Preschool Years Research Articles

Developmental predictors of mathematics achievement at the end of Year 1

Abstract: This study examined the predictive role of child cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioural dimensions assessed at the age of 4½, as well as of the traditional variables related to academic school readiness before the entry to primary school, on mathematics achievement at the end of Year 1. A sample of 58 Portuguese children and their parents participated in this longitudinal study. Initial correlations indicated significant associations between child intelligence quotient (IQ), inhibitory control, set-shifting, dysregulation profile, academic school readiness, and their subsequent performance in mathematics. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that inhibitory control at 4½ years significantly predicted mathematics achievement at the end of Year 1 over and above the effect of academic school readiness before entering primary school. These results add to the existing literature by highlighting the impact of child executive functioning assessed during the preschool years on subsequent mathematics performance in early school years.

Listening and Processing Skills in Young School Children with a History of Developmental Phonological Disorder

There is a lack of longitudinal studies on the broad-based outcomes in children with Developmental Phonological Disorder (DPD). The aim of this study was to investigate listening and processing skills in a clinical sample of 7-to-10-year-old children diagnosed with DPD in their preschool years and compare these to same-aged typically developing (TD) children. The Evaluation of Children’s Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPS) was completed by parents of 115 children with DPD and by parents of 46 TD children. The total ECLiPS mean score, and the five subscale mean scores, the proportion of children with clinically significant difficulties (≤10th percentile), and the proportion of children with co-occurrence of clinically significant difficulties on more than one subscale, were calculated. Results showed that the ECLiPS mean scores did not differ between the groups. There was no difference between groups regarding language and literacy, but a higher proportion of children with DPD than TD had difficulties in the total score, speech, and auditory processing, environmental and auditory sensitivity, and pragmatic and social skills. In addition, 33.9% of children with DPD had clinically significant difficulties in two or more subscales compared to 10.9% of TD children.

Using vignettes to understand the social-emotional experiences of three-year-olds in diverse language contexts

In this article, we report on the educational experiences of young Afrikaans mother tongue South African children who are exposed to multilingual learning environments during their preschool years. We carried out phenomenological research using a vignette research design that provided observational, co-experiential data of the lived experiences of three-year-old boys as they engaged with formal and informal learning. We controlled vignette data that had been collected through observations, written teacher validation, and face-to-face interviews against existing literature to provide in-depth insights into the participants' different experiences of and within their learning environments. Findings indicate specific areas in which young children may need additional support in multilingual learning environments, in terms of 1) social-emotional security experienced in the learning environment, 2) intentional development of empathy for peers, 3) independence and initiative taking in informal settings, and 4) interactive communication. Although we focused on a South African context, these findings may inform future interventions to support children in multilingual language environments in their early years.

Reimagining Post-Covid Relationships with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families: Reflecting with a Preschool Director

Abstract: Guided by the concept of “Pandemic as Portal” (Souto-Manning, 2021), this work utilizes ethnographic methods of inquiry and analysis to understand home–school relationships between Lisa, an African American preschool leader, and families at an early childhood center in the U.S. Midwest. Analysis of data from before and during the pandemic revealed continued themes of extended relationships between center leadership and families beyond preschool years, themes based in care over time, and political clarity of leadership. This political clarity drew on Lisa’s understanding of systemic racism and the school system that former students and older siblings would be entering. This paper also considers a disparity in the support and resources the center received, as it often had to rely on local problem-solving or established means and methods of communication to continue connecting with and supporting families throughout the pandemic, rather than turning to state or federal programs for support. Ultimately, the paper concludes that transformative and humanizing practices that developed before the pandemic helped guide the center through that time. The story of home-school relationships at this early childhood center provides examples of the potential to reimagine family engagement, avoiding a return to the “normalcy” of pre-pandemic home–school relationships across the U.S., which have historically been based in unequal power relationships that ignore systemic racism.

Delayed gratification predicts behavioral and academic outcomes: Examining the validity of the delay-of-gratification choice paradigm in Singaporean young children

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Delay-of-Gratification (DoG) choice paradigm in Singapore, a multicultural Asian society. Data were collected over two waves from a nationally representative sample of 2,956 Singaporean young children, a subset of the participants from the Singapore Longitudinal Early Development Study (SG-LEADS). DoG, working memory, and parent-rated child self-control were measured during the preschool years (ages 3–6) in Wave 1. Academic achievement and parent-rated child behavior problems were measured approximately two years later in Wave 2. Results evidenced sound psychometric properties of the multi-trial actual choice task as a measure of DoG with Singaporean young children, indicated by (1) excellent internal reliability, (2) development of DoG as a function of age, gender, and parental education, (3) variations in children’s choices by the quantity of the delayed reward, (4) convergent validity with concurrently measured working memory and self-control, and (5) predictive validity with more advanced reading and mathematical skills as well as fewer externalizing and internalizing problems, indirectly through working memory and self-control.

Longitudinal associations between child discipline methods and physical growth patterns across preschool years.

Research has documented the associations of child maltreatment with a range of physical health problems, but little is known about the physical growth patterns of children who experience maltreatment in early childhood. This study aimed to examine the association between various discipline approaches and physical growth in preschool-aged children. In the first year of preschool, parents of 661 Chinese preschool-aged children completed a questionnaire with items pertaining to the frequency of using physical maltreatment, psychological aggression, neglect, and nonviolent discipline toward the child. Children's weight and height were assessed annually using direct assessment in the first and two subsequent years. Longitudinal analyses were performed using multiple regression models. More frequent neglect and psychological aggression during the first year of preschool were associated with ahigher likelihood of a decreased BMI z score in subsequent years. Conversely, increased experience of physical maltreatment in the first year was associated with an increased likelihood of having overweight or obesity in the third year. Results indicate that early maltreatment experience can impact physical growth. This highlights the importance of preventing abusive parenting and encouraging healthy habits in young children who have experienced maltreatment to decrease their future risk for weight problems.

Children’s expectations about the stability of others’ knowledge and preference states

It is a crucial ability to predict others’ psychological states across time and contexts. Focusing on cultural inventions such as songs and stories, we contrasted children’s attributions of stability with others’ knowledge and preference states across time and space and whether these attributions change as a function of children’s familiarity with the known/liked items. Children (91 4-year-olds and 97 6-year-olds) were introduced to characters who knew or liked a song, a story, a game and a dance that were either novel or familiar. Children were asked whether the characters would still know/like these when they move to another city or when they grow up to be an adult. Both age groups expected these attributes to be more durable in the moving scenario compared with the growing-up scenario, but this trend became more robust with age. Whereas overall children did not judge knowledge as more durable than preferences, children found knowledge to be more enduring with age. The 6-year-olds’ stability attributions also increased when known/liked items were familiar. These results suggest that, across the preschool years, children become more nuanced in their predictions about the future forms of knowledge and preference states.

Exploring How Teachers' Scientific Questions Differ by Child Gender in a Preschool Classroom

AbstractThe current study explores differences in messages that preschool teachers send girls and boys about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Video footage of a preschool classroom (16 hr; N = 6 teachers; 20 children) was transcribed. Teachers' questions were coded for question‐type and whether the question was directed to a boy or a girl. Teachers directed significantly more scientific questions to boys than to girls. However, boys spent more time than girls in the science areas of the classroom and teachers directed questions to boys and girls at similar rates. These findings highlight how as early as the preschool years, girls and boys may receive different messages about how to approach science.

Evidence-based interventions targeted at behavioral inhibition, shyness, and anxious withdrawal during the preschool years: A rapid review

High and stable behavioral inhibition (BI) during early childhood may place individuals at increased risk of experiencing anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis. Prior knowledge syntheses showed that selective prevention interventions were effective in reducing child BI and anxiety. However, the effectiveness of preschool-based universal and selective prevention interventions targeted at BI to improve child social outcomes remains unclear. Due to the vulnerability of highly inhibited children, this rapid review aimed to (1) synthetize the characteristics of evidence-based interventions targeted at BI, and (2) summarize intervention outcomes in domains of child individual and social functioning. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), published between january 1991 and december 2021, conducted with highly inhibited children aged 3 to 5 years, were included in the review. Thirteen RCTs on four evidence-based interventions targeted at BI were retained. Most studies were conducted in samples of married/cohabitating and highly educated mothers and almost half of them described parent-only interventions. Three pilot RCTs on child-only and multimodal interventions found significant post-intervention improvements in observed child social competence and positive peer interactions. Pre-to-post intervention changes in parent and teacher ratings on child social outcomes were less consistent across studies. Further large-scale RCTs with medium-to-long term follow-ups are needed to examine intervention outcomes in domains of child social functioning, using a multi-informant and multi-method approach. After the COVID-19 crisis, preschool-based universal interventions targeting BI may enhance the engagement of inhibited children from diverse communities and contribute to the generalization of intervention effects to naturalistic peer settings.

Does the Shadowing Affect the Second Language Preschool Childrens English Speaking Proficiency?

Unsurprisingly, changes in attitudes towards learning English in the international context have coincided with English becoming a global lingua franca. Learning a foreign language, especially English, from an early age is believed to impact children's language acquisition positively. This belief is supported by the Critical Period Hypothesis, which suggests that there is a biologically determined period when language can be acquired more easily. However, recent studies suggest that the assumption that younger people are better when learning English is only sometimes valid. The growing body of research on bilingual development examines the connection between language exposure and learning outcomes. The research studies the factors and the process of shadowing the efficiency of preschool children in learning English (as the L2) and which age is the most suitable for learning a foreign language. This paper presents two views: the earlier, the better to learn L2, or the latter to learn L2 during preschool years, with some degree of understanding of the native language. The implications of the holistic view on the neurolinguistics of bilingualism will be used in the field of education directly. Afterwards, the students could get a favourable education with rigorous and correct scientific practice and cultivate their English thinking patterns.

The Interfunctional Relationship Between Theory of Mind and Private Speech.

Theory of mind is the capacity to explain and predict the behavior of others. Charles Fernyhough's dialogical model of psychological functions offers a vision of theory of mind that considers the social dimension and the importance of language, especially inner and private speech, for a person's ability to represent and manipulate multiple perspectives, and its connection to executive function. There is little direct research on Fernyhough's model. The present study addressed that gap by studying the relationship between theory of mind, private speech, and executive function (planning) in the preschool years. Data were collected from a total of 86 preschool children from the Mexican state of Tlaxcala; 24 were from the first grade of preschool, 30 from the second, and 32 from the third. Their degree of internalization and their speech types (i.e., social and private) were obtained by coding their utterances during free play and during performance of a Tower of London task. Lastly, their theory of mind was assessed with a change of location and an unexpected contents task. No correlation was found between children's theory of mind and their degree of internalization. However, inaudible private speech was correlated (negatively) to theory of mind performance in the third grade of preschool. Furthermore, their scores on the Tower of London task were negatively correlated with social speech and positively correlated with inaudible private speech, while the reverse was true for time of execution. The results suggested that the degree of internalization is a measure of the regulative function of language, not the ability to manipulate perspectives, and that it is inadequate for capturing subtle differences between performance and speech types. Role-playing conditions were recommended as better tasks for exploring the capacities for manipulating and understanding different perspectives during the preschool years.

Does Vocabulary Grow in Nature? Exploring the Impacts of Nature-Based Early Learning on Young Children's Receptive Vocabulary Development

Abstract: This study examined the effect of nature-based practices on preschoolers' receptive vocabulary. We administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test to 134 children from 11 preschool classes at the beginning and end of the preschool year. Results suggest incorporating nature-based practices into preschool supported significant vocabulary growth, but that effectiveness varied by public vs. private school setting and children's socioeconomic status. This study contributes to the literature regarding effective practices for supporting vocabulary development and adds to the growing body of research surrounding the impact of play in natural environments on child development and school readiness.

Direct and interactive effects of attendance rates on growth in language, literacy and mathematics skills for children enrolled in voluntary preschool programs

Attendance plays an important role in student academic success; yet few studies examine associations between preschool attendance rates and academic skills for children enrolled in early childhood programs. To address this gap, this population-based study examined associations between preschool attendance rates and language, literacy and mathematics skill growth for a cohort of four-year-old children (N = 20,414) enrolled in a state-funded public prekindergarten program within an urban county (N = 1,720 classrooms, N = 922 programs). Measures included linked administrative data on preschool attendance and program-administered direct assessments of oral language, literacy, and mathematics. Latent growth curve analysis (LGCA) found that attendance rates were associated with greater rates of change in all academic skills across the preschool year, controlling for child demographic covariates, preschool program provider type, and neighborhood risk. In addition, higher attendance benefited children more who entered preschool with lower initial academic skills as compared to children who entered preschool with higher academic skills. Implications of the findings, including future directions, and application to early childhood education policy and practice are shared.

Influences of social and non-social rewards on cognitive control in childhood

The modulation of cognitive control by rewards has long been discussed, but there is scarce evidence of how social and non-social rewards influence cognitive control in childhood, especially in the preschool years. Critically, sociality has often been confounded with other important reward dimensions (e.g., tangibility) in prior studies, hence potentially misestimating the effect of social rewards. Thus, the present study re-examined the effects of social and non-social rewards on cognitive control, particularly on proactive and reactive control engagement during childhood. Thirty 5- to 6-year-olds and thirty 9- to 10-year-olds completed an AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) during an online session in three conditions: control, social reward, and non-social (i.e., monetary) reward conditions. Social rewards increased younger and older children’s response accuracy, suggesting greater cognitive control. However, no influence on how children engage cognitive control (i.e., proactively or reactively) was observed. The provision of non-social rewards did not influence cognitive performance in either group of children. When controlling for other reward dimension, we found evidence that social rewards, but not non-social rewards, can promote cognitive control performance in childhood.

The Role of Home Literacy Environment in the Acquisition of Oral Language Skills in the Preschool Years

Parental involvement, home literacy environment, socioeconomic status, and literary resources are some of the factors that positively influence language acquisition. Exposure to materials and activities that support oral language development, such as picture books, alphabet books, stories, songs and shared book reading experiences create a responsive and encouraging home literacy environment. However, there is currently no evidence in Zambia to show how the home literacy environment (HLE) affects the development of oral language in children. Therefore, the overall objective of the study was to examine the extent to which the home literacy environment influenced children’s oral language development. The study further sought to identify the factors within the home environment that supported development of oral language skills. The study used a mixed methods approach because it allowed the researcher to benefit from detailed insights offered by the participants on one hand as well as the generalizable inferential statistics drawn using quantitative data. This was important because it allowed for the triangulation of the data and offered complementary advantage in drawing conclusions. The study used a Familiar Language Test (FLT) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) tests to conduct child assessments while a home structured guide was used to collect socio-economic data and home parent-child practices. The data generated from the study was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) while qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study comprised 100 preschoolers (50 males and 50 girls) drawn from selected early childhood centres in Lusaka district. The study concluded that activities such as shared book reading, singing, and storytelling were crucial in fostering language development at home. Therefore, it was recommended that parents or caregivers should engage children at home in storytelling, book reading and songs to promote the development of oral language skills in the early years.

Head Start, Household Instability, and Children’s Externalizing Behavior Problems

This study uses experimental and nationally representative Head Start Impact Study data to document the high incidence of multidomain household instability experienced by children eligible for the federal two-generation Head Start early childhood education program for low-income households. The study finds that household instability experienced during the preschool year is associated with higher levels of children’s classroom inattentive/hyperactive, aggressive, and oppositional externalizing behavior problems at the end of kindergarten. This relationship is reduced and even eliminated by access to Head Start. Exploratory evidence suggests that Head Start’s buffering effect may operate by reducing exposure to household instability—including the incidence of high levels of multidomain household instability and the use of parental care—as well as parent–child relationship conflict.

Improvement of fine motor development in preschool age children by using coloring playing techniques

The next stage of growth will be determined by children's optimal development from an early age. The preschool years are critical for the development of a wide range of abilities. Preschoolers are generally youngsters that develop swiftly and have a wide range of talents. This potential will be realized so that youngsters can reach their full potential. This potential will be realized so that youngsters can reach their full potential. As a result, proper conditions or instruction are required for a child's growth. Various developmental difficulties in children, such as motor delays, language, behavior, autism, and hyperactivity, have been on the rise in recent years. As a result, for children's growth and development, adequate conditions or education are required. The goal of this study was to see how colouring affects children's fine motor development when they are in preschool. The total number of students in this study was 32. In this study, the researchers employed a Quasi Experiment with a nonequivalent control group design. The entire sampling strategy was employed in this investigation. There were as many as 32 responders in the sample. The Wilcoxon test yielded p-values of 0.001 and 0.083 in the data analysis. The findings of data analysis utilizing the Mann-Whitney test, namely a p-value of 0.000 < (0.05), indicate that Ho is not significant. This shows that colouring stimulation influences the fine motor development of preschool children in this study.

Infants hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections during the first two years of life have increased risk of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) during the first 2 years of life increase the risk of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but whether this risk varies by LRTI severity is unknown. We analyzed data from 2962 children, aged 0-5 years, with early-life LRTI requiring hospitalization (severe LRTI, n = 235), treated as outpatients (mild LRTI, n = 394) and without LRTI (reference group, n = 2333) enrolled in the Boston Birth Cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted by pertinent covariables were used to evaluate the risk of pediatric OSA. Compared to children without LRTI, those with mild LRTI were at a higher risk of having OSA (hazard ratio [HR] 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-2.05), and those with severe LRTI were at the highest risk (HR 2.06, 95% CI: 1.41-3.02), independently of relevant covariables (including maternal age, race, gestational age, and type of delivery). Additional risk factors linked to a higher risk of OSA included prematurity (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.01-1.77) and maternal obesity (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.32-2.52). The time elapsed between LRTI and OSA diagnosis was similar in mild and severe LRTI cases, with medians of 23 and 25.5 months, respectively (p = .803). Infants with severe early-life LRTI have a higher risk of developing OSA, and surveillance strategies to identify OSA need to be particularly focused on this group. OSA monitoring should continue throughout the preschool years as it may develop months or years after the initial LRTI hospitalization.

FOSTERING SELF-RELIANCE AND INDEPENDENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: HOW EXPOSURE TO RISKY ACTIVITIES HELPS THERE

This paper discusses the roles of exposure to risky activities in developing independence and self-reliance in preschool years. Based on the discussion, the paper makes necessary recommendations to early childhood educators. The paper concludes that by providing children with the opportunities to take risks, make choices and live with the results of their choices, adults can help children become independent, responsible, autonomous, and self-reliant.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0065/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Women are expected to smile: Preliminary evidence for the role of gender in the neurophysiological processing of adult emotional faces in 3-year-old children.

Children form stereotyped expectations about the appropriateness of certain emotions for men versus women during the preschool years, based on cues from their social environments. Although ample research has examined the development of gender stereotypes in children, little is known about the neural responses that underlie the processing of gender-stereotyped emotions in children. Therefore, the current study examined whether 3-year-olds differ in the neural processing of emotional stimuli that violate gender stereotypes (i.e., male faces with fearful or happy expressions) or confirm gender stereotypes (i.e., female faces with fearful or happy expressions), and whether boys and girls differ in their neural processing of the violation and confirmation of gender stereotypes. Data from 72 3-year-olds (±6 months, 43% boy) were obtained from the YOUth Cohort Study. Electroencephalography data were obtained when children passively viewed male and female faces displaying neutral, happy, or fearful facial expressions. This study provided first indications that happy male faces elicited larger P1 amplitudes than happy female faces in preschool children, which might reflect increased attentional processing of stimuli that violate gender stereotypes. Moreover, there was preliminary evidence that girls had larger negative central (Nc) responses, associated with salience processing, toward female happy faces than male happy faces, whereas boys had larger Nc responses toward male happy faces than female happy faces. No gender differences were found in the processing of neutral and fearful facial expressions. Our results indicate that electroencephalography measurements can provide insights into preschoolers' gender-stereotype knowledge about emotions, potentially by looking at the early occipital and late fronto-central responses.