Preschool Children's Learning Research Articles

Educational Innovations as Facilitating Factors for Learning of Children with Special Needs in Preschool Institutions

The objective of our study is to measure the impact of teaching innovations in facilitating the learning of preschool children (aged 3-6) with special needs. This study covers 5 municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo (Prishtina, Gjakova, Ferizaj, Gjilan, Kamenica). Data were collected through electronic questionnaires with 128 parents and 128 educators who have children with special needs. The questions were oriented around the impact of educational innovations in facilitating the learning of children with special needs. Based on the results of the present study, it is concluded that the impact of teaching innovations has shown a trend towards a positive future in facilitating learning for children with special needs. However, gradual improvements should be made to create a suitable and inclusive environment by providing innovative approaches according to the needs of children with special needs. In this study, it was understood from the respondents that educational innovations affect the facilitation of learning for children with special needs, which has also been statistically proven. According to statistics, we finally realized that parents are more principled, compared to educators. Parents are constantly looking for innovative changes, while educators are reluctant to do so, arguing that they do not have enough support from educational institutions. In quantitative terms, the phenomenon of educational innovations in facilitating the learning of children with special needs, especially in terms of the implementation of educational innovations, in terms of parents' perception, needs improvement, especially in the adaptation of educational innovations to children and completing preschool institutions with professional educators and assistants. Received: 22 August 2024 / Accepted: 29 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024

Bibliometric Analysis on Educational Games in Preschool Children's Learning

Bibliometric Analysis on Educational Games in Preschool Children's Learning

The Influence of Word Characteristics on Preschoolers' Vocabulary Learning

Purpose: One challenge to the design and delivery of effective vocabulary intervention is the selection of vocabulary targets. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of word characteristics to vocabulary learning from explicit vocabulary intervention. Method: This study was a secondary analysis of data from two recent efficacy studies of an explicit vocabulary intervention delivered to preschool children ( Story Friends ). Taught vocabulary words were coded for concreteness, imageability, and shape using the perceptual accessibility continuum. Results: Multilevel modeling indicated that perceptual accessibility predicted vocabulary learning. Of the perceptual accessibility components, concreteness and imageability contributed significantly to the model, but shape did not. Higher vocabulary learning was observed for words rated more perceptually accessible. Conclusions: Preschool children's vocabulary learning was predicted by perceptual accessibility characteristics of taught words. Findings contribute to the body of evidence to guide the selection and sequencing of vocabulary targets for effective vocabulary intervention. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27183684

Predictors of Deep Learning and Competence Development in Children Aged 5–7 Using Augmented Reality Technology

While a number of studies have shown the potential and benefits of augmented reality (AR) technology for preschool education, less attention has been paid to the problem of children’s deep learning and development of the competencies applying AR and to the pedagogy of AR. The aim of the study presented in this paper is to uncover the educational predictors of deep learning and competence development of 5–7-year-old children using AR technology. The research adopted a quantitative research approach and a survey design. The participants were 319 preschool teachers using AR technology for children’s education. The study revealed that a statistically significant predictor of promoting deep learning in preschool children is teachers’ roles, based on a constructivist and socio-cultural approach, when using AR. The research highlights the roles of the teacher as a creator of learning contexts and situations that engage children; the teacher as a proactive facilitator of children’s learning; and the teacher as an educator who acts, thinks and reflects with children, among others. Statistically significant educational predictors of children’s competence development were found to be: teachers’ perceptions of AR technology, the roles assumed by teachers, and the areas of children’s education in which AR technology is used.

Children health learning through Project Based Learning (PBL) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia

Children who learn through Project-Based Learning (PBL) in preschool can be an environment that gives children the opportunity to gain wider knowledge to understand the reality of life and how to deal with it. This study aims to see the effect of the Project Based Learning (PBL) method on the development level of preschool children's health learning. This study used an action research design involving three boys and three-year-old girls from a preschool in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Data from observations, interviews and related documents were collected and analyzed narratively before and after the implementation of PBL. The results of the study found that the development level of children's health learning increased after being directly involved in the implementation of PBL. Findings also show positive behavioral changes. In addition, the study successfully gave positive implications to the need for preschool teachers to be exposed to the skills of the PBL method in order to create more effective teaching methods.

Designing preschool children's educational games for enlightenment through decision analysis methods

As an innovative form of digital online education, educational games have potentially significant impacts on preschool children's enlightenment education. Identifying key factors for effective design is crucial in game development. This study identifies key factors for the design of educational games aimed at preschool children's enlightenment through decision analysis methods. The specific research steps include using SET analysis method to identify gaps in development opportunities, employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process to construct an interactive system design model for enlightenment educational games, calculating the weight value of each factor, and pinpointing the key factors for design practice. Based on this methodology, an enlightenment educational game has been developed, and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation method has been utilized to assess the practical implementation. The approach outlined in this study enables designers to swiftly recognize the critical elements in designing educational games for preschool children's enlightenment, facilitating a responsive design process, achieving effective game designs, and ultimately enhancing preschool children's learning interest and outcomes.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Permainan Edukatif dalam Pembelajaran Kosakata Bahasa Inggris pada Anak Usia Pra-Sekolah

This research aims to analyze the effect of using educational games on learning English vocabulary in pre-school children. The background of this research is based on the importance of learning English from an early age, where vocabulary mastery is a crucial basic component. The research method used was an experiment with a pretest-posttest control group design. The research sample consisted of 60 pre-school children who were randomly divided into experimental groups and control groups. The experimental group was given vocabulary learning using various educational games, while the control group used conventional methods. Data was collected through vocabulary tests before and after treatment, as well as observations during the learning process. The results of data analysis show that there is a significant increase in mastery of English vocabulary in the experimental group compared to the control group. These findings indicate that educational games can be an effective method in improving English vocabulary learning in pre-school children. This research suggests that educators consider the integration of educational games in the English language learning curriculum for early childhood.

Time after time: Factors influencing children's comprehension of Before and After.

We investigated older children's (7-12 years) ability to comprehend before and after sentences. Results found that three factors that influence pre-school aged children's learning of these words continues to influence older children's comprehension. Specifically, children's accuracy is improved when the events can be naturally (vs. arbitrarily) ordered; when the clauses in the sentence iconically match (vs. mismatch) the order of the events in the world; and when sentences use before (vs. after). The first two factors are argued to directly facilitate the building of mental models while the last one does so indirectly because of patterns of input usage.

Human–Computer Interaction and Digital Literacy Promote Educational Learning in Pre-school Children: Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience for Kids’ Mental Well-Being and School Readiness

This research examines the influence of digital literacy on preschool children’s school readiness and mental health. The analysis dissects psychological resilience’s role as a mediator among digitally literate-conscious kids. The underlying theory underpinning the literature is a social learning theory, which provides the paradigm lens for effectively accessing and evaluating available digital information. This study measures these proposed assumptions using structural equation modeling techniques. Data collection was carried out in structured questionnaires, and the target population was parents of preschool children. The study used a convenience sampling technique to select a sample of parents based on preschool children under five. The results show that digital literacy among preschoolers is directly and positively related to their school readiness, mental well-being, and resilience. Findings suggest that psychological resilience significantly mediates between children’s digital literacy and school readiness. The findings provide valued insight and further directions for policymakers and educators from developing countries. It offers valuable guidance for teachers and parents of preschool children. Findings will encourage them to allow children to use digital gadgets to build and enhance their understanding of digital information. Preschoolers should also receive implicit and explicit training in the practical and fundamental knowledge of digital technologies for their educational use. In theory, this study contributes to the scientific literature by answering how digital literacy and resilience positively impact children’s school readiness and mental well-being.

Modeling an Educational Environment Promoting the Development of Key Competencies in Preschool Age

A supportive, motivating and purposefully organized educational environment can become a powerful factor for laying the foundations for the development of important qualities, skills and competences in children of preschool age. The article aims to: reveal the possibilities of the educational environment and promote the development of key competences for lifelong learning in preschool children. Tasks: 1. To study and analyze literary sources and normative documents related to the application of the competence approach in preschool education; 2. To indicate the main principles underlying the creation of an educational environment promoting the development of key competencies in kindergarten; 3. To highlight the possibilities for modeling an educational environment to promote the development of key competences in preschool age

Understanding preschoolers' word learning success in different scenarios: disambiguation meets statistical learning and eBook reading.

Children's ability to learn new words during their preschool years is crucial for further academic success. Previous research suggests that children rely on different learning mechanisms to acquire new words depending on the available context and linguistic information. To date, there is limited research integrating different paradigms to provide a cohesive view of the mechanisms and processes involved in preschool children's word learning. We presented 4 year-old children (n = 47) with one of three different novel word-learning scenarios to test their ability to connect novel words to their correspondent referents without explicit instruction to do so. The scenarios were tested with three exposure conditions of different nature: (i) mutual exclusivity-target novel word-referent pair presented with a familiar referent, prompting fast-mapping via disambiguation, (ii) cross-situational-target novel word-referent pair presented next to an unfamiliar referent prompting statistically tracking the target pairs across trials, and (iii) eBook - target word-referent pairs presented within an audio-visual electronic storybook (eBook), prompting inferring meaning incidentally. Results show children succeed at learning the new words above chance in all three scenarios, with higher performance in eBook and mutual exclusivity than in cross-situational word learning. This illustrates children's astounding ability to learn while coping with uncertainty and varying degrees of ambiguity, which are common in real-world situations. Findings extend our understanding of how preschoolers learn new words more or less successfully depending on specific word learning scenarios, which should be taken into account when working on vocabulary development for school readiness in the preschool years.

A Study of the Theoretical Framework, Influencing Factors and Interventions for Social and Emotional Learning in Preschool Children

Social and emotional learning is one of the crucial areas of preschool children's subsequent learning and lifelong development. In this paper, we used the literature review method to study the SEL of preschool children from three aspects: theoretical basis, influencing factors and interventions. Specifically, the theoretical framework of SEL mainly divided into three types, namely the five-dimensional, the six-dimensional and the seven-dimensional theoretical framework, which provide theory for the concept and dimensions of SEL. Based on ecosystem theory, it is found that three main factors of individual (gender, age, personality traits), family (family background, parenting behavior, the quality of parent-child interaction) and school (teachers, peers) have impact on SEL. Combined with the influencing factors, this paper proposes the individual and group interventions as the main interventions on improving SEL. This paper provides theoretical foundation for the future research on SEL of preschool children.

Effects of face masks on novel word learning in preschool children

Face masks worn by talkers compromise the speech signal children use to learn language. There is debate, however, about which type of face mask will be more supportive of language learning in young children. Although clear masks provide more visual access to the talker’s face than surgical masks, they distort the speech signal more than surgical masks. Our goal is to better understand the effects of different face masks on word learning in preschool-age and kindergarten-age children. To achieve this goal, we are comparing children’s ability to learn novel words in conditions that vary on the spectral fidelity of speech and visual access to the talker’s face to simulate the effects of different mask types. Children’s performance is quantified by the number of words learned and the phonological precision of words learned. To date, twelve children have completed the protocol, and the study is ongoing. We will compare children’s word-learning across conditions and evaluate the influence of individual factors such as visual speech reading skills, verbal working memory, and vocabulary knowledge on children’s performance in the various conditions. These findings will have implications for supporting word learning in young children in educational and childcare settings when masks are used.

Exploring the Potential of Tangible and Multitouch Interfaces to Promote Learning Among Preschool Children

Studies have highlighted the possible advantages of tangible user interfaces (TUIs) over multitouch interfaces (MTIs) in preschool education; however, more objective evidence is required to establish the superiority of TUIs. In this article, we design a mathematical application called THE NUMBERS to compare preschool children's learning potential and employed the eye-tracking method to assess the cognitive differences between the TUI and MTI versions. The results demonstrate that the TUI version participants made more attempts in the task, which was a significant predictor of learning outcomes. Furthermore, using TUIs leads to lower cognitive load, increases attention on key areas, and provides higher entertainment value, which has long-term effects on promoting preschool children's learning. The results of the perception questionnaire show that the TUI version is easier to use, more interesting, and more motivating for them to learn mathematics than the MTI version is. On the other hand, the interview results show that 62.5% of students prefer to use the TUI version to learn mathematics. The results can provide educators with a deeper understanding of the mental characteristics involved in MTIs and TUIs to enable them to design educational applications that are more suitable for preschool children.

Scaffolding social and emotional learning in preschool children from low-income backgrounds: a study of teacher strategies during COVID-19

ABSTRACT This study investigated the pedagogical strategies implemented by preschool teachers to scaffold social and emotional learning (SEL) in socioeconomically disadvantaged children (ages 3-4) during the 2020–2021 school year amidst COVID-19 in the United States. The participants consisted of eight teachers (representing four teaching teams of one lead teacher and one teacher assistant) from four classrooms in one preschool. The teachers (ages 26–49 years, M = 39 years) had 1–20 years (M = 10 years) of teaching experience. Each teacher was interviewed individually for an average of 40 min virtually via Zoom. A thematic analysis of the data revealed that the four most prevalent strategies applied by the teachers to scaffold the children’s SEL were: (1) conducting daily feelings check-ins, (2) modeling social and emotional skills, (3) engaging children in book reading and discussion, and (4) involving children in developmentally appropriate physical activities. These teachers also reported that some children missed out on critical SEL due to their absenteeism.

Virtual reality and embodied learning for improving letter-sound knowledge and attentional control in preschool children: A study protocol

Previous studies have shown that many children struggle with the acquisition of literacy skills and that these problems can be observed since the earliest stages of literacy learning. Embodied learning has been highlighted as a way to enhance the acquisition of early literacy skills. In addition, the use of technologies has been suggested as way of improving attentional control and motivation, which ultimately can improve learning outcomes. However, the combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and embodied learning in preschool children is yet to be explored wherefore the idea to the VR PLAYMORE study emerged. The project is designed as a three-armed randomized controlled trial with 6-7-year-old children in the Copenhagen area of Denmark. Children will be allocated to either a: 1) VR group, 2) mirror group or 3) control group throughout a 2-week intervention period. The VR group and mirror group will perform activities designed with accordance to the embodied learning theory. However, the VR group will perform the activities while wearing VR headsets whereas the mirror group will perform the activities in front of a whole-body mirror without VR headsets. The control group will continue regular teaching activities without the research group interruption. This study protocol follows the SPIRIT guidelines. Outcome measurements will include testing of literacy skills and attentional control. The study will add new knowledge to the research field of embodied learning and the use of VR technology in a school setting with focus on reading- and spelling-related skills and attentional control since this combination is yet to be explored.

Causal learning in preschool children: Preliminary study about cue competition effect

Causal learning in preschool children: Preliminary study about cue competition effect

DISTANCE LEARNING FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN ON THE BASIS OF PARTNER PEDAGOGY DURING WARTIME

Based on scientific and pedagogical literature study, the article authors provide a terminological analysis of the pedagogical essence of the category ‘distance learning of preschool children.’ It is defined as a form of education during the war; its foundation should be based on partnership. The authors understand the essence of the category ‘distance learning of preschool children’ as an organization of partnership educational interaction in the distance of the educator from children and their parents (adults caring for children), which operates synchronously and/or asynchronously in modern educational, information and communication (digital) technologies.The positive and negative aspects of involving preschool children in distance learning are considered. It has been proved that preschoolers’ education should not be stopped during the conditions of wartime; educators, children, and their parents should interact as subjects of the educational process. The following modes of preschoolers’ distance learning are determined: synchronous and asynchronous ones, Modern online educational tools that can be used by both preschool children’s educators and parents are revealed.At the end of the second month of the war in Ukraine, a survey of 50 educators of preschool educational institutions in Poltava Regional Vocational School dealing with the issues of distance learning has been conducted. In most cases, adults are interested in continuing the education of preschoolers in the conditions of distance learning during wartime.Scientific and pedagogical research has prompted the authors to determine the factors of distance learning in preschool education on the basis of partner pedagogy during wartime. They are the following: the principles of partnership pedagogy; all subjects of preschool education orientation on the continuity of educational activities during wartime; preschool education subjects’ cultural and educational diversity; the level of preschool education subjects’ emotional intelligence and communicative competence formation; adults’ abilities to build new social connections, developed skills of adaptability to activities in different conditions and resilience; information reliability of educational services, social networks, online educational platforms; adults’ active assistance to children in educational activities during wartime; appropriate social and technical conditions of distance learning for preschoolers; the subjects’ digital literacy in the educational process; taking into account the wartime features (limited time (curfew), situations of imminent danger (military action, air alarms, the need to be in shelters), etc.).

Explicit Word Learning in Preschoolers From Families With High or Low Maternal Education

The purpose of the study was to examine word learning in preschool children from families who differed in socioeconomic status (SES). Preschool children ( N = 58) were assigned to SES groups based on maternal education and completed a dynamic assessment of explicit word learning 2 times. At the first administration, no SES-group differences were observed. At the second administration, children from high-SES homes had significantly higher scores than children from low-SES homes on the production probe with a large effect size ( d = 1.01). Descriptively, children in both groups responded more frequently at more difficult prompting levels at the second session, but children in the low-SES group had more incorrect responses than children in the high-SES group. Additional research using sensitive measures of word-learning proficiency is necessary to better understand the way in which SES and early language experiences are related to word learning in young children.

Association between children’s temperament and learning behaviors: contribution of relationships with parents and teachers

The present study is an investigation of the contributions of child temperament (persistence and reactivity), parent-child (closeness and conflict), and teacher-child relationship (closeness and conflict), to pre-school children's learning behaviours with a focus on the moderating role of these relationships between child temperament and learning behaviours. Participants were 140 children (59 girls) aged 39 to 77 months (M = 62.57, SD = 8.53). Child temperament and parent-child relationships were reported by parents. Teacher-child relationships and learning behaviours were reported by teachers. Results from regression analyses accounting for the nesting structure of the data showed that reactivity, parent-child conflict, and teacher-child conflict were negatively, and persistence and teacher-child closeness were positively related to children’s learning behaviours. In addition, when the parent-child conflict was at average or high levels, children with higher reactivity displayed lower levels of learning behaviours. The findings highlight that both temperament and relationships with parents and teachers are important for children’s learning behaviours.