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The cognitive processes involved in the acquisition of number and calculation, present a particular study interest, regarding their close relation with neurophysiological, pedagogical and historical-social processes tied to the child context. This work aimed to deep in the knowledge of this process in 5-year-old preschool kids, before the beginning of primary school. The sample consists of 200 children between 4 years and 8 months and 5 years and 11 months, who attend to kindergartens in localities under the radius of influence of the National University of Lujan, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and belonging to three different socio-economic and cultural groups. The research is of empirical type, with an ex post facto, descriptive and correlational design. A specific instrument of evaluation was designed, constituted by different types of tasks whose items were elaborated considering the evolutionary and didactic aspects of the population in which it was applied. For data analysis, SPSS program was used and qualitative analysis of the strategies implemented by children for tasks' resolution was performed. The instrument was statistically validated and general, individual and comparative characterizations were done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to propose a program of small toys for preschoolers. The experimental method and the research sample which includes 60 children were been used. Boys and girls were deployed in two groups of 30 children, and represent the sample percentage of 18.92% of the original society at the Province of es Senia. Department of Oran. After statistical treatment, we found that there were significant differences for the benefit of the experimental sample. That confirmed the validity of the assumptions. That is why we recommend researchers to pay more attention to small toys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La cooccurrence de diagnostics (dx) en santé mentale réfère à la présence de deux ou plusieurs dx chez un même enfant et peut s'avérer synonyme d'une symptomatologie complexe et difficile à traiter. Afin d'identifier des leviers d'intervention dans le traitement de ces enfants, la présente étude examine si des facteurs familiaux, tels les symptômes dépressifs, le stress parental et la sensibilité chez les mères, sont associés à la cooccurrence de dx chez de jeunes enfants d'âge préscolaire. Pendant quatre ans, des parents et leurs enfants (1–5 ans) ont été sollicités à une clinique spécialisée de psychiatrie du Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine de Montréal (Canada). Un protocole d'évaluation et d'observation a été proposé à un tiers des familles ayant pris part au projet. Notre étude porte sur les 54 enfants et parents ayant participé à ce protocole. La sensibilité maternelle a été observée via la procédure de la situation étrangère et les mères ont complété des questionnaires sur le stress et la dépression. Les dx des enfants ont été posés par les psychiatres. Les analyses montrent des difficultés cliniques sur le plan de la sensibilité (39 %), du stress (67 %) et de la dépression (43 %) chez de nombreuses mères. Le stress et la dépression ne sont pas associés à la présence de dx cooccurrents ; mais, les mères moins sensibles sont deux fois plus à risque que leur enfant présente plus d'un dx. L'étude souligne l'importance du parent dans les traitements des enfants avec une symptomatologie plus complexe. L'intervention dyadique améliorant la sensibilité parentale est discutée. Co-occurrence of mental health diagnoses (dx) refers to the presence of two or more dx in the same child and may imply a more complex profile of symptoms and be more difficult to treat. Treatments for children with co-occurring dx often appear successful for some of the symptoms, while other symptoms persist with clinical efforts. Although it is well documented that an early onset of disorders in the preschool period is associated with numerous adverse outcomes in the middle childhood or adolescence periods (e.g., antisocial behavior, peer rejection), little is known about risk and protective factors associated with the co-occurrence of psychopathological disorders in preschool children. To better identify intervention leverages for the treatment of these children, this study examines whether the quality of the family environment (maternal sensitivity, stress and depressive symptoms) is associated with the presence of co-occurring psychiatric dx among preschool age children. During four years, parents and children (1–5 years old) were approached at a specialized psychiatric clinic at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center in Montreal. An assessment and observation protocol was administered to a third of these families. Our study comprises the 54 children and their parents who participated to this protocol. In this sample, 37% of the children were diagnosed with an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 24% with a disruptive disorder, 39% with an oppositional defiant disorder and 46% with an anxiety disorder. Overall, 42 children (78%) were diagnosed with two or more dx. Maternal sensitivity was observed during the very well-validated Strange Situation Procedure. Mothers completed questionnaires on parental stress and their depressive symptoms. Children were diagnosed by the clinic's psychiatrists. Analyses showed clinical level difficulties of sensitivity (39%), stress (67%) and depression (43%) in a significant portion of the mothers. Parental stress and depression were not associated with co-occurring dx in children; however, less sensitive mothers were more likely to have children with more than one dx. Precisely, children of less sensitive mothers were more than twice as likely to present co-occurring disorders as children with more sensitive mothers. Parental sensitivity, i.e., the ability to observe, interpret correctly and respond in a timely and appropriate manner to the child needs, is more problematic in mothers of children with a more complex symptomatology. This study highlights the importance of parental involvement in the treatment of these preschool children. Parent–child dyadic interventions, such as the Attachment Video feedback Intervention (AVI), to optimize parental sensitivity are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to identifying children's evolution in classification and seriation criteria using Dienes' logic blocks. Besides, it intends to investigate the construction preferences of children during the development of free play. It is a descriptive study carried out using a previously-constructed observation code. The results showed that color and size are the characteristics most quickly identified by children and most familiar to them. Form is a bit below the previous ones. Thickness is the least observed feature. In week seven, children start to do two-criterion simultaneous seriations, with the majority of them completing it at the end of week nine. Regarding construction preferences, children prefer to recreate the fantasy world of their stories than their daily life objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, two school districts in the Montérégie region in Quebec have implemented a response-to-intervention model to support the development of literacy in kindergarten and the first two years of the elementary grades. This implementation was guided by the coaching model developed by Guay and Gagnon (this issue). A narrative account of the application of this coaching model in these two school districts and the development of tools and teaching material are presented in the present article. Finally, we summarize the gains and obstacles encountered in this project. This account is intended to offer some guidance to educational leaders in charge of implementing a response-to-intervention model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we analyze the results of the implementation of a comprehensive development program (Queremos aprender - QA) for pre-school children in order to analyze the impact on different cognitive, linguistic and literacy variables. A quasiexperimental design (experimental and control group) was carried out, with repeated measures of pre-post intervention. The sample consisted of 47 Argentinian children with a mean age at the beginning of the intervention of 64.3 months and at the end of 71.3 months from public schools. The results showed a significant interaction effect between the groups in relation to the pre - post analysis in favor of the intervention group in terms of visual attention, visual-spatial working memory, cognitive flexibility and planning measures as well as vocabulary, reading and writing of words. These results are encouraging given the early influence of the literacy process and the improvement of executive functions linked to future school performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of bilingual books represents an interesting means of supporting the development of emergent literacy skills among young multilingual children. The family practices that surround these books have, however, remain little explored. In this exploratory study, in order to document the use of this type of book by multilingual families, six parent-child dyads were filmed during the repeated reading of two bilingual books. Our analysis has been focused on the use the parents and children make of the various resources of their linguistic repertoire in order to read and discuss the books. A variety of practices surrounding the use of bilingual books have been observed, thereby highlighting the importance of taking different factors into account when considering an intervention based on using bilingual books in/among multilingual families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study examines the relationship between internalizing and externalizing behaviours and overweight in preschool children from Quebec City aged between 3 and 5 years. A total of 330 parents completed the French-Canadian version of the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1.5-5. Based on their body mass index, gender, and age (all self-reported data from the parent), children were classified as normal weight (3rd to 85th percentile) or overweight (> 85th percentile). Normal weight girls showed higher total internalizing scores than their overweight counterparts. Normal weight girls also had higher scores for the anxious/depressed and withdrawn subscales than overweight girls. No significant difference was observed between normal weight and overweight children for externalizing behaviours. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the emergence and direction of the relationship between behavioural problems and overweight in preschool children and the mechanisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé But de l’étude On dispose de peu d’outils en langue française permettant d’évaluer le lien d’attachement de l’enfant à ses figures d’attachement autres que les parents et en période préscolaire. L’objectif de cette étude est la validation francophone du questionnaire portugais Perception des Comportements d’Attachement – version Professeurs (PCV-P) (Dias et al., 2004), ainsi que son adaptation à des enfants de 3 à 6 ans. Population et méthode Au total, 29 professeurs de quinze écoles maternelles françaises y ont participé en prenant en considération les comportements d’attachement de leurs élèves. La version française du PCV-P, nommée PCA-P, est composée de 28 items. Le participant est invité à évaluer, grâce à une échelle de Likert, la ressemblance entre les comportements décrits et ceux de l’enfant observés dans le quotidien à l’école maternelle. Résultats Les qualités psychométriques de la version française, analysées à partir de 152 questionnaires, révèlent des bons indicateurs de validité et de fidélité. L’ensemble de l’échelle fournit un indice global de « Sécurité » et les analyses factorielles ont confirmé les deux dimensions de la version originale : « Comportement de Base de Sécurité » et « Autorégulation émotionnelle ». Conclusion Le PCA-P est un outil de maniement rapide et facile permettant d’évaluer la perception du professeur de la sécurité de l’attachement de ses élèves à l’école maternelle. Objective Even if the attachment theory continues to consolidate its conceptual basis by considering children within their overall life context, few tools are available to assess pre-schoolers’ attachment relationship with non-parental attachment figures and more precisely with kindergarten teachers. The aim of this research is to validate a French version of the Portuguese questionnaire “Percepção de Comportamento de Vinculação–Professor” (PCV-P – Attachment Behaviour Perception Scale – Teachers’ version; Dias et al., 2004) and its adaptation to 3 to 6 year-olds. Given its short form and easy administration and data analysis, this scale is an interesting alternative to traditional tools (the Strange Situation, the Attachment Q-Sort) of attachment assessment. Methods A back translation was led by two bilingual researchers helped by a psychologist and a kindergarten teacher to adapt the French version. With their clinical experiences in toddlerhood, this translation committee adjusted the items for children from 3 to 6 years old; the original version was created for 6 to 8 year-old-children. Twenty-nine kindergarten teachers from 15 French schools answered the questionnaire by quoting their pupils’ attachment behaviours. The French version of the PCV-P, named the PCA-P, is composed of 28 items. The participant has to assess, on a five point Likert scale, the similarity between attachment behaviour statements and the child's behaviours at preschool. Scores are calculated by summing up the items scores into each subscale and for the total scale. The two dimensions score provides an idea of the child attachment in terms of emotional self-regulation and of the quality of his secure base. Moreover, the total scale provides a global “security” score for the child–teacher relationship. Results The statistical analyses of the PCA-P were carried out on 152 questionnaires. A factorial analysis confirms the two Portuguese original dimensions: “secure-based behaviour” and “emotional self-regulation” and allows to explain 41.83% of the total variance. The Cronbach Alphas (0.86 and 0.89 for the two dimensions respectively, and 0.89 for the total scale) show a satisfying internal consistency. Conclusion This study reveals good validity and fidelity indicators for the French version of the PCV-P and allows Francophone researchers to assess more quickly and easily teachers’ perception of their pupils’ attachment security in kindergarten. Given the interest for the child to rely on secondary attachment relationships which offer a secure base to explore the environment, the PCA-P opens crucial research and clinical ways in terms of prevention of learning difficulties and school failure. Further studies should provide more data on the psychometric qualities of the PCA-P, namely its convergent, discriminant or test-retest validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing appropriate physical activity and sedentary behaviours during early childhood is important to ensure children accrue the many associated health benefits. While physical activity levels have been reported as low within early learning programs, little research has explored the physical activity and sedentary time of Canadian preschoolers classified as overweight within these facilities. The purpose of this study was to compare objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time among preschoolers classified as overweight and nonoverweight in early learning programs. Direct assessment of physical activity and sedentary time of 216 preschool-aged children was collected via Actical accelerometers during early learning hours, while body mass index percentile was calculated based on preschoolers' objectively measured height and weight. Results of three 3-way ANOVAs suggest that rates of moderate to vigorous physical activity, total physical activity, and sedentary time ( p > 0.05) did not significantly differ based on weight status, sex, and type of early learning facility. This study is one of few that has examined differences in overweight and nonoverweight preschoolers' sedentary time, and adds to the limited research exploring physical activity levels among overweight and nonoverweight preschoolers during early learning hours. Given the high rates of sedentary time reported, programming within early learning facilities is necessary to support preschoolers, regardless of weight status, to achieve increased physical activity levels and decreased sedentary time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypoxaemia among under-five children admitted to hospital with clinical severe pneumonia and to assess the performance to diagnose hypoxaemia of models based on clinical signs.Methods: We conducted a hospital-based survey in a district hospital from Southern Mozambique.Results: A total of 825 children were recruited after obtaining an informed consent. The prevalence of hypoxaemia on admission was 27.9%, and 19.8% of these children died (OR compared with non-hypoxaemic children 3.22, 95% CI 1.98-5.21, P < 0.001). The model with larger area under the ROC curve (AUC-ROC) to predict hypoxaemia included cyanosis or thoracoabdominal breathing or respiratory rate ≥70 breaths per minute. None of the models performed well when tested in different case scenarios of oxygen availability through mathematical modelling, with over 50% of hypoxaemic children not receiving oxygen even in favourable case scenarios.Conclusions: Clinical signs alone or in combination are not suitable to diagnose hypoxaemia. The use of pulse oximeters should be strongly encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early years are characterized by rapid physical growth and the development of behaviours such as physical activity. The objectives of this study were to assess the 12-month changes in and the tracking of physical activity and fitness in 400 preschoolers (201 boys, 4.5 ± 0.9 years of age). Physical activity data, expressed as minutes per day and as the percentage of time spent at various intensities while wearing an accelerometer, were collected in 3-s epochs for 7 days. Short-term muscle power, assessed with a 10-s modified Wingate Anaerobic Test, was expressed as absolute (W) and relative (W/kg) peak power (PP) and mean power (MP). Aerobic fitness, assessed with the Bruce Protocol progressive treadmill test, was expressed as maximal treadmill time and heart rate recovery (HRR). Light physical activity decreased by 3.2 min/day (p < 0.05), whereas vigorous physical activity increased by 3.7 min/day (p < 0.001), from year 1 to year 2. Physical activity exhibited moderate tracking on the basis of Spearman correlations (r = 0.45-0.59, p < 0.001) and fair tracking on the basis of κ statistics (κ = 0.26-0.38). PP and MP increased from year 1 (PP, 94.1 ± 37.3 W; MP, 84.1 ± 30.9 W) to year 2 (PP, 125.6 ± 36.2 W; MP, 112.3 ± 32.2 W) (p < 0.001) and tracked moderately to substantially (PP, r = 0.89, κ = 0.61; MP, r = 0.86, κ = 0.56). Time to exhaustion on the treadmill increased from 9.4 ± 2.3 min to 11.8 ± 2.3 min (p < 0.001) and tracked strongly (r = 0.82, κ = 0.56). HRR was unchanged at 65 ± 14 beats/min (p = 0.297) and tracked fairly (r = 0.52, κ = 0.23). The findings indicate that fitness tracks better than physical activity over a 12-month period during the early years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text was based on a wider research, which had as main goal to identify the main theoret-ical and methodological contributions that substantiate the academic productions which consider pedagogical proposals and practices for day care centers and preschools, in a particular way, regarding the mathemetical knowledge appropriation. Document base was produced within the scope of a technical cooperation between the Ministry of Education (MEC) and Federal Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). For its accomplishment, the content analysis was used. The culturalhistorical theory fundamentals and the activity theory were overall taken as theoretical frameworks. The results indicate similarities and divergences between the above mentioned theories and indicate the use of different theoretical frameworks that sometimes are complementary and ocasionally are contradicting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood is a critical period for the development of active living behaviours; however, very little is known about the physical activity levels of preschoolers from Canada. The objectives of this study were to ( i) examine physical activity in a sample of Ontario preschoolers by using high-frequency accelerometry to determine activity and step counts; ( ii) assess the relationship between step counts and physical activity; ( iii) examine the influence of epoch length or sampling interval on physical activity; and ( iv) compare measured physical activity to existing recommendations. Thirty 3- to 5-year-old children wore accelerometers to monitor habitual physical activity in 3-s epochs over a 7-day period. Preschoolers engaged in an average of 220 min of daily physical activity, 75 min of which were spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and they accumulated 7529 ± 1539 steps·day-1. Preschoolers who engaged in more MVPA also took more steps on a daily basis ( r = 0.81, p < 0.001). Compared with a 3-s epoch, sampling intervals of 15, 30, and 60 s resulted in an average of 2.9, 9.0, and 16.7 missed minutes of MVPA per day, respectively. All 30 preschoolers met the National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommendation of at least 120 min of total physical activity per day for preschool-age children. Our data highlight important methodological considerations when measuring physical activity in preschoolers and the need for preschool-specific physical activity guidelines for Canadian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity was monitored for 65 boys and girls, during family child care, using accelerometry. Average accelerometer wear time was 7.0 h (SD = 0.83), and average counts per epoch were 104.6 (SD = 31.6). Mean minutes per hour of moderate-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour were 1.76 min (SD = 0.90) and 39.49 min (SD = 4.50), respectively. The very low levels of moderate-vigorous physical activity suggest that the young children in this study may be insufficiently active during child care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective: Very preterm children can experience cognitive and behavioral difficulties. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of very preterm birth on visuospatial processes at preschool age. Design and methods: Data come from the Epipage study. Participants underwent a follow-up evaluation at age 5 years. During the psychological evaluation, children took subtests of the K-ABC and the WPPSI-R. Six subtests are based on visuospatial information. Results: The results concern 183 children assessed in the Lorraine region of France, who were born with birthweight appropriate for gestational age and had no neurological sequelae. Thirty-six children were born at term, 112 were born very prematurely (28–32 GW), and 35 were born extremely prematurely (<28 GW). Birth term was significantly correlated with performance on the six subtests. In all cases, the children born at term obtained higher scores compared to the children born very prematurely and extremely prematurely. On two subtests of the K-ABC, the children born extremely prematurely obtained lower scores than those of the children born very prematurely. The mother''s level of education was correlated with performance on three subtests. Conclusion: The results suggest that a very preterm birth can exert a negative impact on visuospatial and visuomotor processes. These deficits may involve difficulties in some activities at school and in daily life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is an increasing trend in childhood obesity in Canada and many preschool children are overweight or obese. The objective of this study was to explore parents’ experiences and challenges in supporting healthy eating and physical activity among their preschool children. A qualitative descriptive study involving 5 focus groups was conducted. A convenience sample of 39 parents from 3 childcare centres in Hamilton, Ontario, participated. Parents were English speaking and had a child aged 2-5 years attending the childcare centre for at least 3 months. The research team read transcripts of the audio-taped sessions and used a constant comparison approach to develop themes, which involved coding comments by continually referring to previously coded comments for comparison. The social ecological model was used to organize the themes into 3 higher-level categories: (i) intrapersonal (individual): preschoolers’ preferences and health; (ii) interpersonal (interactions): parents’ and others’ different views and practices, influence of the childcare centre, parents’ lack of time, and family structure; and (iii) physical environment: accessibility of healthy foods, preschoolers with special needs, media influence, weather, lack of safety, and inaccessible resources. Parents perceived that there are various intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental barriers to supporting healthy eating and physical activity among their children. Program planners and health professionals can consider these barriers when developing interventions to promote healthy bodyweights among preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Les leucotriènes sont de puissants inducteurs de la bronchoconstriction et des médiateurs de l''inflammation, ils favorisent l''augmentation de la perméabilité microvasculaire et la production de mucus. Ces molécules potentialisent l''influx de cellules inflammatoires dans les voies aériennes des patients souffrant d''asthme. Les inhibiteurs de la synthèse et les antagonistes des récepteurs des leucotriènes sont apparus récemment dans l''arsenal thérapeutique. Les études cliniques publiées chez le jeune enfant sont particulièrement rares. Malgré des effets bénéfiques significatifs lors du traitement de l''asthme chronique voire des sifflements viro-induits, il reste très difficile à ce jour de déterminer leur place effective dans la prise en charge de l''asthme de l''enfant préscolaire. Une évaluation et une expertise clinique complémentaire permettraient de bien les placer parmi les options thérapeutiques pédiatriques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective. To assess the catch-up growth of long-term physically neglected and emotionally abused preschool male children who have entered foster residential care and remained 1 year after initial placement.Method. Longitudinal study over a 7-year period (1994–2001). So that a child was eligible for the study, three selection criteria were included: (1) aged between 24 and 48 months at the time of entry into residential facility, (2) having sufffered both long-term (more than 6 months) physically neglected and emotionally abused, and (3) having stayed in foster care for 1 year after initial placement. Weight, height, and head circumference were established upon entry and re-assessed 1 year after initial placement, calculating the annual growth velocity. Results were compared with normal regional longitudinal standards of reference (Z score). Student's t test was used to assess statistically significant differences.Results. During the study perior, 87 children aged between 24 and 48 months (54 male/33 female) were admitted to residential facility after having suffered both long-term physical neglect and emotional abuse. Nevertheless, only 20 children (23 % of the total admissions) met the third selection criteria (having remained 1 year after initial placement). Of these children, all were males and at placement they were between the ages of 30 and 42 months, with an average age of 36 months (1.9 SD). At placement, the analysed parameters were below the normal standards, showing a statistically significant differences for height (Z score - −1.29; p = .008) and weight (Z score = − .75; p = .038). The annual growth velocity for all parameters was above the normal standards showing a statistically significant difference for height (Z score + 1.43; p = .009). One year after initial placement, the significant differences for height (Z score = 68; p = .102) and weight (Z score 31; p = .435) with respect to the norma... [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chez les enfants d’âge préscolaire, les comportements agressifs et externalisés sont fréquents. Alors que ces comportements diminuent progressivement avec l’âge pour la majorité des enfants, une minorité d’enfants (< 10 %) va garder de façon persistante des niveaux élevés de comportements agressifs à l’âge de six ans. Au niveau de la nosographie, les troubles du comportement externalisés comprennent le trouble oppositionnel avec provocations (TOP), le trouble des conduites (TC) et le trouble déficit de l’attention/hyperactivité (TDA/H). Malgré leurs limites chez les moins de six ans, les classifications diagnostiques restent incontournables puisqu’elles permettent la reconnaissance du caractère pathologique et la mise en place d’interventions thérapeutiques. Il s’agit d’interventions variées s’inscrivant dans un contexte de prise en charge globale et multidisciplinaire, s’adressant à la fois aux enfants et aux parents. L’outil thérapeutique privilégié chez les moins de 6 ans est la psychoéducation parentale. Parmi les interventions prometteuses, les programmes d’interventions scolaires ont une place de choix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]