motor maturation assessed between 1 and 18 months at the FCCTSCF were re-evaluated in the preschool period. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was used to evaluate gross motor maturation between 1 and 18 months. In contrast, the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 and the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire were used to assess gross motor performance in the preschool period. Of the at-risk infants included in the study, 45.6% were evaluated as having typical development, 21% were identified as having cerebral palsy (CP), and 33.3% were determined to be at risk for DCD. Children with CP and those at risk for DCD were found to have lower percentile ranks on the past AIMS test compared to the healthy group (p = 0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between the Alberta Infant Motor Scale and the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (p = 0.014). In the clinical follow-up of at-risk infants, those who scored low on AIMS should be monitored for future risk of DCD and minor disorders, even if major neurological issues such as cerebral palsy are not detected.

The Evaluation of Written Tests at Nurussyifa Islamic Kindergarten to Support Merdeka Curriculum

Early childhood is the nation's next generation whose development and growth we must maximize. During this golden age, children receive stimulation from the environment at home, at school and in the community. At school, teachers provide stimulation to children through learning activities according to the kurikulum merdeka. In the pre-school period, children are also introduced to basic writing activities. Indicators of beginning writing are, the child can hold a writing instrument well and correctly, is able to move his hand well, the child can imitate letter shapes, the child can recognize letter shapes. Writing test activities in kindergarten are implemented with very simple activities such as bolding letters, making dashes, making shapes and many more. This research was conducted to evaluate written test activities at TKIT Nurussyifa Krebet Jambon Ponorogo. The data sources in this research are the principal, group A teachers, and group A1 students at TKIT Nurussyifa. The method used in this research is a qualitative research method, using a field case study approach. The techniques used in collecting data are observation, interviews and documentation. From the research results, the written test activities carried out at TKIT Nurussyifa have gone well, and are not burdensome for therapy children, showing positive results and are effective in training children's motor skills in beginning writing.

Comparison of phonological awareness and listening comprehension skills of visually impaired and sighted children in preschool period

Comparison of phonological awareness and listening comprehension skills of visually impaired and sighted children in preschool period

Hubungan Pola Asuh Orang Tua dengan Perkembangan Sosial Emosional Anak Pra Sekolah di PAUD Surya Ceria Aisyiyah Kabupaten Karanganyar

The preschool period is an important period in a child's development, because not all children can go through a period of optimal growth and development. World Health Organization (WHO) 2019, reported that 5-25% of preschool age children experience emotional development disorders with a child population of 23,979,000. Parental parenting patterns really help children achieve normal growth and development according to their age level. The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between parental parenting patterns and the social emotional development of preschool children at PAUD Surya Ceria Aisyiyah Karanganyar. This research method is correlational analytical with a cross sectional approach. The population of this study was 60 people with sampling using the total sampling technique. The results showed that the majority of mothers implemented democratic parenting as many as 48 (80.0%) and the majority of preschool children had very good social emotional development as many as 44 (73.3%). ) preschool children. The data was processed using the chis square test with a value of r value = 0.00 so it can be interpreted that there is a relationship between parenting patterns and the social emotional development of preschool children. Conclusion: Each parent has a different parenting style and each parenting pattern can shape the child's social emotional development differently.

The Effectof Integrated Turkish and Science Activities in Pre-School Education on Children's Environmental Perception

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of integrated Turkish and science activities in the preschool period on children's environmental perception. Materials and Methods: In the qualitative dimension of the mixed method, a phenomenological design was employed, while in the quantitative dimension, a quasi-experimental design was used. Thestudy conductedwith 20 children.In the experimental procedure, children in both the experimental and control groups were asked to draw an environment picture, and one-on-one interviews were conducted with the children regarding their drawings. The drawings were evaluated using DAET-R and were attempted to be transformed into qualitative form with yellow and blue color tones. Findings: In the final tests, experimental groups’ figures increased in the drawings. It was found that the final test drawings of the children in the experimental group were related to the illustrated books used in the integrated activities. Key Points: As a result of the study, it was determined that the change in environmental perception of the children in the experimental group, where integrated Turkish and science activities developed with illustrated children's books were applied, progressed more prominently compared to the children in the control group.

Everyday Executive Function in Preschoolers with Autism and Links with Intellectual Functioning, Adaptive Behavior, and Autism Symptoms.

Impairments in executive function (EF) among individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their association with negative academic, adaptive, and social functioning outcomes have been widely reported over the past 20 years. However, there remains a lack of understanding of EF in autism during the preschool period, an age at which several crucial abilities (including EF) emerge. The present study therefore sought to document everyday EF in preschool-aged children with autism and its associations with other clinical characteristics. Parents rated the EF of their preschool-aged child with autism (M = 30-65 months, N = 288) using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P; Gioia, G. A., Espy, K. A., & Isquith, P. K. (2003). Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version. Psychological Assessment Resources.). Intellectual quotient, adaptive behavior, and autism symptom severity were also assessed. Preschoolers with ASD displayed impairments in everyday EF, particularly in relation with inhibition and working memory. Greater challenges in EF were strongly associated with lower levels of adaptive behavior and a higher severity of autistic symptoms. To a lesser extent, EF challenges were also associated with lower levels of intellectual functioning. The early assessment and detection of EF difficulties in preschoolers with ASD may assist in developing and integrating specific intervention targets to improve these essential abilities within existing early intervention programs for ASD. This could help to maximize their effectiveness and limit the extent of difficulties these children may face growing up.

An Insight into developmental changes in reasoning skills among Indian Preschoolers: A cross-sectional study using a story-based approach

Background: Considering the importance of exploring the development of reasoning skills during preschool period and the suitability of using a culturally linguistically relevant story-based approach for the same, the present research intended to profile the reasoning skills in typically developing Indian preschool children between 36 and 72 months using a story-based approach. The specific objectives were to determine the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of reasoning tasks within an existing story-based cognitive-communicative assessment tool and to use this tool to assess the reasoning skills of typically developing Indian preschool children. Method: Reasoning tasks across explanation, prediction and inference domains were evaluated for its psychometric properties and administered to 63 typically developing Indian preschool children attending English medium schools in Mangalore. The preschoolers were equally divided into three age groups. The responses obtained across the age groups were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: The developed tasks were confirmed to have good psychometric properties like test-retest and inter-rater reliability. The age comparisons of reasoning abilities using one-way ANOVA suggested an increase in reasoning abilities with age during the preschool period. The qualitative analysis further suggested that with increasing age, the nature of reasoning changed from content-based reasoning to reasoning based on prior knowledge which was integrated with the story content. Conclusion: The study describes reasoning skill development using a story-based task in Indian preschoolers. The study findings further provide clinical and educational implications to assess and foster reasoning abilities among preschoolers.

Psychosocial and biobehavioral processes underlying the association between prenatal risk factors and child self-regulation.

Over the past few decades, there has been accumulating evidence that prenatal exposure to risk is negatively related to child self-regulation. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear. The present study used a multimethod approach to simultaneously examine the mediating role of the developmental trajectories of observed parenting quality (support, stimulation, and structure) and children's functional brain networks (small-worldness) from infancy into the preschool period in a sample of 233 children and their biological mothers. The results revealed a potential sleeper effect: Prenatal exposure to risk was negatively related to child self-regulation during the preschool period, but not during infancy. Parenting quality remained relatively stable over time, whereas small-worldness showed an increase during infancy, followed by a decrease into the preschool age period. These developmental changes did not mediate the relation between prenatal risk and child self-regulation. Prenatal exposure to risk was related to lower levels of maternal support during infancy, but did not affect the development of parenting quality over time. Prenatal risk was also not related to the growth rate of small-worldness in young children. However, the developmental changes in small-worldness predicted individual differences in child self-regulation. These findings suggest that children generally have the potential to benefit from positive postnatal parenting environments, regardless of the levels of prenatal risk. A potential target for intervention efforts based on the current findings might be related to postnatal experiences that impact the development of functional brain networks, which in turn could affect the development of child self-regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Öğretmen Görüşlerine Göre Ortaokul Öğrencilerinin Konuşma Kazanımlarına Ulaşma Durumları

Speech is widely used as a means of communication in social life. The speaking skill acquired in the pre-school period needs to be developed through education in order to be used as an effective communication tool. One of the aims of the Turkish course is to provide students with the ability to verbally express their thoughts and feelings in an accurate and effective manner, in accordance with the language rules. Determining the level of students' achievement of the speaking goals and achievements determined in the Turkish teaching program increases the quality of speaking education. The purpose of this study, which is a qualitative research, is 6-8. The aim of this study is to determine the level of achievement of primary school students in speaking skills according to teachers' opinions. The study group of the research consists of 20 Turkish teachers, 11 female and 9 male, working in Samsun center. Data was collected through interviews using qualitative data collection techniques. During the data collection process, attention was paid to ensure that the participants were volunteers. The data obtained using the semi-structured interview form was analyzed using the content analysis model. According to the findings obtained in the research, it is understood that the students are insufficient in achieving speaking achievements, that is, in applying the rules of speaking, using their voice and body language effectively, making prepared speeches, evaluating their own speech and expressing themselves verbally. Keywords: Turkish teachers, secondary school students, speaking skills, goals and gains

A Comparison of Three Executive Function Batteries in a Preschool-Aged Sample.

There is great interest in the development of executive function (EF) in the preschool period. Accordingly, multiple performance-based measures of EF have been developed for this age group, yet little is known about how they compare to one another. This study used a large and diverse sample of 3-to-5-year-old children (N = 846), who completed subtests of the National Institutes of Health's Toolbox Cognition Battery (NTCB), the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV), and the EF Touch battery. Scores across the three batteries were compared and associations with age, income, and race/ethnicity were examined. Results revealed that (1) the three tasks were moderately correlated (r = 0.44-0.51, all p < 0.001), but children had higher mean accuracy scores on EF Touch than on the NTCB or the WPPSI-IV. (2) Mean accuracy scores on all batteries were linearly associated with child age (all F > 32.68, all p < 0.0001). (3) Comparisons by income and race/ethnicity showed lower accuracy for low-income children on the WPPSI-IV and lower accuracy for White children on the NTCB. Across all batteries, there was consistently lower accuracy for Hispanic children. In conclusion, the three batteries we examined performed similarly across several metrics. EF Touch may be more appropriate for younger children, while the NTCB performed well with older children.

Okul Öncesi Eğitimde Teknoloji Kullanımında Rol Model Olarak Dijital Ebeveynlik

Preschool education is an educational process that is given with the arrival of children into the world, first with the support of the family and then with the support of the school. In this educational process, which addresses the cognitive, linguistic, social-emotional, psychomotor and self-care skills of the child, it is necessary to use the innovations brought by the age by adapting them to current life. It is seen that technology, which has an important role in current life, has become an indispensable element for today's child, who is considered a digital native, and his orientation towards the use of technology. Technological devices that exist in all areas of life have inevitably become an indispensable element in the life of children in the preschool period. Technology offers various possibilities for many areas of interest of the child. Technology, which offers numerous opportunities for playing, having fun, exploring and learning activities, can make a positive contribution to children when used correctly. It can be useful in preparing children for school in the preschool period. However, the widespread use of technological tools facilitates access and sharing of information and provides positive contributions such as problem solving, analytical and creative thinking, having fun, peer communication, while also leading to an increase in situations that may pose a risk to children and negatively affect them. For this reason, the family should strive to be a good role model in the use of technology by the preschool child. Preschool children who are developing rapidly may sometimes not realize their wants and needs or may not be able to express themselves as they are. In this regard, the adults and the school in the immediate vicinity come into play, enabling the child to get to know himself and discover his abilities. In order for a child to achieve success, these behaviors need to be known, reinforced and supported by his teachers at school and by his parents at home. Key Words: Preschool Education, Technology Use, Digital Parenting

Preliminary developmental challenges of children at risk for specific learning disabilities: Insights from parents and teachers—a qualitative study

This study aims to uncover the preliminary developmental challenges experienced by children from infancy to their primary school years, who are subsequently diagnosed with specific learning disabilities during their primary education. The ultimate goal is to develop an item pool to identify early symptoms of specific learning disabilities. This qualitative descriptive design study employed semi-structured interviews with 20 participants, comprising both parents and teachers of 10 children aged 8–11. The interviews lasted between 45 and 60 min. To ensure the research's quality and reliability, we applied evaluation criteria and performed six-stage thematic analysis framework. The results indicate that children experienced developmental difficulties from infancy to preschool period that impacted their social-emotional development, language and communication, motor and self-care skills, as well as their perception, memory, attention, and self-regulation capabilities. These challenges were exacerbated during the school years by motivation-related issues. Parental observations primarily highlighted difficulties in language and communication, such as pronunciation, initiating conversations, and speech, during the first three years of life. Significant issues in social-emotional development included introversion, a need for physical contact, challenges in maintaining relationships, and adherence to rules. These challenges emerged during the first three years of children and progressively worsened across all developmental domains. This study contributes valuable insights into the literature by providing past observations from parents and teachers, thus enhancing understanding of the preliminary developmental challenges faced by children at risk of specific learning disabilities.

CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY PRESCHOOL TEACHERS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION PRACTICES IN TURKEY: A META-SYNTHESIS STUDY (2014-2022)

Children’s first formal education begins with preschool education. The science activities included in the preschool curriculum are the children’s first planned learning experience to support their scientific process skills. During the preschool period, teachers have an important role in planning and implementing science activities. Therefore, the challenges that teachers encounter in science education practices during the preschool period are significant. The purpose of this research is to examine the challenges encountered by preschool teachers in science education practices in Turkey through a meta-synthesis method and to discuss the findings of qualitative studies that suggest solutions to these challenges. As a result of this meta-synthesis research, the challenges experienced by preschool teachers in science education were presented under five themes: ‘Challenges Related to Shortages of Materials’, ‘Challenges Related to Physical Conditions’, ‘Challenges in Establishing a Science Center’, ‘Challenges Encountered in Planning’, and ‘Challenges in Practice and Evaluation’. As a result of this study, the reasons for the challenges experienced by preschool teachers in science education within the five identified themes were explained, and solutions were provided for these reasons.

Assessing Action Processing in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review and Overview of Different Action Tasks

Action processing is a crucial aspect of cognition and perception. It provides a window into the way we understand others and learn about the world. During the preschool years, there are significant developments in how children process actions. Here, we systematically review tasks investigating action processing in preschoolers, employing the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO. We extracted 680 studies on action processing in preschoolers and identified 66 papers that focused on typically developing children. The studies employed various tasks, which we categorized based on their complexity and the cognitive abilities they demand. This review not only sheds light on the intricate developmental nuances of action processing during the preschool period but also serves as a valuable resource for researchers. By providing insights into the emergence of different ways how children process actions, it aids in selecting appropriate tasks for investigating action-related skills in preschool children.

Okul Öncesi Eğitimde Yeni Gelişen Bir Kavram Olarak Dijital Vatandaşlık

The preschool period is a process in which the child learns basic concepts. In this respect, learning takes place thanks to the experiences gained with concrete concepts. In particular, various tools and materials help to make the concepts used in daily life permanent. The most important of these are the technological devices brought by the age. Technological devices that exist in all areas of life have also become an indispensable element in the life of children in the preschool period. Technology offers various possibilities for many areas of interest of the child. Technology, which offers numerous opportunities for playing games, having fun, exploring and learning activities, can make a positive contribution to children when used correctly. It can be useful in preparing children for school in the preschool period. However, the widespread use of technological tools facilitates access and sharing of information and provides positive contributions such as problem solving, analytical and creative thinking, having fun, peer communication, while also increasing situations that may pose a risk to children and negatively affect them. Digital technology, which is an integral part of daily life, also causes the importance of children's outdoor activities to decrease. With the increase in the time given to technological devices, the games that the child communicates face-to-face and plays as a group have been replaced by individual games. Excessive television viewing and passive media use by a child cause delayed speech, social withdrawal problems, reduced cooperation and sharing skills, nutrition and sleep disorders. Key Words: Preschool Education, Development, Progress, Digital Citizenship

School electrocardiography screening program prompts the detection of otherwise unrecognized atrial septal defect in children in Japan.

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart disease that often presents without symptoms or murmurs. If left untreated, children with ASD can develop comorbidities in adulthood. In Japan, school electrocardiography (ECG) screening has been implemented for all 1st, 7th, and 10th graders. However, the impact of this program in detecting children with ASD is unknown. This is a retrospective study that analyzed consecutive patients with ASD who underwent catheterization for surgical or catheter closure at ≤18 years of age during 2009-2019 at a tertiary referral center in Japan. Of the overall 116 patients with ASD (median age: 3.0 years of age at diagnosis and 8.9 years at catheterization), 43 (37%) were prompted by the ECG screening (Screening group), while the remaining 73 (63%) were by other findings (Non-screening group). Of the 49 patients diagnosed at ≥6 years of age, 43 (88%) were prompted by the ECG screening, with the 3 corresponding peaks of the number of patients at diagnosis. Compared with the non-screening group, the screening group exhibited similar levels of hemodynamic parameters but had a lower proportion of audible heart murmur, which were mainly prompted by the health care and health checkups in infancy or preschool period. Patients positive for a composite parameter (rsR' type of iRBBB, inverted T in V4, or ST depression in the aVF lead) accounted for 79% of the screening group at catheterization, each of which was correlated with hemodynamic parameters in the overall patients. The present study shows that school ECG screening detects otherwise unrecognized ASD, which prompted the diagnosis of the majority of patients at school age and >one-third of overall patients in Japan. These findings suggest that ECG screening program could be an effective strategy for detecting hemodynamically significant ASD in students, who are asymptomatic and murmurless.

PARENTAL STRESS, INCONSISTENT DISCIPLINE AND CHILDREN’S EMOTION REGULATION: A DYADIC ANALYSIS

The preschool period is one in which parents experience high levels of stress, with one of the main tasks of parenting being related to promoting children’s emotion regulation through appropriate parental practices. Previous studies focused mainly on investigating the effects of parental stress on children’s broader socio-emotional outcomes (Chazan-Cohen et al., 2009; Neece et al., 2012). Therefore, our study aims to explore the association between parental stress and children’s emotion regulation within a dyadic context, gathering data from both parents, while investigating the mechanisms underlying this association. This cross-sectional study involved 103 parental dyads, with at least one typically developed preschool children aged between three to six years. Parents completed self-reported scales regarding parental stress, inconsistent discipline as a parental practice, and children’s emotional regulation. Dyadic analysis was conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM). Results showed that mothers’ and fathers’ stress had a direct negative effect on their perceptions of children’s emotion regulation (the actor effects), and mothers’ stress had a direct negative effect on fathers’ perceptions of children’s emotion regulation (the partner effect). Also, the results of mediation analysis revealed that only in fathers’ case, parental stress exerts an indirect actor effect on children’s emotional regulation through their inconsistent discipline. Fathers’ stress was positively related to fathers’ inconsistent discipline, which, in turn, decreased levels of mothers’ perception of children’s emotional regulation. Future intervention programs should focus on parents’ self-awareness regarding the damaging impact of inconsistent discipline. Also, reducing parents’ stress should constitute one of the main goals of parental-based interventions

Review of Non-Fiction Science Picture Books for Pre-School Children

Science education in the pre-school period can use different methods and techniques. One such method is the Turkish language practice of non-fiction and fiction science picture books for children. It is thought that non-fiction science picture books are important in terms of developing children's scientific vocabulary. This study aimed to examine non-fiction science picture books for children selected from different publishers. The research was carried out using the document analysis method, a descriptive research model. In the study, data on 59 science-themed picture books selected from different publishing houses were collected through the Picture Story Assessment Scale and the Assessment List for Children’s Non-Fiction Science Picture Books developed by the researcher. According to the results of the research evaluating non-fiction science picture books for pre-school children using the Assessment Scale for Children’s Picture Books, all the books are at an adequate level; the most narrated non-fiction science picture books are preferred; and the problem-solving process is included in most of the books. The most common scientific content among the standard science fields, is life science, especially environmental and weather events. The number of scientific words used is sufficient and most of the books are suitable for science education. It is thought that the science-themed children's picture books selected according to the evaluation list included in this study will be beneficial in terms of realizing science education effectively. Suggestions are made in light of the research results.

Examination of Preschool Citizenship Education in Terms of Program and Teachers' Views

In this study, it was aimed to determine the opinions of preschool teachers about citizenship education and to make evaluations for citizenship education in line with the findings. For this purpose, the research was shaped by a case study, one of the qualitative research methods. In determining the sample, the 'convenience sampling' technique, which is one of the 'purposive sampling' methods, was used. In this study, a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher was used. The semi-structured interview form prepared within the scope of the research was applied to 25 preschool teachers working in pre-school education institutions. The analysis of the data obtained in the research was evaluated with content analysis. Findings related to the research are presented in 8 main themes and categories. As a result of the research; It is seen that the knowledge of pre-school teachers about the concept of citizenship education is sufficient. It was stated that social participation, respect, patriotism, love, belonging, sensitivity, cooperation, responsibility, empathy, critical thinking, tolerance, helpfulness skills and values should be given within the scope of citizenship education in the preschool period. Teachers stated that the acquisitions in the pre-school education program are not fully sufficient in terms of citizenship education, but they can be improved because it is a flexible program. It has been concluded that if appropriate activities for citizenship education are planned, taking into account the age levels of children in the pre-school period, children's perspectives on the concept of citizenship can be improved. The practices most recommended by teachers for citizenship education were "field trips". The teachers stated that the concepts related to citizenship education should be embodied with activities because the age groups of children in the pre-school period are small. 44% of pre-school teachers find the readiness of preschool children sufficient in terms of citizenship education. In addition, it has been determined that there are 1 acquisitions in the field of cognitive development related to citizenship education and 8 acquisitions in the field of social and emotional development in the preschool education program

ATTITUDES OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS TOWARDS MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF STEAM EDUCATION

The pre-school period is valuable in itself. It is at this age that the child's most important personality traits, his or her perception, thinking, communication, etc., develop. STEAM goes hand in hand with the development of 21st century skills and should be included as early as possible in the curriculum. Children's early experiences with science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the arts influence their future success in these areas. When teachers give children early opportunities to learn maths and science in an interactive environment that builds communication and collaboration skills, children are more confident and competent in these subjects. This not only makes higher education more accessible to children but also contributes to a well-prepared society. Survey of 116 teachers and 104 parents identified that parents of pre-school children are more accurate in identifying the disciplines that STEAM education integrates, they perceive that the teacher's background in mathematics and science influences children's mathematical and science education, and that young children can apply early mathematical concepts. Parents identified advantages and barriers to the successful implementation of STEAM in pre-school education.