Socioemotional Development Research Articles

Exploring the influence of the home literacy environment on early literacy and vocabulary skills in Korean-English bilingual children.

Studies have emphasized the significance of maintaining a heritage language for various reasons such as the establishment of linguistic and cultural identity, as well as socio-emotional development. Despite the crucial role that literacy development in a heritage language plays in language preservation, there is a scant research that explores the impact of home literacy environment and literacy development in children with a heritage language. This study aimed to examine the home literacy environment and literacy-related skills in 4-to 5-year-old Korean-English bilingual children living in an English-speaking country, Australia, whose heritage language is Korean, and to investigate the relationships among the home literacy environment factors and the child-internal literacy-related skills. The study employed parental questionnaires and video analyses of parent-child shared book reading sessions to assess the Korean and English home literacy environment. Children's early literacy skills in Korean and English, along with their Korean, English, and conceptual vocabulary skills, were measured as literacy-related skills. The findings indicated that parents utilized an indirect approach for Korean literacy practices, in contrast to a more direct and explicit method for English literacy practices. However, active and direct literacy practices were found to be essential for Korean early literacy development, while indirect methods are sufficient for English early literacy skills. Moreover, the availability of abundant Korean literacy resources at home had a positive impact on the development of Korean and English, as well as conceptual vocabulary skills. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of providing a robust literacy environment in a heritage language in bilingual families to promote language proficiency in both the heritage language and the dominant social language, while also supporting the development of conceptual language skills.

Analysis of Socio-emotional Development in Mathematics Learning Through Multi-representative Based Test Instruments

Artikel ini mengkaji perkembangan sosial emosional dalam pembelajaran matematika melalui tinjauan pustaka yang sistematis. Rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini adalah sebagai berikut: Bagaimana perkembangan kesadaran sosial emosional dalam karya sastra? Bagaimana ciri-ciri sosial emosional siswa? Kesulitan apa saja yang mungkin dihadapi siswa dengan tingkat sosial emosional rendah ketika belajar matematika? konteks untuk mengamati perkembangan sosial-emosional siswa. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa perkembangan sosial emosional dalam sastra mencapai perkembangan sosial emosional siswa dalam pembelajaran, khususnya siswa menunjukkan sikap minat, partisipasi, dan komunikasi. Komunikasi, interaksi, kemampuan bekerja dalam kelompok dan mandiri. percaya diri, namun poin yang belum diraihnya adalah ketenangan, kesulitan beradaptasi, privasi dan kesulitan berkomunikasi dengan orang yang dianggapnya asing. Tercapainya perkembangan sosial emosional siswa di luar jam sekolah yaitu siswa menunjukkan rasa empati, peduli, suka membantu teman, tidak egois dan tahu cara mengendalikan emosi saat berinteraksi dan bersenang-senang, sedangkan yang belum tercapai hanya bermain-main dengan teman dekat. , kurang tercapai. Perhatikan apa yang terjadi di sekitar Anda, bicaralah hanya jika diperlukan, dan lebih memilih belajar daripada bermain.

Impact of Socio-economic Status on Socio-emotional Development of Children Attending Different Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Centers

The purpose of the 2018–20 study, which took place in the Karnataka state's Dharwad taluk, was to determine how children's social and emotional development was impacted by their socioeconomic status. The study's objectives were to evaluate the social and emotional development of children in both rural and urban locations, as well as to determine the impact of SES on these development factors. A total of 208 children aged between three and six years, comprising 104 from rural and 104 from urban areas, were chosen for the study. Children's social and emotional development was evaluated using the Transdiciplinary Play Based Assessment-2 instrument. The child's family's socioeconomic position was assessed using a Aggarwal Socio-economic status scale. A qualitative approach utilizing the naturalistic observation method was used to observe, analyze, and study the effects of play-based activities on social and emotional development. Naturalistic observations were produced by combining field notes from participant observation with video footage of kids playing in an unstructured manner. The findings showed that most kids in both urban and rural anganwadis were in the social and emotional development watch and worry category. The social and emotional development of children was shown to be significantly correlated with their socioeconomic level. According to the statistical analysis, preschoolers in both rural and urban areas showed a substantial relationship and difference. In both rural and urban settings, children from lower middle class families scored lower on social and emotional development and related domains than did children from upper middle class families.

Children’s empathy moderates the association between perceived interparental conflict and child health

Interparental conflict is known to negatively impact child well-being, including behavioral and physiological well-being. Children’s empathy - that is, vicariously experiencing others’ emotions - may increase children’s sensitivity to and the biological repercussions of interparental conflict. Although empathy represents a valued trait and is an important part of socioemotional development, its influence on children’s physical health is unknown. This study examined whether empathy moderates the association between perceived interparental conflict and both child systemic inflammation and parent-rated overall child health in a sample of children between the ages of seven to nine. Children and their parents participating in the long-term evaluation of the Family Foundations program, a randomized trial of a perinatal preventative intervention, provided data approximately eight years following enrollment into the program. We collected peripheral blood samples via dried blood spots, anthropometric measurements, and child and parent psychosocial questionnaires. Results indicated significant positive main effects of child empathy on both C-reactive protein (CRP; B = 0.26, SE = 0.11, p =.026) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6; B = 0.20, SE = 0.10, p =.045) levels. Further, child affective empathy moderated the associations between perceived interparental conflict and both CRP (B = 0.39, SE = 0.19, p =.050) and parent-reported child health (B = 0.30, SE = 0.13, p =.021), such that greater empathy strengthened the negative associations between interparental conflict and child health. Overall, findings suggests that there may be a biological cost of being more empathic in high-conflict environments and highlight the need for tools to help more empathic children appropriately manage vicarious emotions.

Sex-specific modulation of early life vocalization and cognition by Fmr1 gene dosage in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome

BackgroundPup-dam ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are essential to cognitive and socio-emotional development. In autism and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), disruptions in pup-dam USV communication hint at a possible connection between abnormal early developmental USV communication and the later emergence of communication and social deficits.MethodsHere, we gathered USVs from PND 10 FXS pups during a short period of separation from their mothers, encompassing animals of all possible genotypes and both sexes (i.e., Fmr1-/y vs. Fmr1+/y males and Fmr1+/+, +/-, and -/- females). This allowed comparing the influence of sex and gene dosage on pups’ communication capabilities. Leveraging DeepSqueak and analyzing vocal patterns, intricate vocal behaviors such as call structure, duration, frequency modulation, and temporal patterns were examined. Furthermore, homing behavior was assessed as a sensitive indicator of early cognitive development and social discrimination. This behavior relies on the use of olfactory and thermal cues to navigate and search for the maternal or nest odor in the surrounding space.ResultsThe results show that FMRP-deficient pups of both sexes display an increased inclination to vocalize when separated from their mothers, and this behavior is accompanied by significant sex-specific changes in the main features of their USVs as well as in body weight. Analysis of the vocal repertoire and syntactic usage revealed that Fmr1 gene silencing primarily alters the USVs’ qualitative composition in males. Moreover, sex-specific effects of Fmr1 silencing on locomotor activity and homing behavior were observed. FMRP deficiency in females increased activity, reduced nest-reaching time, and extended nest time. In males, it prolonged nest-reaching time and reduced nest time without affecting locomotion.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the interplay between Fmr1 gene dosage and sex in influencing communicative and cognitive skills during infancy.

In their own voices: immigrant mothers’ experiences and perceptions of the group-based self-assured parents programme for parents in disadvantaged areas in Sweden

ABSTRACT Culturally responsive parenting interventions are crucial for immigrant parents in disadvantaged areas. This qualitative study delves into the experiences of 18 immigrant mothers (Mage = 41.2 years) from Somalia, Syria, Turkey, Eritrea, and Iraq participating in the Swedish Self-Assured Parents programme, targeting immigrant parents who live in social disadvantage with teenage children. Thematic analysis revealed seven main themes (1) the meaning of the programme content and structure, (2) enjoying oneself and being comfortable, (3) putting the adolescent in the centre, (4) mothers’ own socioemotional development, (5) changing from being a passive reactor to an active agent, (6) empowered citizenship, and (7) having always been a strong and good mother. Overall, the mothers were positive about both the content and the format of the programme, appreciating the warm and supportive climate. They also perceived themselves as being more attentive to adolescent needs, having improved their own socio-emotional skills, and being empowered both as a citizen and as a mother on account of attending the programme. With the development of culturally responsive programmes that take into account the unique needs and experiences of diverse populations, governments can effectively support parents, promote child positive development, and help cultivate social cohesion among the members of society.

Public Library Virtual Storytimes: The Whys, Why Nots, and Measures of Success

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many public libraries offered virtual storytimes (VSTs). Who proposed, authorized, and developed these programs? What impact did they have in the short term and long term? To find out, we created a survey on the decision and evaluation processes behind VST. We received 415 responses from children’s librarians throughout the United States. Our findings indicate that children’s librarians exercised keen administrative and management skills in launching VSTs and the programs prioritized children’s socioemotional development and learning. However, assessment of the programs is somewhat lacking as libraries tended to focus on outputs like the number of views rather than more meaningful indicators of program value for the community.

Association of brain functional connectivity with neurodevelopmental outcomes in healthy full-term newborns

ObjectiveTo study the association between neurodevelopmental outcomes and functional brain connectivity (FBC) in healthy term infants. MethodsThis is a retrospective study of prospectively collected High-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG) from newborns within 72 hours from birth. Developmental assessments were performed at two years of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III (BSID-III) measuring cognitive, language, motor, and socio-emotional scores. The FBC was calculated using phase synchronization analysis of source signals in delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands and its association with neurodevelopmental score was assessed with stepwise regression. Results47/163 had both HD-EEG and BSID-III scores. The FBC of frontal region was associated with cognitive score in the theta band (corrected p, regression coefficients range: p < 0.01, 1.66–1.735). Language scores were significantly associated with connectivity in all frequency bands, predominantly in the left hemisphere (p < 0.01, −2.74–2.40). The FBC of frontal and occipital brain regions of both hemispheres was related to motor score and socio-emotional development in theta, alpha, and gamma frequency bands (p < 0.01, −2.16–2.97). ConclusionsFunctional connectivity of higher-order processing is already present at term age. SignificanceThe FBC might be used to guide interventions for optimizing subsequent neurodevelopment even in low-risk newborns.

Role of Households’ Wealth and Maternal Education in Early Child Development: A Case Study of Punjab, Pakistan

Children under the age of five are exposed to several hazards in developing countries, such as poverty, inadequate housing, and unstimulating home environments, which have an adverse influence on their cognitive and socio-emotional development. Since learning during adulthood is influenced by earlier developmental stages, these formative years are crucial in shaping a successful adult life. Therefore, the study intends to investigate what causes some children to perform worse than other children of the same age. It utilises data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017-18 of 4,043 children from Punjab, Pakistan. Binary Logistic Regression was used for analysis and it demonstrated a positive relationship between early child development, wealth, maternal education, and home stimulating activities with all three measures of child development which include child identification of alphabets, reading at least four popular words, and recognition of numbers or shapes. The result of the study suggests that it is an urgent need of the hour to focus to women’s education and take steps to mitigate poverty in order to enable parents to provide their children with a better learning environment. JEL Classification Codes: I250, H75, P36, J13.

The impact of a health promotion program on toddlers’ socio-emotional development: a cluster randomized study

BackgroundThe first 3 years of life are a critical period for the development of socio-emotional skills, highlighting the importance of socio-emotional development in early childhood. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention program on the socio-emotional development of children aged 12 to 42 months during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 344 children from 15 childcare centers participated in this study, with six centers in the intervention group and nine in the control group. Childcare teachers in the intervention group received a 6-month training program aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, including topics such as diet, sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Sociodemographic and anthropometric measures were assessed at baseline, and socio-emotional development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition (Bayley-III) at baseline and post-intervention.ResultsAfter the intervention, a significant difference in socio-emotional development was observed between children with mothers of varying education levels. Specifically, children whose mothers had lower education levels demonstrated significantly greater socio-emotional development (B = 19.000, p = 0.028) compared to the control group. In contrast, there was no significant difference in socio-emotional development among children with mothers from higher education levels.ConclusionThese findings suggest that intervention programs for childcare teachers can effectively promote healthy socio-emotional development in children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Future intervention programs should consider tailoring their approaches to target disadvantaged populations.Trial registrationThis cluster randomized controlled trial was registered in the Clinical Trials database/platform on 09/09/2019 (number NCT04082247).

Gender Differences in Early Child Development: Evidence from Large-Scale Studies of Very Young Children in Nine Countries

Some evidence suggests that there are significant gender gaps in early child development in low- and middle-income countries, with girls generally outperforming boys. However, few studies have tested for the existence of such gaps at a large scale. Our objective is to examine gender disparities in early child development in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal, and Uruguay, with 26,055 children aged 7 to 48 months. We estimate gaps using cross-sectional studies with language, socioemotional, and motor skills development assessments. Consistent with small-sample findings, the data shows girls consistently outperformed boys on language tests (0.14 standard deviations) and socioemotional development (0.17 standard deviations), with differences consistent across all nine countries. There were no systematic differences by gender for motor development. We explored how family characteristics, health investments, or parent–child interactions influenced the gap. We did not find evidence that variation on these characteristics across children explained the gap. Our findings suggest that gender gaps in language and socioemotional development emerge very early in life.

Home-school Communication in Greek Secondary Multicultural Educational Settings: Parents’ and Teachers’ perspectives

Although it is widely acknowledged that home-school communication, as an aspect of parental involvement, plays a decisive role in children’s educational and socioemotional development, while it promotes social inclusion, especially in multicultural educational settings, the topic has not been adequately explored in Greece, especially in Lower High School. We qualitatively explored teachers’ and parents’ perceptions on home-school communication. The aims of this research were to examine (1) what kind of experiences teachers and parents have from home-school communication, (2) how does gender affects the entire process, and (3) which are the practical suggestions for improvement. The results of this research are the following: different perceptions of effective home-school communication, passive parental involvement, the immigrant status, structural obstacles, cultural and linguistic language diversity, stereotypes, and gender function as obstacles against effective home-school communication. Participants highlighted that possible solutions involve regular home-school communication, home-school collaboration, holistic and flexible practices, translators, and support toward families, especially mothers.

A longitudinal study examining the associations between prenatal and postnatal maternal distress and toddler socioemotional developmental during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elevated psychological distress, experienced by pregnant women and parents, has been well-documented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most research focuses on the first 6-months postpartum, with single or limited repeated measures of perinatal distress. The present longitudinal study examined how perinatal distress, experienced over nearly 2years of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacted toddler socioemotional development. A sample of 304 participants participated during pregnancy, 6-weeks, 6-months, and 15-months postpartum. Mothers reported their depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, at each timepoint. Mother-reported toddler socioemotional functioning (using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment) was measured at 15-months. Results of structural equation mediation models indicated that (1) higher prenatal distress was associated with elevated postpartum distress, from 6-weeks to 15-months postpartum; (2) associations between prenatal distress and toddler socioemotional problems became nonsignificant after accounting for postpartum distress; and (3) higher prenatal distress was indirectly associated with greater socioemotional problems, and specifically elevated externalizing problems, through higher maternal distress at 6weeks and 15months postpartum. Findings suggest that the continued experience of distress during the postpartum period plays an important role in child socioemotional development during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Towards Sustainable Early Education Practices: A Quasi-Experimental Study on the Effects of Kindergarten Physical Education Programs on Fundamental Movement Skills and Self-Regulation in Haikou City, China

Acquiring fundamental movement skills (FMS) in early childhood is linked to long-term engagement in physical activity, promoting lifelong health. Concurrently, the development of self-regulation contributes to fostering socially responsible and empathetic individuals. This study aims to contribute to the sustainable development goals of Good Health and Well-being (Goal 3) and Quality Education (Goal 4) by promoting early education practices that enhance children’s physical and socio-emotional development. This quasi-experimental study, employing a pre/post-test control design, examined the influence of different kindergarten physical education programs on FMS and self-regulation. Participants from a sports-themed kindergarten, ordinary public kindergarten, and non-profit private kindergarten were equally divided into three groups. The “Hello Sunshine” (HS) group followed a ball game-based program; the ordinary physical education (OPE) group’s curriculum had multi-themed physical activities; and the free-play (FP) group as a comparison group (free play) spent their activity time freely playing. Data from a total of 239 children were analyzed, all of whom received identical assessments of fundamental movement skills and self-regulation by the Test of Gross Motor Development-3 (TGMD-3) and the head–toes–knees–shoulders (HTKS) test at baseline and after 10 weeks of the PE curriculum. There was a significant effect of grouping on TGMD-3 composite scores after controlling for the pre-test score (F(2, 235) = 65.232, p &lt; 0.001, Partial η2 = 0.357). The composite score of the HS group was clearly higher than that of the OPE (95% CI:10.72~16.45) and FP (95% CI: 4.16~9.98) groups. A significant group time effect was observed for self-regulation (F(2, 236) = 4.588, p = 0.011, Partial η2 = 0.037). After 10 weeks, the HS group displayed a more significant increase in self-regulation (14.8%) than that in the OPE (9.7%) and FP (14.6%) groups. The ball game-based program exhibited more advantages in promoting fundamental movement skills and self-regulation among the kindergarteners. Overall, this study’s findings highlight the potential benefits of kindergarten physical education programs and underscore the importance of early childhood development, emphasizing its potential to contribute to holistic child development and align with sustainability goals.

Psycho-emotional Problems Of Young Mothers During The Pandemic

Given the curtailment of social interactions and social bans due to the COVID 19 pandemic, this article highlights the needs that a young mother had during this time. Based on the results of my research during the pandemic, the consequences of social isolation and changes in the lives of new mothers can have serious psycho-emotional consequences, affecting their cognitive and socio-emotional development in the long term. Most of all, during this period, young mothers needed to be seen, listened to, understood, helped. They needed to feel that they are not going through this situation alone, that they are with parents, friends, other mothers like them, who face the same problems, who face the same fears, anxieties, worries, who have the same needs in this period. The research carried out by me between January and March 2022 consists of discussions with 75 young mothers whom I asked to tell me what they felt and what difficulties they felt during this period of the pandemic and her new status, that of mother. This revealed that their predominant moods were – fear, worry, sadness, Indifference from friends, loneliness and confidence.

Enhancing Child Development through Senam Profil Pelajar Pancasila: A Case Study in Indonesian Early Childhood Education

Enhancing Child Development through Senam Profil Pelajar Pancasila: A Case Study in Indonesian Early Childhood Education

Triple jeopardy: The impact of race, class, and gender on girls and women in sport and physical activity.

Thirty-six million youth athletes participate in and benefit from sport each year in the United States. Along with developing sport skills, the lifelong benefits of physical activity for girls and women are significant and include improved dietary habits and quality sleep, decreased risk for breast cancer and osteoporosis, among other benefits (Erickson et al., 2019; Zarrett et al., 2018). In addition, girls and women that engage in sport are more likely to experience additional professional benefits with 94% of women business executives reporting they played sport in their youth (Kotschwar, 2014). However, as in many performance domains, the benefits are not experienced equally by all would-be participants. Research indicates that girls and women of color do not have the same access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities (National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA], 2021; Smith-Evans et al., 2014). In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and the eruption of racial unrest have widened the participation gaps and the resulting psychosocial and health benefit gap for girls of color and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The purpose of this article is to signify the important role sport and physical activity play in socioemotional development, physical fitness, and health of girls and women. By centering the experiences of girls and women who are currently not equitably served by the existing youth sport environment (e.g., girls and women of color and girls from working-class backgrounds), the authors will identify barriers that prevent access to physical activity opportunities for everyone. In addition, strategies for change will be offered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Stress-responsive Psychobiological Markers During Pregnancy and Fetal and Infant Outcomes Across Countries

The prenatal period is a sensitive window of development that is open to both opportunity and risk for predicting later developmental outcomes. There are multiple stress-responsive physiological systems during pregnancy that may mediate the link between stress exposure and physical and mental health. Alterations in these systems during gestation due to elevated stress exposure can lead to poorer health in both the gestational parent and the offspring. In this symposium, we examine stress-responsive psychobiological systems during pregnancy and their association with differential developmental outcomes during gestation, at birth, and in infancy by a multinational group of researchers. The first presentation by the symposium chair, Özlü Aran (University of Denver, USA), will focus on the trajectories of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH), a stress-responsive hormone released by placenta, and their association with birth outcomes as well as infant socioemotional development at 6 months postpartum. In the second presentation, Dr. Elif Aysimi Duman (Boğaziçi University, Turkey) will highlight intergenerational associations of parental early life stress and gestational parent prenatal cortisol awakening response with infant development at 4 months postpartum. This study underscores psychosocial risk (i.e., pregnancy-related worries) and protective factors (i.e., fetal bonding) in addition to prenatal HPA activity during gestation. In the third presentation, Dr. Sameera Abuaish (Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia) will extend research findings beyond HPA axis by demonstrating the association between gestational parent body mass index (BMI) and prenatal mood and immune functioning, while also linking BMI to both fetal and infant outcomes. Consistent with the ISPNE’s 2023 symposium translational psychoneuroendocrinology themes, these presentations apply basic scientific methods to understand better health outcomes for gestational parents and their offspring with a focus on stress-responsive physiological systems during pregnancy. Together, they underscore the importance of early life stressors as well as prenatal stressors and their potential impact over generations among individuals across countries and cultures. Finally, these presentations will be discussed by a leading investigator, Dr. Jenalee Doom (University of Denver, USA), who has expertise on early life stress and the biological embedding of early experiences across development with a special focus on mental and physical health.

Learning From Experience: Perceptions of Socio-Emotional Development Among German Students During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on emerging adults’ life and development. The present study explores the socio-emotional development during the corona pandemic from the perspective of German students themselves. Episodic semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 students and analysed with thematic coding. The main developmental challenges included missed opportunities and experiencing uncertainty, while family support and an optimistic attitude facilitated socioemotional growth. Social developmental gains included increased social support from family and friends and the formation of a generational social identity. Regarding emotional development, self-reflection and self-confidence were enhanced. Findings can be integrated in the Positive Youth Development Theory, as the socio-emotional gains match the 5 C’s (competence, confidence, connection, caring, character). Results have relevant practical implications concerning how to foster positive youth development during uncertain times.

Validation of the Dominican system for measuring early childhood development.

The purpose of the study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Dominican System for Measuring Early Childhood Development (SIMEDID, for its Spanish acronym), to adjust the sequence of item presentation, and to provide age-standardized norms for each item, to enable policy and program managers to make decisions based on specific and structured data. After approval from an ethics committee, a total of 948 children from 0 to 60 months participated in this study. Participants were evaluated on four early childhood development domains (gross motor, fine motor, language development, and socio-emotional development). The data were collected from November 2021 to February 2022, either at early childhood care centers or at home, using mobile devices that guided the evaluators through the screener. Data were later synced to a global database. Psychometric properties were calculated using Cronbach's alpha and split-half parallel reliability. For reorganizing item presentation and to obtain age-standardized norms, we conducted a logistic regression analysis for each item on dependent variable item success, and independent variable age. The instrument showed excellent reliability and additional evidence of validity. The item presentation order was rearranged according to the probability of item success progression. In addition, the study characterized the expected evolution of item success probability across participants' age. SIMEDID is a valid and reliable instrument for depicting childhood development in national evaluations. Its integration with electronic platforms for national monitoring represents a cost-effective, time-efficient screening tool adapted to the Dominican sociocultural context. This represents a promising tool to strengthen strategies that support early childhood development.