Young School Research Articles

Automatic Speech Emotion Recognition of Younger School Age Children

This paper introduces the extended description of a database that contains emotional speech in the Russian language of younger school age (8–12-year-old) children and describes the results of validation of the database based on classical machine learning algorithms, such as Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). The validation is performed using standard procedures and scenarios of the validation similar to other well-known databases of children’s emotional acting speech. Performance evaluation of automatic multiclass recognition on four emotion classes “Neutral (Calm)—Joy—Sadness—Anger” shows the superiority of SVM performance and also MLP performance over the results of perceptual tests. Moreover, the results of automatic recognition on the test dataset which was used in the perceptual test are even better. These results prove that emotions in the database can be reliably recognized both by experts and automatically using classical machine learning algorithms such as SVM and MLP, which can be used as baselines for comparing emotion recognition systems based on more sophisticated modern machine learning methods and deep neural networks. The results also confirm that this database can be a valuable resource for researchers studying affective reactions in speech communication during child-computer interactions in the Russian language and can be used to develop various edutainment, health care, etc. applications.

Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867–1883

In December 1867, Brigham Young oversaw the opening of a School of the Prophets in Salt Lake City that existed until June 1874. Nine years after that school was disbanded, John Taylor briefly reconvened the Salt Lake School of the Prophets, which only lasted from August to October 1883.These schools have received less attention than the School of the Prophets established by Joseph Smith at Kirtland, Ohio, in the 1830s. However, the publication of this volume brings long overdue attention to them. The little known and little used minutes that were produced during these meetings present a fascinating and unique record of issues of importance to leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to Latter-day Saints living in Salt Lake City during the years the school was in operation. The minutes also provide an insight into the personalities of those who “stood at their head” (vii), as Young and Taylor directed the operation of their schools differently. In the case of Young, many of those who think they know him might be surprised with the individual revealed in the minutes.The impending coming of the railroad, coupled with concerns about national politics and growing anti-Mormon sentiments, and conflicts with indigenous residents, prompted Young to organize Schools of the Prophets throughout Utah Territory. Of these schools, the Salt Lake School of the Prophets was preeminent because a who's who of church leadership regularly participated. Unlike Smith's School of the Prophets, however, Young's school was not simply a meeting where a select group of “first elders” gathered to be trained in clearly-defined doctrinal topics. Instead, it differed in both curriculum and the fact that for a period of time it was open to all Latter-day Saint adult males in the community and its membership at one time exceeded a thousand.Young viewed the establishment of Schools of the Prophets as an important aspect of his efforts to unite church members in thought and action, to create a unique culture where theological and secular issues merged, and to build a Zion society. Embracing the Latter-day Saints scriptural declaration that individuals should be instructed in “all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:78), the Salt Lake School of the Prophets provided a forum for discussions on a wide range of theological, political, economic, and social issues. Topics not only ranged from the so-called Adam–God theory to the Word of Wisdom, but could, as was the case on September 2, 1871, include discussions upon the need for individuals to create a will—with Young's will being read as an example, “leaving out names & figures”—and the benefits of replacing outhouses with “dry earth closets” (215–16).A major focus of Young's school was setting the table for the introduction of economic cooperatives among the Latter-day Saints. With the establishment of United Orders in 1874, Young dissolved all the Schools of the Prophets throughout the territory.When Taylor reintroduced the Salt Lake School of the Prophets in 1883, it was more in line with Smith's school in terms of curriculum and membership. The minutes of the August 2, 1883, organizational meeting presents an overview of previous Latter-day Saint Schools of the Prophets.The volume also includes appendices that contain the rules for Young's school drafted in 1868; minutes of the 1869 trial of William Godbe and Elias Harrison for apostasy; minutes of the 1874 organization of the Salt Lake United Order recorded in the same volume as School of the Prophets minutes; minutes of the 1883 St. George School of the Prophets that operated at the same time as the Salt Lake School of the Prophets; and the December 1867 discourse by Young that opened his School of the Prophets.While the strength of the volume lies in the fact that it brings together into one source documents associated with the Salt Lake School of the Prophets, a weakness is its index. In a work where topics are of primary importance, not all topics that were discussed are indexed. There are also instances where individuals mentioned did not make the index, and other instances where individuals did make the index, but only comments on some topics did. The volume does contain a helpful biographical register of “selected members,” as well as a limited number of footnotes.Taken altogether, this volume and its treasure trove of Latter-day Saints thinking is worthy of note, particularly by anyone interested in the era of Latter-day Saint and Utah history when these minutes were created.

Social skills among teachers working in primary education: an exploratory study

Annotation: Researchers who have focused their attention on conceptualizing, evaluating, and studying the psychosocial dimension of the classroom environment have emphasized the importance of this factor in the learning process. The quality of pedagogical action in the classroom is highly dependent on the social skills and interpersonal behavior of the teacher. The present study deals with studentsʼ views on the social skills of teachers working in primary education. Ninety-two third or fourth grade students completed the Romanian version of an abbreviated form of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction/QTI [11, 23, 24]. The studentsʼ responses were analyzed descriptively. They illustrate the expectations that young school children have of their teachers.

Особливості розвитку програмування та контролю у дітей з порушеннями писемного мовлення.

Younger school age is characterized by the rapid development of arbitrary forms of activity, the formation of higher mental functions (L. Vygotsky, M. Matveeva, etc.). In addition, at this age, the social situation of development, namely the beginning of schooling, makes increased demands on the level of formation of arbitrary regulation of activities. In such conditions, even a slight lack of regulation and control affects the possibility of successful adaptation of the child to the learning situation. The formation of writing skills is a long and complex process both in the structure of the act of writing and the formation of skills and psychophysiological mechanisms that underlie it. In neuropsychology, according to the principle of systemic structure of higher mental functions, writing, or more broadly - written speech, is considered as a complex functional system, which includes many components that rely on the work of different parts of the brain. Lack of arbitrary regulation of processes (planning and control functions). Problems with maintaining arbitrary attention, problems of task orientation, inclusion in the task, impulsiveness of decisions and inertia, problems of switching from one task to another are well known to teachers. In writing, children have difficulties such as regulatory dysgraphia. Namely, errors such as program simplification and pathological inertia are typical. Lack of orientation in the task, distribution of attention and control lead to errors in writing - scientists with speech disorders make the following mistakes: perseverance of letters, perseveration of letter elements (this error is most common in children with insufficient efferent or kinetic organization of movements); omission of elements of letters, letters and syllables; "Sticking" (contamination) of words; anticipation (prediction) of letters ("running in the sky"); errors of language analysis (for example, merged spelling of words instead of separate, lack of selection of the beginning of the sentence), spelling errors (the presence of spelling always complicates the spelling program). The study revealed a low and medium level of development of programming and control in writing.

TEACHERS’ STRATEGIES IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS

This study aims to examine and describe the strategies used by English language teachers in teaching young learners, specifically at Kumon School in Makassar Indonesia. The methods applied in this study are peer observations, and interview methods. The results showed that based on the fifteen principles of teaching English to young learners, the three teachers successfully conducted the fourteen of the principles. The last principle examined was inapplicable in the institution. This study also revealed that the main obstacle in teaching young learners at this institution were; the unequal number of students for each classroom at the same levels, students grouping especially in competitive activities and teachers preferences on teaching aids and facilities. The research is concluded that to ensure the successful teaching and learning process at the early stage or young learners, particularly at this English institution, the continuous teacher training programs; pre-service and in-service are one of the key element. Furthermore, teachers’ creativity of using and selecting teaching strategies in teaching young learners and school’s supports in the form of classroom facilities and teaching materials

CHILDREN'S PERIODICS AS A MEANS OF FORMING AN ACTIVE READER OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE

The article gives general description of the periodic for children and shows its role in the formation of an active reader of younger school age.

Рыбные пудинги для питания детей младшего школьного возраста

Proper nutrition ensures the normal physical development of a person, regardless of age, prevents the devel-opment and growth deviations, helps to increase the resistance of the child's body to infectious diseases and combats alimentary-dependent diseases. There has been studied the possibility of expanding the assortment of fish puddings by modifying their recipes and including them in the diet of primary school children. This goal was achieved by using fish raw materials with lean protein and medium-fat protein, which was considered as an interchangeable fish raw material. Experimental studies were carried out to substantiate prescription compositions of puddings without adding bread previously soaked in milk, but including a structure-forming component from fish bone tissue (heads, ridge and fins) in their composition. The comparative analysis of organoleptic and physicochemical indices of quality, chemical composition and energy value of the obtained products has been carried out. It has been found that puddings based on silver carp or pike perch meat can be attractive for young school children. The part of the structure-forming component should not exceed 14%. For mass nutrition of primary school children there are recommended the puddings produced according to recipes No. 1.2 and 1.3, which include silver carp or pike perch meat (74%), structure-forming component (14%), unsalted butter (4%), raw egg (7.0%) and flavorings. The ratio of these components ensures developing high organoleptic properties and increased nutritional value of the product. Including the fish puddings in the diet of young school children allows balancing their diet in terms of proteins, fats, amino acids, correct their eating behavior and increase the attractiveness of the fish product for the young group of the population of Russia.

Influence of Infrastructural Facilities and Staffing on Students’ Academic Performance in National Secondary Schools in Kenya

In 2011, the Kenya government made efforts to improve access to quality secondary education by increasing the number of national schools from 17 to 114. This was done by elevating two provincial schools in each county to national schools. This study sought to establish influence of infrastructural facilities and staffing on academic performance in national examinations in young national schools in Samburu, Marsabit, and Isiolo counties, Kenya. Correlation research design was used. The study population was 5 principals, 150 teachers, 3 examinations officers, and 3 staffing officers. The sample size was composed of 5 principals, 60 teachers, 3 examinations officers, and 3 staffing officers. The study established that infrastructural facilities and staffing had a positive and statistically significant relationship with academic performance in all the schools in the three counties as follows: Infrastructural facilities (r=0.495, p-value =0.000), Staffing (r=0.372, p-value =0.05), all at alpha 0.05 level of statistical significance. Further, multiple regression analysis revealed that infrastructural facilities had a positive significant impact on performance (2.008), while staffing also had a positive significant impact on performance (0.331) both at 5% level of significance. The schools were understaffed, lacked enough infrastructural facilities, and had congested classes. The government should post more teachers in those schools and improve infrastructural facilities in those schools to address the challenges

Solovetsky cabin boy from the city of Kuibyshev: Ivan Pavlovich Zorin (1925-1987), a participant of the Great Victory parade of 1945

The paper, based on a wide range of sources, shows courage and heroism of Soviet youth during the Great Patriotic War of 19411945, using the example of the biography of the Solovetsky young man from the city of Kuibyshev (Samara) Ivan Pavlovich Zorin (19251987). The School for cabin boys of the Training Detachment of the Northern Fleet of the USSR Navy 19421945 (Solovetskaya School for cabin boys) was a grotesque military educational institution. As for its students, it was the youngest school among the countries participating in the Second World War. Largely because of this, its graduates gained the status of veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 19411945 only in 1985, thanks to the chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces in 19841988, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.F. Akhromeev. Among 4111 specialists trained in the Solovetskaya School for cabin boys there were 3 Heroes of the Soviet Union and 3 Heroes of Socialist Labor, 3 laureates of the State and 1 Lenin Prizes of the USSR, admirals and scientists, honored teachers and artists as well as production leaders. The author emphasizes the task of genetic continuity of modern Russia with the Generation of Winners; the goal is patriotic education of youth and creative development of society.

Phonemic sensory skills of younger school children: results of experimental formation

Phonemic sensory skills of younger school children: results of experimental formation

Management of a rare case of isolated U-shaped displaced sacral fracture in a young female high school student

Sacral fractures in young healthy patients are usually linked to high-energy trauma. They are often associated with multiple other injuries. Isolated sacral fractures are rare and can be easily missed in the absence of other surrounding pelvic or spinal injuries. In this article, we present a rare case of isolated U-shaped displaced sacral fracture despite the high-energy mechanism of injury being missed on initial presentation. This is a 17-year-old healthy female who presented to the emergency department after falling from five-meter height. She complained of lower back pain and inability to ambulate. Physical examination revealed significant sacral tenderness, bilateral lower limb weakness and hypoesthesia, anesthesia of the saddle area, weak anal tone and absent anal reflex. Initial radiographs showed no apparent fractures. Further imaging by pelvic computed tomography, however, revealed an isolated U-shaped displaced sacral fracture. The patient was treated by decompression and lumbopelvic fixation by triangular osteosynthesis and iliosacral screw. This fixation method restored stability of the spinopelvic junction and allowed for early mobilization. At her 18-month follow-up visit, she showed minimal disability score (10%) on the Oswestry Disability Index. In conclusion, sacral fractures are considered exceedingly rare to occur in isolation and in young healthy patients.

Handwriting quality analysis using online-offline models

This work is part of an innovative e-learning project allowing the development of an advanced digital educational tool that provides feedback during the process of learning handwriting for young school children (three to eight years old). In this paper, we describe a new method for children handwriting quality analysis. It automatically detects mistakes, gives real-time on-line feedback for children’s writing, and helps teachers comprehend and evaluate children’s writing skills. The proposed method adjudges five main criteria: shape, direction, stroke order, position respect to the reference lines, and kinematics of the trace. It analyzes the handwriting quality and automatically gives feedback based on the combination of three extracted models: Beta-Elliptic Model (BEM) using similarity detection (SD) and dissimilarity distance (DD) measure, Fourier Descriptor Model (FDM), and perceptive Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with Support Vector Machine (SVM) comparison engine. The originality of our work lies partly in the system architecture which apprehends complementary dynamic, geometric, and visual representation of the examined handwritten scripts and in the efficient selected features adapted to various handwriting styles and multiple script languages such as Arabic, Latin, digits, and symbol drawing. The application offers two interactive interfaces respectively dedicated to learners, educators, experts or teachers and allows them to adapt it easily to the specificity of their disciples. The evaluation of our framework is enhanced by a database collected in Tunisia primary school with 400 children. Experimental results show the efficiency and robustness of our suggested framework that helps teachers and children by offering positive feedback throughout the handwriting learning process using tactile digital devices.

ACTIVE TEACHING METHODS IN THE SCHOOL OF YOUNG TEACHER

This article is devoted to the problem of searching of active methods of teaching in young teacher's schools, to the pedagogical conditions which provide effective results of usage of a business game in training young teachers for professional activity.
 Great attention is paid to the active methods such as: pedagogical situations, discussions, conferences.

Longitudinal Investigations of Autoregressive Cross-Lagged Path Models Among Internet Use, Executive Function Problems, and Maternal Control in Young Korean Children.

Excessive Internet use is related to behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions, but little is known about the relationship between them in young elementary school children. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between children's Internet use for entertainment purposes, executive function problems, and maternal control. Differences by children's Internet addiction status in their associations were also examined. Data from Wave 9 (2016) to Wave 11 (2018) of 1,463 children and mothers who participated in the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) were used. The children's ages were 8 (grade 2), 9 (grade 3), and 10 years (grade 4) at Waves 9, 10, and 11, respectively. Associations between the variables were analyzed using autoregressive cross-lagged model estimations and multi-group analysis. The results showed the longitudinal stability of each of children's Internet use, executive function problems, and maternal control over the 3 years. Mutual associations between maternal control and children's Internet use were found especially in the low-risk group. In addition, children's executive function problems positively predicted Internet use, and negative associations from executive function problems to maternal control were significant over the years. However, some of these associations were significant only in the high-risk group. Discussions have focused on the protective role of maternal control and cognitive intervention, which could reduce children's excessive Internet use.

Coherence Among Children’s Verbal, Mathematical, Non-Verbal and Motor Skills

The aim of the research is to explore the relationship between the level of cognitive abilities and motor skills of children in younger school age. The research group consisted of 150 children (boys 77, girls 73) from the 1st stage of primary schools in the Czech Republic with an average age of 9.35 ± 0.61 years. The MABC-2 (Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2) test battery was chosen to determine the level of motor skills in children. Cognitive abilities with a focus on verbal, quantitative component and fluid intelligence were monitored through the Cognitive Ability Test (CAT). The research was assessed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Education, Palacký University in Olomouc. Data were obtained within the project IGA_PdF_2021_017. The obtained data indicate the relationship between some components of the motor skills level and the observed components of cognitive abilities (p ≤0.05). A closer examination of the issue can help in the specific development of interventions in the field of motor skills in order to support the cognitive functions of the child.

The Effect of Individual Combination Therapy on Children with Motor Deficits from the Perspective of Comprehensive Rehabilitation

Objective: The paper presents the results of a research survey focused on individual combination therapy in individuals with motor deficits during childhood. The research was carried out in 2020/2021. Two patients were selected based on predetermined relevant criteria and participated in the research survey. Intervention approaches within the research survey were focused on the development of the motor skills of the chosen patients suffering from cerebral palsy or dyspraxia. Furthermore, the patients’ social adaptability was supported together with their independence and self-sufficiency in coping with everyday tasks. Sample: Two patients (N = 2) participated in the research survey based on intended sampling (i.e., motor deficit, age 7–9 years, participation in rehabilitation interventions max. 4 times a month). Based on the predetermined criteria, the two patients were contacted, one of which (N = 1) was diagnosed with cerebral palsy diparesis (ICD-10; G80.1: spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, 8.8 years of age), and the other patient (N = 1) suffered from developmental dyspraxia (ICD-10; F82: a specific developmental disorder of motor functions, 7.4 years of age). The single-case research design method was applied to process the results. This type of qualitative research enabled us to study in detail a small number of participants, specifically in our research (N = 2), one individual patient who suffered from cerebral palsy and the other individual patient diagnosed with developmental dyspraxia. The choice of two individual patients would help us to obtain a better idea of the effect of the chosen combination therapy. A standardized modified FIM test (Functional Independence Measure) was used to present the results. Results: The presented results of the research survey using the single-case research design method point to the following findings. The chosen intervention method using combination therapy demonstrably improved the patients’ conditions within the monitored indicators. When the intervention was omitted and only the usual rehabilitation procedures were conducted, the patients’ conditions deteriorated and decreased to the initial values. Conclusion: Based on the presented results, combination therapy appears to be an effective approach for individuals with motor deficits at a younger school age. The combination of selected rehabilitation approaches using classical procedures as well as robotically assisted therapy is desirable in practice as it meets the requirements for rehabilitation in the 21st century. The survey results offer conclusions and recommendations for practice regarding the research topic.

Parents' daily involvement in children's math homework and activities during early elementary school.

This research examined parents’ involvement in children’s math homework and activities. During 2017 to 2019, American parents (N = 483; 80% mothers; 67% white) of young elementary school children (M age = 7.47 years; 50% girls) reported on their math helping self‐efficacy; they also reported on their involvement in children’s math homework and activities daily for 12 days. At this time and a year later, children’s math motivation and achievement were assessed. Parents’ involvement in homework (vs. activities) was more affectively negative (d = .34), particularly among parents low in self‐efficacy (d = .23). The more affectively negative parents’ involvement, particularly in homework, the poorer children’s later math motivation and achievement (βs = −.09 to .20).

Online Literacy Instruction for Young Korean Dual Language Learners in General Education.

English language development is a critical component for young children’s school readiness. In this study, we examined the effect of Read it again-Pre-K! (Justice and McGinty in Read it again!-Prek: a preschool curriculum supplement to promote language and literacy foundations, Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, Columbus, 2013), a literacy curriculum designed to prepare young children’s school readiness on the English literacy skills of Korean dual language learners in general education. Using a multiple probe design, eight 4- to 5-year-old Korean dual language learners (1 female, 7 males) received 1:1 online synchronous daily instruction over 2 months during the summer before entering their kindergarten programs. Through the intervention, all eight children demonstrated increases in the use of English vocabulary, story comprehension, and oral fluency. Post-intervention data on vocabulary and reading fluency through three standardized tests, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and Expressive Vocabulary Test, showed improvement over baseline for most children. Discussion and implications for future research were provided.

Effects of an implicit-explicit hybrid learning model on handball tactical knowledge

PurposeThis study aimed to analyse the effect of an implicit-explicit hybrid learning model on declarative and procedural tactical knowledge of young school handball players.MethodsOverall, 30 female handball players (mean age: 13.03 ± 0.75 years) from 2 school teams participated in 25 handball training sessions involving activities focused on both implicit and explicit learning. Declarative knowledge was assessed by using the players’ analyses of 15 handball video scenes, while procedural knowledge was assessed by analysing the players’ actions during a 3 vs. 3 ball possession game.ResultsThe results showed a significant increase in declarative knowledge (<i>t</i>(23) = –4.228; <i>p</i> < 0.001; <i>d</i> = 0.863) but not in procedural knowledge (<i>p</i> > 0.05).ConclusionsWe concluded that the Iniciação Esportiva Universal model improved the declarative knowledge of school handball athletes.

Parent–Teacher Conferences: Teachers' Information Provision and Parents' Involvement in Children's Schooling

Parent–teacher conferences are considered an important bridge between home and school, but there are little data on what teachers discuss during these conferences and whether it is linked to parents' involvement in children's schooling. Parent–teacher conferences (N = 431) with parents of young elementary school children (mean age 7.68 years) were audio-recorded and coded. A subset of 255 parents reported on their involvement in children's schooling approximately 5 months later. Teachers mainly discussed children in the academic context, with little attention to the curriculum or parents' involvement. Teachers concentrated less on math than literacy and adopted less of a process orientation (e.g., a focus on strategies and motivation) for math. Only teachers' process orientation was associated with parents' involvement: The more teachers adopted such an orientation, the more parents were involved.