Preschool Children's Learning Research Articles

Back to School in the Pandemic: Observations of the Influences of Prevention Measures on Relationships, Autonomy, and Learning of Preschool Children

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global impact on societies, economies, and education. In Spain, one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 in the initial year, the virus began to spread at the end of February 2020. When the Spanish government declared a state of emergency, the first restrictive measure was the closure of all educational centers on the 14th of March. All schools and universities were closed until September 2020, when students returned to classes with preventative health measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus. Methods: This study focuses on the observation of children in pre-school education. Specifically, it focuses on studying how preventative health measures that were taken in the pre-schools may have influenced children’s social relationships, basic autonomy, and learning. We used a mixed method in which field notes were taken and observational scores were assigned. Results: The following prevention measures appear to have influenced children’s relationships, autonomy, and learning: bubble groups, handwashing, teachers wearing masks, divided playgrounds so different classes cannot mix, and no toys from home or shared personal objects. Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that new health measures such as the use of masks and social distancing do appear to be affecting the communication and development of pre-school children. Continued research is needed to understand and minimize the potential negative impacts of pandemic measures on children’s development.

Nap effects on preschool children's learning of letter-sound mappings.

This study explored whether a daytime nap aids children's acquisition of letter‐sound knowledge, which is a fundamental component for learning to read. Thirty‐two preschool children in Sydney, Australia (M age = 4 years;3 months) were taught letter‐sound mappings in two sessions: one followed by a nap and the other by a wakeful period. Learning was assessed by explicit letter‐sound mappings (“Which sound does this letter make?”) and knowledge generalization tasks (“Here's Tav and Cav, which one is /kav/?”). Results from the knowledge generalization task showed better performance after a nap than after wake. However, no nap benefit was found for explicit letter‐sound knowledge. This study provides initial evidence that naps could be beneficial for preschool children's learning of letter‐sound mappings.

Picture Dictionary Augmented Reality based for Pre-School Children's Learning

The use of technology in education has shown that technology can increase motivation in learning. This study will highlight the Augmented Reality Application For Picture Dictionary For Pre-School Children’s Learning. The objective of this study is to design application features that can make children interested in knowing the content found in the picture dictionary and test the usability and functionality of applications that children can use. This research was conducted using the ADDIE design model based on five phases namely analysis phase, design phase, development phase, implementation phase and testing phase. These five phases are described in detail in the methodology component of the study. This study was analyzed through a descriptive study which is a type of quantitative study involving 20 children. Children’s acceptance of the developed Augmented Reality (AR) application was assessed by answering a questionnaire with the help of a teacher. The results show that the developed AR applications work well and can attract children to learn.

The Role of Multimedia in Concept Learning from the Parents’ Perspective

During the period of the pandemic in particular, children who are not able to leave their homes have been spending more time using multimedia devices. This research was carried out in order to determine the role of multimedia in preschool children's concept learning, as expressed by their parents. For this purpose, the research was designed qualitatively, and the case study model was used. The study's working group consisted of 21 parents living in seven different geographical regions of Turkey. The parents were determined using the maximum variation sampling method. A semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool in the research. The content analysis technique was used to analyze the data obtained in the research. As a result of the research, it was determined that the multimedia devices that children spent most time on were televisions, smartphones and tablets. Children preferred to use multimedia mostly for fun and games. The vast majority of parents thought that adult supervision was needed when children spent time using multimedia devices. In the research, the benefit of multimedia use that the parents most emphasized was concept learning. According to the parents, their children learned many basic concepts through accessing multimedia content. Parents also expressed their opinion that the multimedia content and apps contributing most to the children's concept learning were animated cartoons, YouTube and digital games. As a result of the research, it can be said that technological devices that offer children multimedia content positively affect children’s learning of basic concepts.

Text to talk: Effects of a home-school vocabulary texting intervention on prekindergarten vocabulary

This paper presents the results of an intervention study focused on understanding how a 5-month, vocabulary-focused texting program called Text to Talk can enhance home-school connections concerning vocabulary and preschool children's language learning. Classrooms (49) were randomly assigned to intervention or control status in an urban preschool program in the eastern United States. Intervention teachers delivered Text to Talk, a curriculum-aligned program that provides weekly texts for teachers to send to families that include vocabulary words and related activities from books being read in the classroom. Children's target word knowledge and receptive language skills (PPVT) were measured at baseline and follow-up, with treatment effects on target word knowledge (d = 0.17). Treatment families reported much higher use of texting as a source of communication with teachers, but otherwise rates of home-school communication in person, phone, and with paper were unchanged; family self-report of general home learning activities was also unaffected by treatment status. Implementation analysis showed moderate to high fidelity among teachers and families, with greater family fidelity associated with larger treatment impacts. The findings suggest that a family-focused texting-based program, aligned with the school curriculum, leads to improved taught-word knowledge among children from under-resourced communities.

Konzeptualisierung und Messung der Qualität der adaptiven Lernunterstützung in Lernsituationen mit mathematischen Regelspielen im Kindergarten. Eine Studie in Deutschland und der Schweiz

ZusammenfassungDie Qualität der adaptiven Lernunterstützung ist wichtig für die Förderung des mathematischen Lernens von Kindergartenkindern. Entsprechend bedarf es geeigneter Instrumente zur Bewertung der Planung, Durchführung und Reflexion von mathematischen Lernangeboten im Kindergarten. Bestehende Instrumente berücksichtigen vor allem die mikro-adaptive (mathematische) Lernunterstützung, die den Fokus auf die Interaktion zwischen der Fachkraft und den Kindern legt. Die Qualität der makro-adaptiven (mathematischen) Lernunterstützung (Planung und Reflexion von Lernsituationen) wurde im Kindergarten bis jetzt noch nicht umfassend untersucht. Sie gewinnt jedoch im Hinblick auf die zunehmende Bedeutung von Bildungsplänen im Kindergarten und der damit verbundenen Förderung von fachbezogenen Kompetenzen an Bedeutung.Im Artikel wird erstens die Qualität von (mathematischer) Lernunterstützung in Regelspielsituationen im Kindergarten konzeptualisiert. Dabei wird die Qualität der makro-adaptiven von der mikro-adaptiven Lernunterstützung unterschieden. Letztere wird getrennt in fachunabhängige Unterstützungsqualität (Gruppenmanagement, emotionale Wärme) und in instruktionale, mathematikbezogene Unterstützungsqualität (Lernanregung, Verwendung Fachsprache). Zweitens wird ein Messinstrument (Rating) zur Analyse der Qualität der Lernunterstützung in mathematischen Lernsituationen vorgestellt. Dieses wurde zur Analyse von videografierten Regelspielsituationen und anschließenden Leitfadeninterviews von 145 pädagogischen Fachkräften aus Deutschland und der Schweiz eingesetzt. Pro Fachkraft standen zwei Videosequenzen und zwei Interviews zur Verfügung. Auf der Basis dieser Daten wird das Messinstrument hinsichtlich verschiedener Gütekriterien sowie des Einflusses der Ausbildung der Fachkräfte (akademisch, nicht akademisch) und des Bildungskontextes (Deutschland, Schweiz) analysiert. Die theoretisch angenommene Unterscheidung von Gruppenmanagement, emotionaler Wärme und instruktionaler Unterstützungsqualität lässt sich durch eine konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse stützen. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen die Bedeutung des Einbezugs von Planung und Reflexion als Dimensionen von adaptiver Lernunterstützungsqualität.

Basic Model of Arabic Speaking for Preschool Children (Q-Nutqi)

The Arabic language is the most important language in Malaysian education because of its connection with the Quranic language. This study is about the development of a basic model for improving the speaking skills of preschool children (Q-Nutqi). Q stands for Qur’an, Nutqi means to speak. The objectives of this study were to identify the basic needs in Arabic speaking skills of preschool children, then design and develop a model through the implementation of Arabic speaking modules of Quranic communication, finally, evaluate the effectiveness of this model. This study will be conducted using the ADDIE model. The analysis phase will identify the need for a basic model in speaking through the method of interviewing several Islamic preschool teachers in Selangor. Then, the model design phase to find out the learning objectives and determine the learning and teaching methods (L&T) using the Q-Nutqi model. The model development phase involves 12 experts in Arabic, early childhood education, and industry to evaluate the design of the model produced for improvement. The implementation phase of the Q-Nutqi speaking model through training modules for preschool teachers to use the model. The final phase is the evaluation phase to find out the impact and effectiveness of the model on preschool children. Through this study, the research team hopes to be able to develop a model that fits the basic needs of Arabic language learning of preschool children and be able to improve the existing weaknesses in the preschool education system.

Sing it or speak it?: the effects of sung and rhythmically spoken songs on preschool children's word learning

Vocabulary knowledge in the primary grades predicts later reading comprehension and academic success. For young children, low initial knowledge about academically-valued words at school entry can serve as a barrier to accessing text and sustaining reading achievement in school. Many studies focus on direct vocabulary instruction and shared book reading as the primary context for fostering preschool children's word learning, but few explore songs as a context for building minoritized preschool children's knowledge about words. Using a within-subject design, we investigated children's word learning from songs. Words were taught with picture cards-only, a song that was sung with a melody, and a song that was rhythmically spoken with no melody. Vocabulary knowledge was measured using a receptive task and a productive definitional task that assessed children's depth of word knowledge. We found that on the receptive measure, children's word learning did not vary across picture card-only instruction and instruction with sung and rhythmically spoken songs. However, both types of songs led to significantly greater gains in children's depth of word knowledge compared to words taught with picture cards-only. The findings of this study contribute to an understanding of whether songs, and specific features of songs, affect preschool children's word learning.

Barriers and benefits of primary caregivers' involvement in children's education during COVID-19 school closures

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have forced many children around the world to spend unprecedented amounts of time at home, and the responsibility for educating children, especially young ones, has largely fallen to parents and caregivers. Using a sample of 764 households with preschool children in Wuhan, China, where the pandemic started, this study examined the impact of the pandemic on primary caregivers' involvement in their children's education at home, and the barriers and benefits of such involvement for preschool children's learning and well-being. The results showed that primary caregivers were generally less involved in their children's education at home during the pandemic than they were prior to it. Having younger children, a lower socioeconomic status (i.e., parents' lower levels of education and less prestigious occupations), poorer physical health, and higher levels of household chaos were associated with lower frequencies of home-based involvement exhibited by caregivers. Finally, caregivers' home-based involvement during the pandemic was beneficial to preschool children's learning behavior and emotional health. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the barriers and benefits of caregivers' home-based involvement for designing interventions and policies to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on children and their families.

AUGMENTED REALITY FOR PRESCHOOLERS: LEARNING MEDIA TO INTRODUCE SEX EDUCATION

This study aims to describe how to use Augmented Reality (AR) in introducing sexual education for preschoolers. This AR-based learning media helps provide an interactive and interesting learning experience. In addition, AR-based learning media in the form of flashcards with an application installed on the Andorid-based smartphone supports preschoolers to study their body parts without limitation of time and place. The integration of AR in the learning of preschool children aims to facilitate parents and teachers as the ideal figure to provide sexual education for their children.The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative research method. The data collection technique uses three techniques: interviews, observation, and documentation. The validity of the data was tested using data triangulation techniques and triangulation methods. Data analysis uses a data reduction process flow, data presentation and verification or conclusion.The results showed that through this AR-based media preschooler learned pictures and songs about which parts of the body they should touch, and which should not be touched. The application of this media is not only carried out by teachers at school but also allows it to be used by parents at home. Therefore, parents will contribute actively to introduce sex education to their children.

Effectiveness of a Physical Education Program on the Motor and Pre-literacy Skills of Preschoolers From the Training-To-Health Project: A Focus on Weight Status.

Many studies reported a positive relationship between motor skills, cognitive functions, and school performance in school-age children; however, little is known in preschool children. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a physical education program (PEP) on locomotor, object control skills, and pre-literacy cognitive functions in a wide population of preschoolers and verify whether weight status could influence these abilities. In the context of the Training-to-Health Project, a sample of 1,029 preschoolers was recruited in kindergartens from the urban area of Palermo (Italy). Their gross motor and pre-literacy skills were tested before (PRE) and after (POST) following 16 weeks (2 h/week) of a PEP, which included ludic-motor activities aimed at developing body awareness and fundamental motor and perceptual-sensory skills. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were performed to assess the skills before and after the intervention and to evaluate the effect of different categories of weight status on the examined variables. Regression analyses were conducted to confirm the hypothesized interrelationship between motor and pre-literacy skills in the considered sample. Both locomotor/object control and pre-literacy skills were significantly higher in children after the PEP (p < 0.05). We found 23% of overweight children and no significant difference between weight status classes in both PRE and POST PEP groups. In the POST group, higher locomotor and object control skills were mostly associated with better pre-literacy skills. This study shows that PEP was effective in improving both motor and pre-literacy skills in preschoolers independently from age and gender, while weight status did not affect these skills suggesting that this program can be administrated indifferently in children with different categories of weight status. Therefore, PEP could be a decisive education strategy to enhance motor and cognitive learning in preschool children and to achieve successful academic outcomes.

AR-TO-KID: A speech-enabled augmented reality to engage preschool children in pronunciation learning

AR-TO-KID is an application produced for preschool children between ages five to six years old with an Augmented Reality (AR) application. The significant purpose of AR-TO-KID is to improve the pronunciation of the children in English. Hence, this paper discusses an AR application with speech input. The detection of the children speech input when they need to pronounce the words correctly, and they need to have critical thinking to identify the environment suit with the 3D objects that they will utter the word. Educational technology should be interactive and attractive for 5 to 6 years old preschool children learning; however, some at preschool teachers still used the conventional methods in teaching and children are not fully engaged with the method. Therefore, this project is to design and develop an interactive AR tool called AR-TO-KID for preschool children in pronunciation learning and teaching. This paper presents the evaluation and testing for preschool children with non-native English speaking. The article ends with results and discussion.

PRIMENA SAVREMENE TEHNOLOGIJE U VASPITANJU I OBRAZOVANJU DECE PREDŠKOLSKOG UZRASTA– PRIKAZ REZULTATA ISTRAŽIVANJA IZ RAZLIČITIH ZEMALJA

The application of modern technology in educational work refers to the creation of an adequate approach and model of use of technology products at all levels of the education system. Informatization of modern society leads to a change in educational standards, as well as methods and tools used in educational work. The aim of this paper is to determine, on the basis of theoretical analysis of scientific literature, in which countries in the world ICT technology is applied in educational work with preschool children, as well as to present the results of studies that indicate the effects of technological products on the development, behavior and learning of preschool children. In addition to the analysis of the results regarding the application of modern technology in preschool institutions, the results of research related to the application of ICT technology in the family context were also analyzed.

The Level of Readiness among Rural School Teacher in Improving the Language Skills of Preschool Children by Using the Multimedia

All children have their right to go to school and learn regardless of who they are. Having an education helps people to access all of their other human rights. Therefore, Ministry of Education in Malaysia made early childhood education compulsory. Literacy development has contributed to the knowledge in early childhood education. In the age of digital technology, 21st century learning is an era of change and innovation in education. Rural preschools in Malaysia have shown their dedication to make 21st century learning a prime medium in increasing literacy. The use of multimedia during preschool children's learning sessions is more interactive by relying on the integration of various media including audio, video, graphics and others to enhance children's language development. This research objective is to find out the level of readiness of pre-school teachers in the development of early childhood literacy based on 21st century learning. The questionnaire has been distributed to 30 samples of respondents in third grade rural primary school teachers in Kapit District, Sarawak was selected randomly. The findings of this study showed that teachers in rural areas are ready to apply the multimedia in teaching literacy. Hence, it is hoped that the findings of this study will assist certain parties, especially the Malaysian Ministry of Education to conduct special training in order to solve the problems that occur in rural primary schools.

Parenting Strategy for Enhancing Children’s Self-Regulated Learning

Parenting Strategy for Enhancing Children’s Self-Regulated Learning

Learning the generative principles of a symbol system from limited examples

The processes and mechanisms of human learning are central to inquiries in a number of fields including psychology, cognitive science, development, education, and artificial intelligence. Arguments, debates, and controversies linger over the questions of human learning with one of the most contentious being whether simple associative processes could explain human children's prodigious learning, and in doing so, could lead to artificial intelligence that parallels human learning. One phenomenon at the center of these debates concerns a form of far generalization, sometimes referred to as “generative learning”, because the learner's behavior seems to reflect more than co-occurrences among specifically experienced instances and to be based on principles through which new instances may be generated. In two experimental studies (N = 148) of preschool children's learning of how multi-digit number names map to their written forms and in a computational modeling experiment using a deep learning neural network, we show that data sets with a suite of inter-correlated imperfect predictive components yield far and systematic generalizations that accord with generative principles and do so despite limited examples and exceptions in the training data. Implications for human cognition, cognitive development, education, and machine learning are discussed.

Word learning reveals white matter plasticity in preschool children

Word learning plays a central role in language development and is a key predictor for later academic success. The underlying neural basis of successful word learning in children is still unknown. Here, we took advantage of the opportunity afforded by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to investigate neural plasticity in the white matter of typically developing preschool children as they learn words. We demonstrate that after 3 weeks of word learning, children showed significantly larger increases of fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left precentral white matter compared to two control groups. Average training accuracy was correlated with FA change in the white matter underlying the left dorsal postcentral gyrus, with children who learned more slowly showing larger FA increases in this region. Moreover, we found that the status of white matter in the left middle temporal gyrus, assumed to support semantic processes, is predictive for early stages of word learning. Our findings provide the first evidence for white matter plasticity following word learning in preschool children. The present results on learning novel words in children point to a key involvement of the left fronto-parietal fiber connection, known to be implicated in top-down attention as well as working memory. While working memory and attention have been discussed to participate in word learning in children, our training study provides evidence that the neural structure supporting these cognitive processes plays a direct role in word learning.

The effects of digital physical exercise videos on the locomotor skill learning of pre-school children

ABSTRACTFundamental movement skills acquired during pre-school years provide the basis of normal motor development, positive self-image, self-perceived sports competencies in the adolescence. An instructional approach supported with visual materials may improve learning in pre-school children. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of digital physical exercise videos on pre-school children's locomotor skill learning. A total of 906 children (662 Turkish and 244 Bulgarian), participated in the study as intervention (n = 442) and control (n = 464) groups. Each motor skill program consisted of video based 15-minute physical exercise for eight-weeks. Ulrich’s Test of Gross Motor Development was used for the assessment of fundamental motor skill performance at the beginning of the study as pre-test and at the end of the eight-week digital visual supported locomotor movement program as posttest. Two separate 2 × 2 (Group × Time) ANOVAs with repeated measures were used to analyze the improvement in locomotor skills performances of intervention and control groups. Results indicated significant Group × Time interactions for the locomotor sub-scale (p < 0.05). The intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement in locomotor skills, whereas control group did not show any significant change. The result provide evidence that locomotor motor skill performance may be improved via digital materials focused on locomotor skill development.

Factors influencing language learning in preschool children in cognitive development

Factors influencing language learning in preschool children in cognitive development

A Pilot study of the Online Assessment of Self-Regulated Learning in Preschool Children: Development of a Direct, Quantitative Measurement Tool

Self-regulatory abilities have been shown to be closely linked to academic success. There are a variety of measurement tools to assess self-regulated learning in pupils and students. Crucially, preschool age marks a sensible period for the maturation of self-regulated learning (SRL) and related abilities such as executive-control functions (EF). This is why the development of a direct instrument that fits the special characteristics of this age cohort is important. An adapted version of Zimmermann´s (2000) process model may serve as a theoretical basis. This pilot study intends to develop and evaluate a direct, quantitative measurement tool to assess SRL in an ‘online manner’. The measurement tool was tested in 183 preschoolers of German kindergartens. After a detailed item analysis, reliability was estimated and concurrent validity was examined. Statistical analysis indicates a satisfactory reliability for the measurement tool as a whole. Additionally, validity is supported by (small) significant overall-correlations with the external measure as well as EF measure. Nevertheless, the need for the optimization of the instrument is clear and the study has important implications for further research. In general, the results demonstrate that it is both plausible and possible to assess SRL in preschoolers directly at child level.