Preschool Years Research Articles

Are we there for each other? Longitudinal associations between parenting stress and coparenting in parents of preschool and school‐aged children

AbstractIt is well known that parenthood can be particularly stressful. However, less is known about the stability of parenting stress across children's developmental periods. Certain correlates to parenting stress, such as coparenting support between parents, also appear to play a crucial role in childrearing. The current study aims to shed light on the longitudinal associations between parenting stress during the preschool and school years, along with the moderating effect of coparenting support in this association. Eighty‐two heterosexual couples who are parents completed the Parenting Stress Index at Time 1 and Time 2 and the Coparenting Relationship Scale at Time 2. Actor‐Partner path analyses revealed that greater parenting stress in each parent was related to their partner's greater parenting stress at each time point, but only to their own greater parenting stress 5 years later. The association between fathers' parenting stress at both time points was weaker in fathers who reported greater coparenting support from their partner. Helping parents reduce their parenting stress and learn to support each other effectively as coparents may be important parenting intervention avenues.

PENGARUH PERMAINAN PLASTISIN TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN KEMAMPUAN MOTORIK HALUS ANAK USIA PRASEKOLAH DI TK SWASTA KARUNIA MEDAN JOHOR

The golden time is frequently used to describe children in the pre-school years. Children's intelligence is now growing and developing extremely quickly, as are their fine and gross motor skills, cognition, morals, social skills, emotional development, and linguistic skills. Writing and sketching by pupils that are not tidy, gripping things that frequently fall, and stiff finger motions are all issues with the fine motor development of preschoolers. The purpose of this study was to analyzing the effect of plasticine games on the development of fine motor ability in preschool children. The type of this study was quasy experiment using one group pretest-posttest. The population in this study were all students of Karunia Private Kindergarten, Medan, Johor. The number of respondents in this study were 26 respondents taken with total sampling. The results of the bivariate analysis of playing plasticine to development of fine motor skills in pre-school children obtained p-value (sig 2 tailed) = 0.000. From the results of the bivariate analysis p-value < a (0.05), it can be concluded that there is an effect of playing plasticine to development of fine motor skills of pre-school-aged children in Karunia Private Kindergarten, Medan Johor in 2023. To ensure that children develop to their full potential, it is intended that parents and kindergarten instructors would actively participate in stimulating children's development activities.

Predictors of persistent asthma among preschooler wheezers: a retrospective case series study

BackgroundEarly childhood wheezing can evolve to different asthma phenotypes. Prediction of persistent asthma during the preschool years has proven challenging. Through this study, we aimed to identify predictors of persistent asthma in preschooler wheezers.MethodsThis was a retrospective case series study over 10 years. Patient data from 98 infants diagnosed with infantile asthma were obtained from their medical records. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to determine predictors of persistent asthma in preschooler wheezers.ResultsThe sex ratio was 1.72. The mean age at the first episode of wheezing was 7 ± 3.17 months. The mean age at diagnosis was 14.82 ± 4.28. Asthma was well controlled in 71 cases (72.44%) and partly controlled in 27 cases (27.56%). Two groups were identified: transient wheezers (61.33%) and persistent wheezers beyond the age of 5 years old (38.77%). The average age for wheezing disappearance was 24.28 ± 4.1 months.Four predictive factors for persistent asthma were identified: familial atopy (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.52–12.45; p < 0.001), passive smoking (adjusted OR 5.98; 95% CI 2.48–13.64; p < 0.001), poor control of asthma (adjusted OR 5.23; 95% CI 2.47–14.76; p 0.0013), and aerosensitization (adjusted OR 7.38; 95%CI 3.87–17.84; p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe main predictors for persistent asthma among preschooler wheezers were aerosensitization, family history of atopy, early exposure to passive smoking, and poor control of asthma. The detection of such factors allows for earlier diagnosis and targeted prevention strategies.

The Interplay of Theory of Mind and Moral Development: Children’s and Adults’ Attributions of Intent, Praise and Blame, and Deserved Consequences in False Belief Contexts

Children’s mentalizing abilities and their moral reasoning both develop rapidly during the preschool years and are jointly critical for navigating our complex social world. As children develop, they place more emphasis on intentions in making moral judgments, yet little research has examined the role of belief understanding in morally-relevant situations. We examined children’s (N = 61), and adults’ (N = 36) judgments of agent intent, deserved consequence, and blame and praise in morally-relevant belief vignettes. By 5 years of age, children consistently rated agents with false beliefs as better intentioned in a good intent condition (even though the outcome was bad) than in a bad intent condition (even though the outcome was good). Yet, even 7-year-olds had difficulty assigning consequences (reward or punishment) based on an agents’ intent, and only adults assigned consequences as a function of intent. Nonetheless, children of both ages accurately assigned praise or blame as a function of intent. Understanding of praise and blame may represent a way station along the road to more accurate assignment of reward and punishment.

PARENTS' CHALLENGES AGAINST THE INTENTION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 12-YEAR COMPULSORY EDUCATION POLICY IN MALAYSIA

Compulsory education policies supported by the law have been implemented throughout the world for centuries, including in Malaysia. However, the implementation of the law is only limited to 6 years of compulsory education at the primary level as opposed to at the international level, which reaches a period of 8 to 12 years of compulsory schooling. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the challenges faced by parents if Malaysia intends to implement compulsory education in Malaysia within a period of 12 years, starting from one year in preschool until the end of schooling at the secondary level. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach involving several participants selected through purposive sampling. The exploration results through open-ended questions, focus group discussions, and researcher notes were analysed using a thematic analysis, which then received expert consensus at an excellent level with a Cohen Kappa index value exceeding 0.81. The study discovered four themes of challenges faced by parents in implementing the 12-year compulsory education policy in Malaysia, namely parents' financial issues, school-related issues that are a challenge for parents, parents' difficulty in managing their children, and issues faced by children, all of which have resulted in challenges to parents. In this vein, these challenges should be emphasized because parents are the main implementers of the compulsory education policy, which also determines the success of the intended 12-year compulsory education policy.

Attention biases for emotional facial expressions during a free viewing task increase between 2.5 and 5 years of age.

The normative, developmental changes in affect-biased attention during the preschool years are largely unknown. To investigate the attention bias for emotional versus neutral faces, an eye-tracking measurement and free viewing of paired pictures of facial expressions (i.e., happy, fearful, sad, or angry faces) and nonface pictures with neutral faces were conducted with 367 children participating in a Finnish cohort study at the age of 2.5 years and with 477 children at the age of 5 years, 216 of which having follow-up measurements. We found an attention-orienting bias for happy and fearful faces versus neutral faces at both age points. An attention-orienting bias for sad faces emerged between 2.5 and 5 years. In addition, there were significant biases in sustained attention toward happy, fearful, sad, and angry faces versus neutral faces, with a bias in sustained attention for fearful faces being the strongest. All biases in sustained attention increased between 2.5 and 5 years of age. Moderate correlations in saccadic latencies were found between 2.5 and 5 years. In conclusion, attention biases for emotional facial expressions seem to be age-specific and specific for the attentional subcomponent. This implies that future studies on affect-biased attention during the preschool years should use small age ranges and cover multiple subcomponents of attention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Monitoring and evaluation of flat-feet in children of pre-school age and younger school age

Background. The issue of flat-feet in children of pre-school and younger school age has been a frequently discussed issue in recent times. This issue has been addressed in particular with regard to the deteriorating physical fitness and general health of children. The lack of sensory stimuli from the foot causes incorrect development of the arch of the foot, which later becomes apparent in other parts of the support-movement system. Objective. The aim of the study was to monitor the current condition of flat-feet in children. Method. In our study we observed the occurrence of flat-feet in children of pre-school (n:37; age ø: 5,22) and younger school age (n:52; age ø: 7,45). The study enrolled children of pre-school and younger school age between five and nine years of age. We used the examination device Podoscope to examine the condition of the arch of the foot. We used the subjective method Chipaux - Šmířák (CSI) to evaluate the fingerprints. For each child, both feet were always compared. The results were evaluated with descriptive statistics. Results. We found that 70.79% of all children have a normally shaped longitudinal arch on both feet. In the preschool year, the percentage of normal arch on both feet indicates 64.86% of all children. In primary school children, the figure is 73.08%. Among preschool and school age children, there was also a high foot, which was found on both feet in 8 out of 89 children. Flat-foot was found on both feet in 6.74% of the participants. 8.11% of kindergarten children had a flat-foot on both feet. In 5.77% of primary school pupils, a bipedal flat-foot was found. Conclusion. The arch of the foot shapes with age. However, it cannot be said that it always shapes into a physiologically correct shape in every circumstance. In kindergarten children, flat-foot predominates because children attending this facility have not yet had time to fully form the arch. It is necessary to consider which year the children attend. In younger school age pupils, i.e. first to fourth grades, all three types of arch of the foot are present.

Food Neophobia and its Association with Nutritional Status and Diet Quality in Children Ages 2 to 5 in Barangay Gulang-gulang, Lucena City, Philippines

Food neophobia (FN) is the reluctance to eat novel foods. It peaks around the toddler and preschool years, a sensitive time for developing dietary habits. If this eating behavior persists, children are susceptible to acquiring lifelong unhealthy dietary habits, ultimately affecting their development. Hence, this cross-sectional study involved 88 parents or caregivers of children ages 2 to 5 to describe FN relative to nutritional status (NS) and diet quality (DQ) and identify factors affecting its development. Data were collected using a computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) online survey. Weight-for-height and height-for-age measurements were used to assess NS. While dietary diversity score (DDS) and Menu Eval Plus for DQ. The Child Food Neophobia Scale was adopted to measure FN. No significant associations were noted regarding NS and DQ. However, food-neophobic children had fewer intakes of legumes (p-value=0.041) and non-vitamin A-rich vegetables (p-value=0.048) and excessive intakes of phosphorus (p-value=0.002), vitamin A (p-value=0.027), and riboflavin (p-value=0.037). Snacks and discretionary foods are also frequently consumed as they are readily available and accessible. This behavior may probably be due to the innate preference of children for sweet and salty over bitter and sour flavors. Results warrant further research to develop interventions to address FN in children.

P088 The Relationship between Screen time, Sleep, and Language Development in Pre-school Aged Children

Abstract An increasingly prevalent factor in the preschool years is screen time, with possible implications for sleep and development. Few studies have simultaneously assessed screen time, sleep, and development. I aim to investigate preschoolers’ screen time, sleep, and language development, alongside predictors of screen time, social behaviours, and how sleep supports long-term memory for new words. Screen time durations for educational, entertaining, and relaxing content types, will be recorded over three days. This is to assess whether content types have differing relationships with sleep. If sleep quality and duration are impeded, this may create a cyclical pattern between sedentary behaviour, sleep, and screen time. I will also measure screen times at differing times of the day, and the percentage of time spent interacting with another person or the screen content. Children will be exposed to new words at the beginning of the study and their memory will be tested after three nights. Importantly, assessing the interaction between screen time and sleep, in relation to children’s memory for the new words. Sleep will be measured using actigraphy watches and a sleep diary. Standardised measures of vocabulary and communication will be used to assess children’s language development. As language development is a multifaceted process, assessing predictors, social behaviours, and memory for new words, allows assessment of factors that may benefit or hinder sleep and language development. This comprehensive study will contribute to the understanding of the relationships between screen time, sleep, and language development, and the nuanced factors that relate to its success.

Mothers' experiences of emotional abuse from an intimate partner and its associations with children's developmental outcomes at 5 years

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with an increased risk of poorer child development. Existing research has focused on physical abuse with less known about the associations with emotional IPV. ObjectiveTo describe the period prevalence of mother's experiences of emotional IPV during children's preschool years and associations with child mental, physical, social, and cognitive development. MethodsSecondary analysis of control group data (n = 194) from an Australian randomised trial (right@home), which recruited pregnant women experiencing social adversity from antenatal clinics in 2013–14. Women reported emotional abuse (Composite Abuse Scale) at child ages 3–5 years. Measures of child development at 5 years included: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Social Skills Improvement System, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, School Entry Alphabetic and Phonological Awareness Readiness Test, NIH executive function subtests, sleep and health. The prevalence of emotional IPV from 3 to 5 years was estimated. Regression models compared developmental outcomes according to emotional IPV exposure, adjusted for child age, child gender, and maternal education. Missing data were accounted for using multiple imputation. ResultsFrom 3-5 years, emotional IPV was experienced by 57% of women. Emotional IPV exposure was consistently associated with poorer child developmental outcomes. Differences were most apparent for SDQ internalising (mean difference 1.2, 95% CI 0.2 to 2.1) and externalising difficulties (1.2, 95% CI −0.1 to 2.4). ConclusionsEmotional IPV was highly prevalent amongst families experiencing social adversity. Developing acceptable and effective identification processes and interventions that prioritise families experiencing co-occurring social adversities should be a public health priority.

How does sensitivity influence early executive function? A critical review on hot and cool processes

There is compelling evidence that the quality of caregiver-child interactions during toddlerhood and the preschool years supports the development of executive function (EF) (Bernier et al., 2010; 2015; 2016; Fay-Stammbach et al., 2014; Geeraerts et al., 2021). Based on such findings, we make the case herein that sensitivity may be one of the most important dimensions of parenting contributing to early EF. In the present article, we will review empirical evidence, integrating findings from a wide range of scientific disciplines – cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and developmental psychopathology – and present theoretical ideas about how two contexts of sensitive caregiving – i.e. sensitivity to distress and non-distress cues - may be contributing differently to hot and cool EF development. Implications for future investigations on the environmental contributors of early EF, and its mechanisms, are discussed.

Recent research on the relationship between pulmonary microbiome and asthma endotypes in children

Bronchial asthma is not considered a singular disease, but rather a collection of syndromes with multiple phenotypes and mechanisms that involve various signaling pathways. It typically emerges during the preschool years, and its etiology is intricate and diverse. In recent years, the advancement of high-throughput sequencing technology has revealed that early alterations in lung microbiota may be associated with asthma incidence and progression. Moreover, significant variations in lung microbiota have been observed among different airway inflammation profiles, known as asthma endotypes. Hence, a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of lung microbiota in children with asthma can aid in managing disease progression and improving long-term prognosis. Additionally, such insights may spark novel approaches to diagnosing and treating childhood asthma.

Learning dimensions of meaning: Children’s acquisition of but

Connectives such as but are critical for building coherent discourse. They also express meanings that do not fit neatly into the standard distinction between semantics and implicated pragmatics. How do children acquire them? Corpus analyses indicate that children use these words in a sophisticated way by the early pre-school years, but a small number of experimental studies also suggest that children do not understand that but has a contrastive meaning until they reach school age. In a series of eight experiments we tested children’s understanding of contrastive but compared to the causal connective so, by using a word learning paradigm (e.g., It was a warm day but/so Katy put on a pagle). When the connective so was used, we found that even 2-year-olds inferred a novel word meaning that was associated with the sentence context (a t-shirt). However, for the connective but, children did not infer a non-associated contrastive meaning (a winter coat) until age 7. Before that, even 5-year-old children reliably inferred an associated referent, indicating that they failed to correctly assign but a contrastive meaning. Five control experiments ruled out explanations for this pattern based on basic task demands, sentence processing skills or difficulty making adult-like inferences. A sixth experiment reports one particular context in which five-year-olds do interpret but contrastively. However, that same context also leads children to interpret so contrastively. We conclude that children’s sophisticated production of connectives like but and so masks a major difficulty learning their meanings. We suggest that discourse connectives incorporate a class of words whose usage is easy to mimic, but whose meanings are difficult to acquire from everyday conversations, with implications for theories of word learning and discourse processing.

Knowledge gaps in education and ICT: A literature review in open access publications

The aim of the present study is to find new emerging lines of research in education with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). To this end, we carried out a meta-analysis selecting an index, which contained scientific articles, and which provided free access to complete documents. The search covered five years, 2017-2021 in which 748 were identified. For the analysis the articles were read in order to identify information and record it. Previously, categories were established such as the date, country, continent, language, level of schooling or demographics of the population of publication and the kind of study and area of research. With respect to the demographics we identified that the aged were the category, which had been studied the least. With reference to years of schooling, pre-school and graduate levels had the fewest articles. That said, we found that the majority of the articles were aimed at education and technology in general. However, it is important to point out that the areas with limited research such as autism, rural area, inclusive education, disabilities, cyberbullying, Indigenous affairs, social exclusion, and down syndrome. These findings show the emerging lines of research to which studies should be expanded with further knowledge.

A longitudinal study of school adjustment among children attending Reggio-inspired preschools

The goal of this study was to track the progress of Italian children at risk for school failure enrolled in preschools based on the Reggio-Emilia approach. Risk factors considered included family socioeconomic status (SES), child receptive language, and child gender. Participants were 211 children (Mage = 60.8 months, 116 girls) in Reggio-inspired preschools in Genoa, Italy. The sample was followed over six time points starting from the last year of preschool (ages 5–6 years) through the end of the second year of elementary school. We examined trajectories of school liking, teacher–child relationships, and teacher-rated language/mathematics. Trajectories of at-risk children were predominantly indistinguishable from those of the full sample. Children at risk because of lower SES and poorer receptive language (but not gender) were rated by teachers as more dependent than children not identified as at risk. Contrary to expectations, children of mothers from low-SES backgrounds liked school more than the rest of the sample.

What contributes to false belief understanding in childhood? A multidimensional approach

False belief understanding (FBU), a core component of Theory of Mind (ToM), refers to the capacity to understand that other individuals act according to their beliefs even when those beliefs are inaccurate. FBU is an important aspect of socio-cognitive development in early childhood. A range of sociodemographic, temperamental, cognitive, and family factors are known to contribute separately to individual differences in FBU; however, these domains are typically studied in silos. This longitudinal study aimed to examine which of these factors are associated with FBU around the time of school entry. We evaluated 102 typically developing children at 2–5.5 years (predictive factors) and then at 4–7.5 years of age (FBU). The findings indicate that cognitive and family factors during the preschool years are associated with FBU at school entry. Specifically, child vocabulary and parent-child interaction quality were significant independent predictors of FBU.

Motor, physical, and psychosocial parameters and assessment in preschool children

Managing children's motor, physical, and psychosocial aspects in their formative preschool years is a complex and personalized endeavor, emphasizing early intervention and interdisciplinary collaboration. Motor development management in preschool children underscores the importance of timely intervention. Pediatric physical and occupational therapies play pivotal roles in addressing these challenges, employing engaging activities and exercises tailored to individual needs. The individualized nature of these interventions recognizes each child's unique journey and fosters skill acquisition and development. In parallel, managing physical parameters in preschool children involves growth monitoring, nutritional counseling, and addressing common health concerns. Consistent growth monitoring helps identify deviations from expected patterns, allowing for early intervention in cases of growth-related concerns or nutritional deficiencies. Preschoolers' susceptibility to common health issues necessitates medical management, symptom control, and preventive measures. Psychosocial development management in preschool children centers on emotional resilience, social competence, and cognitive readiness. The discussion also highlights emerging evidence of a link between motor skills and executive functions in preschool-aged children, suggesting opportunities for evidence-based interventions and coordination-demanding activities to optimize motor and cognitive development in this crucial developmental phase.

Cost of Illness and Health-Related Quality of Life for Stuttering: Two Systematic Reviews.

For those who stutter, verbal communication is typically compromised in social situations. This may attract negative responses from listeners and stigmatization by society. These have the potential to impair health-related quality of life across a range of domains, including qualitative and quantitative impacts on speech output, mental health issues, and failure to attain educational and occupational potential. These systematic reviews were designed to explore this matter using traditional health economics perspectives of utility measures and cost of illness. Studies were included if they involved children, adolescents, or adults with stuttering as a primary diagnosis. The quality of life search strategy identified 2,607 reports, of which three were included in the quality of life analysis. The cost of illness search strategy identified 3,778 reports, of which 39 were included in the cost of illness analysis. Two of the three studies included in the quality of life analysis had a high risk of bias. When measured using utility scores, quality of life for people who stutter was in the range of those reported for chronic health conditions such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. However, there is little such evidence of quality of life impairment during the preschool years. Studies included in the cost of illness analysis carried considerable risk of bias overall. For people who stutter, there are substantive direct and indirect costs of illness. These include impairment, challenges, and distress across many domains throughout life, including income, education, employment, and social functioning. Evidence of quality of life impairment using utility measures is extremely limited. If this situation is not remedied, the lifetime impairment, challenges, and distress experienced by those who stutter cannot be documented in a form that can be used to influence health policy and health care spending. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24168201.

Investigating the Development of Positive Peer Interactions in Low-Income Latino DLL Preschool Children

ABSTRACT Research Findings: There is limited research regarding socio-emotional development in low-income Latino Dual Language Learner (DLL) children. A total of 14 studies have been identified in a comprehensive review of the literature (Halle et al. 2014). Within these studies the majority have focused on problem behaviors within this population. Through a strength-based lens, the current study examined changes in the development of positive peer interactions of Latino DLLs across their preschool year, along with child-level and eco-cultural factors that may support this development. A total of 397 low-income preschool Latino DLL children participated in the study. Teachers completed the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS-T) and the Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale (PLBS), children were assessed on oral language measures, and classroom observations took place using the CLASS. Findings indicate positive increases in Latino DLL children’s play interaction skills, along with decreases in problem behaviors across the preschool year. Emotional support, teacher’s Spanish proficiency, oral language skills, and approaches to learning were positively related to peer interaction scores. Practice or Policy: This study has important implications for practitioners regarding improving the positive peer interactions of Latino DLLs, specifically low-income children, enrolled in preschool classrooms and supports the use of the home language in the classroom.

Motor Competence and Body Mass Index in the Preschool Years: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis of 5545 Children from Eight Countries.

One in five preschool children are overweight/obese, and increased weight status over time increases the risks of poorer future health. Motor skill competence may be a protective factor, giving children the ability to participate in health-enhancing physical activity. Yet, we do not know when the relationship between motor competence and weight status first emerges or whether it is evident across the body mass index(BMI) spectrum. This study examined the association between motor skill competence and BMI in a multi-country sample of 5545 preschoolers (54.36 ± 9.15months of age; 50.5% boys) from eight countries. Quantile regression analyses were used to explore the associations between motor skill competence (assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second/Third Edition) and quantiles of BMI (15th; 50th; 85th; and 97th percentiles), adjusted for sex, age in months, and country. Negative associations of locomotor skills, ball skills, and overall motor skill competence with BMI percentiles (p < 0.005) were seen, which became stronger at the higher end of the BMI distribution (97th percentile). Regardless of sex, for each raw score point increase in locomotor skills, ball skills, and overall motor skill competence scores, BMI is reduced by 8.9%, 6.8%, and 5.1%, respectively, for those preschoolers at the 97th BMI percentile onwards. Public health policies should position motor skill competence as critical for children's obesity prevention from early childhood onwards. Robust longitudinal and experimental designs are encouraged to explore a possible causal pathway between motor skill competence and BMI from early childhood.