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This study was designed to determine the psychometric properties of the School Readiness Assessment Tool (SRAT), a new measurement tool for assessing school readiness. The measure aims to assess preschool children's school readiness by estimating their academic, motor, social, emotional, and self regulation skills. Both academic and motor skills are assessed through direct child observation while teacher ratings evaluate social-emotional and self-regulation skills. 228 children attending preschool participated in the study's first phase and 185 children in the second phase. The results show that the items of the new measurement tool had sufficient internal consistency. Both study phases also showed strong evidence of face (content) and construct validity (i.e., convergent and concurrent validity). Overall, the results show that SRAT is a promising new measure for school readiness among preschoolers in Türkiye. In addition to the evidence from randomized control trials, studies should be conducted to determine its psychometric properties with diverse samples, such as rural children and children not enrolled in preschool education.

Objective: Children with ADHD often experience functional impairments across various aspects of daily life. This study addresses the dearth of longitudinal research on functional impairment trajectories from preschool to school age in children with symptoms of ADHD and comorbid disorders. Methods: We investigated the extent to which functional impairments were associated with ADHD symptoms, along with behavioral and anxiety symptoms, from age 3.5 to 8 years. Utilizing parent- and teacher-reported data, we analyzed associations between global impairment, and dimension scores (e.g., family; child quality of life (QoL); learning; play/leisure activities; and friends) and symptoms at ages 3.5 and 8 years (n = 783). Results: The mean parent global impairment score increased from 0.31 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.40) to 0.83 (SD = 0.63) from 3.5 to 8 years, while the teacher impairment scores slightly decreased. Specific parent impairment dimension scores, particularly QoL, learning, and friends, significantly increased. Preschool ADHD and comorbid behavioral symptoms reported by parents weakly predicted impairment at 8 years. By age 8 years, impairment and symptoms exhibited moderate to strong correlations for all impairment dimensions. Parents reported greater child impairment during school age across settings compared to preschool, while teachers' impairment profiles remained consistent across ages. Conclusions: These findings suggest that parents perceive impairment as more pronounced at age 8 years and more strongly associated with symptoms of both ADHD and comorbid disorders than at age 3.5 years. Notably, for teachers, a robust correlation between inattention symptoms and learning impairment was observed, with substantially higher impairment scores reported for boys compared to girls.

Gender representation in children's books may influence young children's formation of the gender-equity concept. Previous studies show a male protagonist overrepresentation in US children's books. This study analyzed 956 Chinese children's books to investigate if similar patterns of gender representation exist. Research Findings: Binomial logistic regression showed significant male overrepresentation as a function of three variables of interest (author gender, character type, and genre) and interactions of all variables in Chinese children's books, suggesting the presence of cross-cultural male-character overrepresentation. Male protagonists are more prevalent in books written by male authors. Significant interaction terms also show that preschool-aged Chinese children are more exposed to male characters in fiction, while infants/toddlers encounter male overrepresentation in nonfiction and stories with non-human central characters. In original Chinese stories, male overrepresentation is found in fiction featuring non-human protagonists and in nonfiction featuring human protagonists. Practice or Policy: To reduce gender bias in children's literature, authors can consciously increase the number of female characters when creating children's literature. Young girls can be encouraged to work as media creators, for example, book writers, to contribute to the parity in gender representation in books.

Research Findings: Parental supervision, parental risk perception, and parental risk attitudes constitute an important parenting environment for the development of young children. To examine the mechanisms of Chinese parenting environment on young children's risk-taking behaviors, this study first established a four-factor model and surveyed 497 parents of preschoolers. The results indicated that: (1) Chinese young children's risk-taking was at moderately low level, and parental risk perceptions, parental attitudes and parental supervision were at moderately high level; (2) parental supervision completely mediated the relationship from parental risk perception to children's risk-taking behavior ([beta] = -0.139,95%CI [-0.267, -0.062], p < 0.001); (3) parental supervision partially mediated the relationship from parental risk attitudes to children's risk-taking behavior ([beta] = -0.068, 95%CI [-0.162, -0.027], p < 0.001); (4) this mediation model remained stable cross genders of children ([delta]X[superscript 2] = 12.022, p = 0.799). Practice or Policy: The findings indicated that sufficient support and guidance for parenting should be provided to improve parental risk perceptions, attitudes and supervision which in turn create an environment safe and appropriate for risk-taking of Chinese young children.

Education of children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities requires adequate assessment of their educational needs and potential to learn. Dynamic testing using analogical reasoning tasks may be a promising way to perform such an assessment. However, it remains unclear how dynamic testing with these children may be done in practice. Therefore, we sought expert opinions on operationalizing learning potential and dynamic testing. We performed a three-round online Delphi study (N = 37) with experts in psychological educational assessment of children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities in special schools and specialized day-care centres in the Netherlands. Consensus was found on a conceptual and an operational definition of learning potential, describing step-by-step how learning potential could be measured in daily practice. This included a pre-test, training, post-test design with the inclusion of a graduated prompts protocol for mediation and an observation checklist focussing on response to mediation. Based on examples from the Analogical Reasoning Learning Test, we assessed consensus on adapted design requirements for dynamic testing using analogical reasoning. Experts agreed that dynamic testing using analogical reasoning tasks might be suitable for children with moderate intellectual disabilities. A key concern was whether performance on analogical reasoning task was within reach of children with severe intellectual disabilities. The panel recommended research into the type of mediation needed to support the learning of analogical reasoning tasks. Further development and evaluation of dynamic testing for children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities may build on the recommendations of this panel of experts.

Bilingual children's total vocabulary in each of their languages is often smaller than that of monolinguals. In their seminal study, Bialystok et al. (2010. 'Receptive vocabulary differences in monolingual and bilingual children.' "Bilingualism: Language and Cognition" 13 (4): 525-531) divided children's vocabulary into 'home' and 'school' words and found no differences in bilinguals' knowledge of 'school' words compared to monolinguals. In Study 1, we asked 292 parents and teachers to categorize words into 'home' or 'school' contexts, and in Study 2, we analyzed the vocabulary of 220 Polish-English bilingual and monolingual (English and Polish) children aged 4.5-7. The results show that bilinguals knew fewer 'home' and 'school' words than monolinguals in each language. However, bilinguals were likely to be exposed to these words either at home or at school, whereas monolinguals would hear them in both contexts. For a small subset of English words that bilinguals heard in both contexts, bilinguals showed similar performance to monolinguals. Our results provide evidence for exposure effects in vocabulary acquisition.

This paper presents a teaching scenario designed to introduce preschool children to electricity, structured around the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate). The study involves 18 children from an urban kindergarten with diverse backgrounds and learning needs. Over four weeks, children engage in interactive activities to understand electrical devices, electric current, static electricity, conductors, insulators, electricity generation, and safety. The curriculum integrates interdisciplinary learning, combining literacy and science, and uses hands-on experiments and digital tools to enhance engagement. Activities include constructing simple circuits, experimenting with static electricity, and role-playing. Emphasis is placed on practical applications and safety. Findings highlight the effectiveness of a constructivist approach, where children build understanding through exploration. The study underscores the need for resources, teacher preparedness, and inclusive strategies to address diverse learning needs. This scenario provides insights into effective early childhood science education, emphasizing the potential to build a strong foundation for future learning and curiosity in young children.

This study describes the early writing environments of 16 preschool classrooms in China and 155 Chinese preschoolers' early writing skills as assessed through name writing, word dictation, and early composing tasks. The classroom early writing environment consists of children's accessibility to writing materials, and teachers' writing instruction. Preschool writing samples were coded for children's ability to generate both oral (e.g. number of words and ideas) and written language (e.g. recognizable Chinese characters). Confirmatory factor analyses and hierarchical linear modeling were conducted to investigate the structure of Chinese preschoolers' writing skill and to examine its association with classroom writing environment. Research Findings: Results showed that Chinese preschool children could independently generate a variety of writing samples without adult support. Early Chinese writing skills represent two factors, namely (a) the ability to transcribe recognizable characters (transcription skill), and (b) the ability to generate meaningful ideas (composing skill). Teachers' writing instruction was significantly associated with children's writing skill, although the frequency was low. Practice or Policy: The findings revealed the evident complexities of Chinese orthography, while suggesting a universal impact of teachers' scaffolding to young children's early writing. The study prepared an evidence base for future classroom-based early literacy intervention programs.

Video has become a widespread tool for capturing naturalistic behavioral data. While mixed methods show great potential in understanding the active nature of children's interaction, only a few studies have developed mixed methods for video-based interaction research. This paper presents a mixed methods embodied interaction model appropriate for studying complex embodied interaction and draws on methodological insights from a mixed methods project to capture changes in children's interaction with touchscreen technologies. The paper details how integrated mixed methods analysis was needed to fully explain the results and how mono-method studies would provide misleading results. The theoretical advancements generated during the project illustrate how mixed methods for video-based studies have valuable properties for understanding complex interactional phenomena, such as learning.

Object exploration is considered a driver of motor, cognitive, and social development. However, little is known about how early childhood education and care settings facilitate object exploration. This study examined if children's exploration of objects during free play was facilitated by the use of particular spatial components (floor, tables, and activity centers) and types of play (solitary, social, and parallel). Participants were 61 children (aged 11 to 48 months and 50.8% boys, socioeconomic levels representative of the Dutch population). Intraindividual variability in children's object exploration was predicted by the use of particular spatial components and the social setting, with small-to-medium effect sizes. Solitary and parallel play were positively associated with complex object exploration, especially when sitting or standing at child-height tables. During social play, object exploration was mostly absent.

Research Findings: Empathy plays an important role in children's early social-emotional development. However, there are not many instruments available for measuring the different aspects/levels of empathy in preschool children. Moreover, few studies examined the validity of the existing measures for empathy in Chinese children. The present study tested the Chinese version of the Empathy Questionnaire (EmQue) upon a group of Chinese preschool children (N = 182) aged from 2 to 6 years. The Chinese EmQue is a parent-report translated from Dutch that assesses the behavioral manifestations of three distinct levels of empathy: emotion contagion, attention to others' feelings, and prosocial behaviors among preschool children. Confirmatory factor analysis showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit indexes for a three-level structure with 19 loading items. The results of concurrent validity showed that the three levels of empathy were functioning differently in the early social-emotional development. Practice or Policy: We could conclude that the 19-item Chinese EmQue is a valid, reliable instrument for measuring empathy in 2- to 6-year-old children in the Chinese context.

Creativity is key in developing students' environmental competence so that they come up with working and sustainable solutions to address environmental issues in daily life. However, these remain under-investigated in both Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) research. Here, we report an action research study conducted in a Greek kindergarten, supporting and exploring little-c creativity in a group of preschool students during an art-based EE/ESD project. Visual art had a two-fold role in the study: it was applied as the pedagogical approach in the project and also functioned as a complementary art-based research method, to focus on the conditions that enable young learners' creativity within an educational intervention. The findings show that preschoolers' creative thinking is enhanced when encouraged to identify environmental problems in their school and leads to actions towards sustainability. This supports the idea that creativity in preschool EE and ESD requires a pedagogical framework that is receptive to innovation, alongside a supportive teacher who incorporates imaginative, collaborative and reflective approaches to unfold and develop students' creative potential.

The present study focuses on the impact of woodcraft-style family camping on preschool children, using their parents' perspectives. Although the history and methodology of Woodcraft have been well documented, the theme of family camping has attracted very little research attention, and even fewer studies have targeted the impact of this leisure activity on preschool children. By inquiring about the parents' experience, the researchers adopted a qualitative approach backed by a phenomenology and hermeneutics-based philosophy for their empirical research. Data was collected through insightful interviews with seven respondents; parents experienced in Woodcraft camping with young children. Interpretative phenomenological analysis, which aims at understanding the uniqueness of one's experience and the meaning attributed thereto, identified six phenomena describing the fundamental structure of this lifestyle: motivation for family camping; camp life and its principles; outdoor education; education through nature; community; and romanticised experiencing following the Native Americans. Since direct childhood experiences predominantly shape environmental attitudes, this topic should be addressed more in environmental education research.

There is insufficient Swedish research on giftedness and home-school collaboration and meeting gifted children's needs in early childhood education. This qualitative study explored these issues by interviewing parents of gifted children. The thematic analysis examined parents' descriptions of children's early development, asynchronicity, and differences from their peers. The parents' stories of their children's first encounters with the Swedish school system evoked reports of contentment, suffering, and exhaustion. Adopting Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the study shows how the parents positioned enabling and limiting factors for their children's acceptance and further development at different system levels. Positive learning conditions in preschool (unlike primary school), and respectful home-school communication were identified as crucial to gifted children's development and well-being.

The emergence of moral emotions such as guilt is central in moral and prosocial development. Guilt is an important psychological factor, which motivates prosocial behaviour and is credited for multiple social functions. Importantly, it remains unclear what determines the extent to which children show guilt. The current study examined two factors that have been proposed to support the emergence of guilt: children's moral self-concept (MSC) and Theory of Mind (ToM). To this end, guilt-related behaviour and the two potentially explanatory factors were assessed in 5-6-year-old children (Mean age: 5.43 years, N = 133, 51% female). Most relevant, MSC predicted children's guilt-related behaviour. Children's ToM was not predictive for guilt-related behaviour. These findings support theoretical approaches proposing that the emergence of guilt is based on children's developing self-concept.

This study tested the potential of a technological intervention procedure for promoting letter-naming and initial-phoneme detection skills among preschoolers at risk for Specific Learning Disorder. The study rational is based on evidence for paired associated learning of visual-verbal stimuli, integrated with the use of a tangible technological device (educational floor robot) as means for promoting letter knowledge. Two intervention groups (N = 60) participated. The intervention lasted for eight sessions of phonological training; each dedicated to one target letter. Participants were asked to navigate the robot's path from a current stopping point to the next according to phonological information processing. Both groups went through the same procedure, but using a different type of mat (one with and one without a visual form of the letter). A control group (N = 30) of at-risk preschoolers received no intervention except for their preschool educational routine. We found that children who participated in phonological training with linkage to the visual form of the letter scored higher in post-intervention tests. Among other proposed explanations, we mention the advantages of using a tangible robot and seemingly three-dimensional letters, along with the tendency to consider visual features while processing language stimulus among children with dyslexia.

School readiness assessments in South Africa still predominantly focus on the assessment of cognitive skills. The Emotional Social Screening Tool for School Readiness (E3SR) was developed to bridge the perceived gap in assessing emotional-social skills as a domain of school readiness. An emerging body of research reports exists on the psychometric properties and factor structure of the E3SR. An initial validation study recommended a 6-factor solution instead of the theoretical 9-factor model that was proposed in the development of the E3SR. The E3SR (Revised) was also reduced in length. We report here on a pilot study of which the aim was to establish the reliability and construct validity of the E3SR (Revised). A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data from 9 pre-schools in Cape Town, South Africa. Pre-school teachers (n = 24) constituted the respondent group who completed the E3SR (Revised) screening questionnaires on Grade R learners (n = 394). Analysis was conducted on 321 completed screening questionnaires. With the data analysis we aimed to: a) summarise sample characteristics of teachers and children; b) establish reliability estimates; and c) establish construct validity and confirming the factor structure. Ethics clearance was given by the Humanities and Social Science Research Ethics Committee (HSSREC) of the University of the Western Cape. The study adhered to stipulated ethics requirements. Data failed to show multivariate normality; however, this violation of normality was expected and was theoretically supported. The sample size (n = 321) was sufficient for factor analysis of a 36-item scale. All subscales showed excellent reliability: Cronbach's alphas ranged between 0.939 and 0.971. CFA results demonstrated a good model fit. The E3SR (Revised) was found to be reliable and valid for use. The use of a rigorous methodological process including the decision-making matrix represent good research practice that can be used in instrument development across cultures.

Although there is increased interest in social and emotional competence and mental health in Croatia, there are currently limited measurement options available for early childhood settings. Thus, the SSIS SEL Brief Scales (SSIS SELb), an efficient measure of social and emotional learning competencies developed in the United States, was translated to Croatian and used by 49 early childhood educators to rate a sample of 685 children (average age 4.3 years) from several counties in Croatia. Regarding measurement invariance, the final model cohered substantially with a CASEL-inspired framework. Overall reliability was also high especially for the SEL Composite ([alpha] = 0.94), with notably lower reliability for subscales. Regarding cross-group concurrent validity, concurrent coefficients were largely similar across age and gender, but there were regional differences in validity. Likewise, validity correlations were in line with expectations, with moderate relationships observed between the SSIS SEL Composite and Child and Youth Resilience Measure scores. In sum, the high level of reliability provided a foundation for applied and research usage of the Croatian SSIS SELb, although further validation research will continue to be necessary before widescale implementation. Limitations to the study are discussed and also point to needed additional research before utilizing the Croatian translated SSIS SELb for applied decisions with young children.

Social-emotional skills are crucial for preschool children's mental health and later school success. Most school-based SEL programs originate in the United States, reflecting a robust interest in SEL curricula from preschool through secondary school. While EU Member States are increasingly integrating social and emotional skills programs into school curricula, there is a lack of uniform terminologies, frameworks, and assessment criteria, necessitating the introduction of standardized practices. This study aims to offer an overview of US and European preschool SEL programs, utilizing content analysis to showcase the diversity of these programs. The analysis focuses on programs from the "EU-Self Programs for Social and Emotional Skills Development for Early and Preschool Children Applied in European Countries" by Koltcheva et al. (2022), including impact evaluations of nine programs in total. The study analysed the programs in relation to goals and outcomes, and findings reveal that there are no remarkable differences between US and European preschool SEL programs, although certain trends highlight distinctions among programs of different origins. The study will be useful for practitioners who are interested in introducing a preschool SEL program in their institution.

When a paediatrician establishes a trusting relationship with their patient, the chance of a positive outcome multiplies. A calm child, who participates fully in the communicative exchange is more receptive to the clinician's requests and reports weaker sensations of pain. This experience stays with the child, shaping how they approach their healthcare as adults. Our qualitative case study unpacks the linguistic aspects of a 32-minute videoed and transcribed exchange between a paediatrician (co-author) and a five-year-old boy she is preparing for a risky procedure. It asks: what linguistic strategies reduce his anxiety? Non-pharmacological methods are key here, as deep sedation is problematic. Our study explains the communicative techniques that the paediatrician exploits. We identify how they function, and how seemingly disconnected strategies group naturally under a few general principles. This is important for professional development because fewer overarching principles are easier to grasp and subsequently to deploy. Our interdisciplinary approach, which relies on real data, can be replicated and expanded with healthcare professionals to enable them to act concretely on their language productions.

Heterogeneous effects from interventions often remain hidden in between-group analyses, risking overgeneralized conclusions of treatment effects. In this exploratory study, we performed latent profile analysis to unveil differential treatment effects among children in The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme (IY TCMP). This program has previously been shown to reduce behavioral problems in preschools and schools in total samples and subgroups. A total of 726 children (48.7% girls; M[subscript age] = 4.21 years; SD[subscript age] = 0.86) from 92 childcare centers in Norway participated in either the intervention (n = 338) or the matched control condition (n = 388). First, by conducting latent profile analysis on baseline levels of child-teacher relationship (closeness, conflict), behavioral problems, and social competence, three distinct profiles were identified: "High Risk" (26.4%), "Moderate Risk" (42.8%), and "Low Risk" (30.7%) -- each profile with unique characteristics. Second, we tested for within-profile, condition-by-time interactions following the intervention, showing distinct treatment responses for each profile. High-risk profiles profited most from the IY TCMP, with a substantial decrease in externalizing problems, more teacher closeness, and less teacher conflict. Moderate-risk profiles also gained better teacher-child relationships and improved social competence. The Low-Risk profiles showed no effects from the intervention. It is argued that latent profile analysis presents a feasible approach for examining within-sample heterogeneity in intervention research. It also reveals crucial information on treatment variability, as demonstrated in the Incredible Years Programme.

Compliance is an important skill of social competence for young children as it reflects children's ability to understand others' expectations and to display cooperative behaviors. Existing research has shown that parental responsiveness and child executive functioning separately make contributions to child compliance, but less is known about the relationships among these three variables. Therefore, this study tested a theoretical model by investigating the direct and indirect relationships among parental responsiveness, compliance, and executive functioning in preschoolers. This study utilized the data of parental self-reports from Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development & Care (KIT), a nationwide longitudinal study designed to collect data on the development and care of children in Taiwan. 1,747 four-year-old preschoolers (857 boys, 890 girls, mean age 48.77 months) and their parents (either father or mother) were included in this study for analysis. The results from the structural equation model revealed that parental responsiveness was directly and indirectly (via child executive functioning) related to child compliance. For preschoolers, responsive parenting was associated with better executive functioning skills, which, in turn, led to increased compliant behaviors. Our findings highlighted the need to enhance parental responsiveness and child executive functioning when addressing compliance in young children.

Play has long been understood as an important pedagogical practice, particularly in early childhood education and care settings. Playing with food, however, has typically been overlooked, and very little is known about food play during mealtimes. The apparent dichotomy between rule-following and playfulness at mealtimes has led to a paucity of research on playing while eating. This paper raises the profile of food play and examines instances in which young children initiate pretend play with their food during shared mealtimes. Data are taken from a large corpus of video-recorded lunches in Swedish preschools, and episodes featuring pretend play with food were analysed using multimodal interaction analysis. The results illustrate how play signalling is multimodally achieved, directed first to teachers, often involves other children, and enables the multiactivity of playing and eating. Children invited teachers into their imaginary worlds and teacher's responses enabled the play narrative to develop and co-exist with the institutional demands of eating lunch together. The paper provides empirical evidence that pretend play with food during meals offers affordances for generating and sharing imaginary worlds with teachers and peers.

Australia lags behind other linguistic and culturally diverse countries in policy direction and approaches to early multilingual education, despite well-established research documenting the intellectual, linguistic, sociocultural, familial and economic benefits of multilingualism in the early years. This is evidenced by the absence of a national policy framework that addresses early multilingual education in Australia, and the relatively limited attention given to research on the role of early childhood education in supporting and extending children's home languages. Within this context, using data from a larger study on early multilingual education, this article builds on empirical data from interviews with four educators representing two early childhood education settings. This article aims to examine the educators' perspectives of their settings' policy and practice, in the absence of broader curriculum frameworks, regarding their role in extending children's home languages. Despite this policy gap, the authors explore how these settings facilitated the diverse linguistic and cultural assets of children and families by supporting and extending children's home languages. Drawing on Bourdieu's framework of social practice, they examine various pedagogical approaches implemented at the settings that validated children's multilingualism, and explore the range of opportunities afforded to multilingual children in using their home languages at the settings. The findings reveal that despite the educators' well-developed understandings of the benefits of early multilingualism, there is some confusion regarding appropriate pedagogical approaches for multilingual support in early childhood education.

While much has been written about how to implement digital tools for learning and play in early childhood education and care, using a sociomaterial perspective this article seeks to explore what types of activities can be the outcome of appropriating different digital tools, and who or what defines these activities. Employing a sociomaterial perspective traditionally means a move from seeing the world merely as socially constructed to including the material artefacts in the construction of that world. However, herein there is a danger of overemphasizing what things do to humans and forgetting what humans do in the relationship. Through a sociomaterial lens, digital tools, children and adults all equally exist -- but do they exist equally? In the case of digital tools in early childhood education and care, it is not merely a case of how digital tools are inscribed that defines what these activities may look like. Rather, it is necessary to account for how these activities are enacted by adults and/or children as free play or as part of a more institutionalized agenda, in addition to the objects themselves. Drawing on actor-network theory and using video ethnographic data from an early childhood education and care facility that has a strong information and communications technology profile, the focus is on how the digital tools, tablets and interactive whiteboards are enacted as different types of activities depending on the actors in the assemblage. Nuancing between different types of digital tools, as well as being sensitive to how both human and non-human actors influence an activity, can be useful for researchers and practitioners alike.

This article explores the role of the reportative BIN in Yucatec Maya language acquisition and socialization among children aged 4 years and above, focusing on their interactions during pretend play. Building upon prior research on caregivers' strategic use of BIN, the study aims to elucidate the nuanced meanings and functions of the reportative in children's language. Through a theoretical framework rooted in the theory of engagement, the article posits that BIN serves not only as a linguistic form but also as an interactive device conveying contextual and imaginative speech. Divided into six sections, the article progresses from theoretical underpinnings to interpreting children's language in pretend play. By analyzing spontaneous speech data, the study uncovers novel insights into the dynamic nature of reportatives, emphasizing the creative ways children employ BIN to engage in games. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of reportatives and underscore the dynamic nature of children's language usage and development.

Both expressive and receptive language difficulties in autism emerge early and significantly have an impact on social functioning and quality of life. Despite their wide heterogeneity, autistic language abilities can be stratified into three distinct profiles. Language unimpaired exhibit near-typical verbal performance, language impaired show significant alterations in language structure, and minimally verbal display limited verbal abilities. However, little is known about the early trajectories and moderators specific to each profile. Here, we used a longitudinal sample of 286 preschoolers with autism and 85 typically developing (aged 1.5-5.7 years old), yielding 1164 visits. Our cluster analysis replicated the three well-established autistic language profiles (language unimpaired, n = 86; language impaired, n = 85; minimally verbal, n = 44) and revealed their specific early trajectories in expressive vocabulary, syntax, and pragmatics. At age 2.4, non-verbal cognition moderated the participants' attribution to each language profile. Moreover, early stereotyped language specifically moderated the later verbal performance of language unimpaired participants, while the language outcome of language impaired participants was moderated by early intensive behavioral intervention. In conclusion, we provided a fine-grained description of language acquisition trajectories and moderators of autistic language profiles in a longitudinal sample exposed to French language, paving the way toward personalized medicine to autistic language difficulties.

The study presented in this article shows some aspects of how children between the ages of three and five and their educators perceive and describe the educational environment in early childhood education in Sweden. The data is generated using "pedagogical walk-throughs" with the educators and "camera tours" together with the children. The study is conducted as a case study with three municipalities as cases and shows how materiality, places and relationships appear in the intersection of the educators' and children's verbal and visual descriptions of the indoor educational environment. We put diffractive readings to work to follow the entangled inter-connections and the intra-acting agency of the sociomaterial assemblages. These assemblages consist of different types of materiality, spatial conditions, the educators' verbal descriptions, the children's photographs and their verbal and bodily actions when using the cameras. The findings suggest that children and educators use, engage in and relate to the educational environment and materiality in both different and similar ways. Moreover, the children transform the educational setting organised by the educators as place changers, while materiality constructs places as "placemaking materiality."

Families are children's first and most important teachers. However, their ability to support children's learning and development at home varies due to knowledge, skills, and confidence. Family interventions aimed at increasing parents' skills are labour-intensive and expensive. In contrast, text messages are low-cost and scalable. Text messages can provide bite-sized bits of information that remind parents of activities they can do in their everyday lives to support learning. Our pilot study replicated two studies from the United States of America (USA) using text messages to increase children's language and literacy development. A mixed methods approach comprising a pre- to post-design and survey was used. Approximately 70 families with preschool children in the Australian Capital Territory received three text messages weekly for 18 weeks. Families were randomly assigned to either the language and literacy group or the control group that received general child development messages. Measurement of the impact of text messages on children's language and literacy skills was not feasible due to COVID-19 constraints. We were able to measure parent knowledge and perceptions of the pilot project pre- and post-text messages. Parent knowledge in both groups moved in the right direction, and approximately 90% of parents reported that the text messages were useful and would recommend the program to other parents. Parents found both sets of texts equally valuable. Our study included highly educated and high-income families, while previous research in the USA were comprised of disadvantaged families. Our findings suggest that text messages about early language and literacy, and general child development are useful to all families.

In the present paper, we focused on toys depicting physical disabilities and their potential role as inclusive educational means in kindergartens. We tested The Mere Exposure Effect and the Contact Theory (previously suggested as explanatory mechanisms underlying more favorable attitudes toward disability) by using toys depicting physical disabilities/impairments as the object of contact/exposure. The study involved Romanian children (aged 3 to 6), parents, and teachers and two measurement moments. We explored whether the presence of specific toys (more specifically, a toy in a wheelchair and one with a prosthetic leg) might contribute to specific changes in children's attitudes toward physical disability. Additionally, we investigated the links between parents' and teachers' views on disability, their views toward the inclusion of children with disability, and children's emotions and cognitions regarding disability. Overall, our results suggested that (1) Regardless of the stimuli (toy/image, depicting or not physical disabilities), the children in the experimental group reported more positive attitudes compared to the control group; (2) The experimental condition, i.e., the exposure effect had a significant moderating effect on the link between children's attitudes at Time 1 and Time 2; (3) Parents' positive attitudes toward disability were significantly associated with children's attitudes toward specific disabilities. Finally, we discuss our results concerning their theoretical and practical implication for personal, educational, and social views on physical disability and inclusion.

This paper discusses the results of a study of the relationships between teacher behaviour and the level of play engagement in two- and three-year-old children in Dutch childcare centres. We found that the continuous proximity of the teacher had the greatest impact on the level of play engagement, while the teacher's walking around and only brief contacts with the children had a negative impact. In line with earlier studies, two-sided and reciprocal interactions between teacher and children also yielded positive results for play engagement. Both our quantitative and qualitative analyses showed a strong co-variation of variables. When the teacher paid only brief visits, and peers also walked in and out, there was a greater likelihood of one-sided interactions, When the teacher was always nearby, we observed the opposite. Dutch teachers spend most of their time walking around. Their pedagogy seems to be based on a model of individual care and control and insensitiveness of group dynamic processes.

A child's vocabulary ability may be influenced by many different factors in their home environment. The present study focused on supportive aspects in home environments and the relation to children's vocabulary size through an online study where 166 parents of children aged 47.63 months (range 33.7-59.9 months) responded. Children's home literacy environments were positively associated with children's vocabulary size. Aspects of the home environment such as the parents engaging in teaching colors, and letters and talking about daily activities showed a positive association with vocabulary size. Print book reading was important, but the number of books the parents read did not seem to be associated with vocabulary size, rather whether the parent was engaging in dialogical reading and discussing the books, explaining the content, and relating the content to the life of the child mattered. Digital media (screen media and digital games) did not show a positive association with vocabulary, regardless of content or parents' joint media engagement. Watching screen media showed a negative association with developing vocabulary. This association was, however, ameliorated when positive influences and activities in the home literacy environment were present.

The Montessori philosophy and environment offers opportunities for free movement within the classroom. Physical development includes the acquisition of fundamental movement skills (FMS) which children acquire through different opportunities for movement. Previous research has shown that Montessorian pre-schoolers were more physically active during the school day compared to those attending traditional pre-schools. This led to questioning whether this noted increase in physical activity had any effect on the learning of FMS. The purpose of this study was to examine the proficiency of FMS of children aged 3-6 years in three private Montessori pre-schools. This purposive sample consisted of 105 Montessori 3-6 year olds in the Western Cape, South Africa. FMS were evaluated using the Test of Gross Motor Development Second Edition (TGMD-2). About 51.6% of the 3 year olds mastered run but scored in the poor category for five out of the six object control skills. The majority of 4 year olds (75.7%) reached mastery only in run. Most of the 5 year olds achieved mastery in run (69%) and slide (65.5%), and only 51.7% in kick. About 87.5% of the 6 year olds achieved mastery in run and slide, only half of them in leap, hop, kick and catch. No area of FMS were mastered by all the participants, but overall, the performance ranged from 'average' to 'above average'. This shows potential for improvement in FMS proficiency. Therefore, children, even in a Montessori environment, require specific instruction to achieve proficiency of all FMS.

Purpose: This study examined the improvement in vocabulary and listening skills of children with ASD through adapted shared reading. It also investigated the generalisation effect of this increase to new books and social validity. Methods: A multiple probe across participants design was used to investigate the effect of ASR (adapted shared reading) on the vocabulary and listening comprehension skills of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The participants were Turkish-speaking children diagnosed with ASD attending a preschool special education institution in Turkey. The researcher analysed the data obtained from the baseline, intervention, generalization and mastery phases using the visual analysis method. Results: Following the intervention, all three participating children gradually improved their vocabulary and listening comprehension skills. The findings suggest that young children with ASD can participate in and benefit from shared reading interventions with support. Conclusion: The adapted shared reading method (ASR) is an effective method for increasing the vocabulary and listening comprehension skills of young children with ASD.

Globally, malnutrition is an issue that has never been overcome, even after a series of efforts by experts, which have never been impressive. The world's malnutrition burden remains unsatisfactory since malnutrition is solely responsible for more illnesses than other reasons. Malnutrition continues to be a significant problem in Malaysia. The most common manifestation of chronic malnutrition in children is stunting, a lifetime problem for a child in Malaysia. Stunting is an irreversible condition in which a child cannot regain their height in the same way that they can regain weight. Notably, various factors have been identified associated with the risk of stunting among Malaysian children. This includes socio-demographic background, gestational characteristics, maternal and infant diet, feeding practice, illness, and infection. As discovered through the literature review, stunted children face many disabilities, such as learning deficiencies, which affect their productivity for economic prosperity, mostly falling sick more often, losing opportunities to learn, performing poorly in school and growing up to be backward, and more likely to suffer from diet-related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Therefore, this study will develop and evaluate the effectiveness of interactive multimedia-based nutrition education on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) about nutrition, growth monitoring, breastfeeding, and child-feeding practices among mothers with stunted children using the ADDIE model. This study will employ a quasi-experimental research method consisting of control and treatment groups. The study will be conducted in maternal child health clinics in the Seberang Perai district in Pulau Pinang. The population of this study consists of mothers with stunted children under five years old. In this study, convenience sampling will be used to recruit the target population, and the sample size was determined using G*power.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between preschoolers' competition styles, anxiety levels, and their parents' parental styles. The sample of the study consists of 400 preschool children and their parents. The Demographic Information Form, Parenting Style Scale, Preschool Competition Questionnaire, and Anxiety Scale for Preschool Children were used as data collection tools in this quantitative survey-based study. As a result of the research, significant negative correlation was found between the task-oriented competition style of preschool children and their generalized anxiety level, separation anxiety, specific phobia anxiety and total anxiety level. A negative significant relationship was found in the other-referenced competition and separation anxiety sub-dimension. A negative significant correlation was found between the maintenance of dominance hierarchy style and specific phobia anxiety and total anxiety. A negative significant relationship was found between democratic parenting style and social anxiety sub-dimension, and total anxiety level. A positive significant relationship was found between parents' authoritarian and overprotective parenting styles and all sub-dimensions of anxiety scale and total anxiety level. There was no significant relationship between permissive parenting style and any of the sub-dimensions of the anxiety scale and total of the anxiety scale. A positive significant relationship was found between democratic parenting style and task-oriented competition style.

Service learning is a collaborative approach to teaching and learning built around reciprocal relationships between universities and community organisations. Recently, the University of Canberra established the 'Good Start in Life' (GSIL) service-learning program to address growing gaps in all domains of child development. This study explores experiences and perceptions of ten speech pathology students who participated in this program as part of their clinical placement. Qualitative data was collected during focus groups. Data was transcribed and analysed in NVivo using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: confidence in communicating, consolidation of course content, delivering services across the community, and student experiences of workload and supervision. The results highlighted the value of working across community settings to increase students' ability to adapt their communication in different contexts. Results indicate participation in the GSIL service-learning program supported student clinical competency development, suggesting that service-learning may be a suitable alternative to traditional clinical placements.

In this study, researchers aimed to examine the practices of preschool teachers in their classes for children with special needs. The research, in which interviews and documents were used, was designed using a case study, one of the qualitative research methods. Snowball sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used to determine the research study group. Structured interview questions, checklists for adaptation, and individualized training programs were used as data collection tools. Data were analyzed through content and document analysis. As a result of the research, it was determined that preschool teachers made different instructional applications in their classrooms for children with special needs, and they thought that these applications were beneficial for children with special needs. When the activity and individualized education programs were examined, it was determined that teachers generally made adaptations in their free time and used adult and peer support more frequently. The findings are discussed considering the relevant literature.

This study examined 374 Malaysian parent-child dyads to explore the mediating role of preschoolers' reading attitude on the relationship between physical literacy environment and English phonological awareness. Parents provided demographic information and completed a Physical Literacy Environment and Literacy Activities Questionnaire, while children were administered a Phonological Awareness Test and Elementary Reading Attitude Survey. The data were analysed with descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling. Result from the study revealed that there is no relationship between physical literacy environment and reading attitude. Additionally, reading attitude is not the mediator between physical literacy environment and English phonological awareness. These findings suggest that while the physical literacy environment alone may not strongly influence phonological awareness, its impact can be enhanced when combined with factors like parental involvement and effective utilization of resources at home. Parents should be mindful of maintaining an enriching physical literacy environment, including accessible reading materials, appropriate reading spaces, and organized storage for literacy resources.

This paper presents research undertaken in an early learning centre in Melbourne, Australia. The first of four case studies, it explores how arts practices and pedagogies can be embedded within and integrated across an early childhood centre curriculum, with a focus on the role of the teacher in achieving this. Twenty-one children aged 3to-5 years and three experienced early childhood teachers chose to participate in the study. A broad range of ethnographic data was collected over a 10-week period, including digital artefacts, interviews and conversations, teachers' documentation, and observation notes. Inductive methods were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the role of the teacher in integrating the arts is complex and multifaceted, with nine pedagogical themes identified. Using examples from the data to illustrate how the themes presented in the classroom, the findings are framed by three overarching themes: planning for learning, responsive teaching, and documenting learning.

This study investigated teachers' pedagogical practices for developing creative disposition among pre-primary school children in Tanzania by drawing experiences from Dodoma City and Chemba District in Dodoma Region. It employed a qualitative approach and phenomenography design in which semi-structured interviews and focused classroom observation were used to collect data from 12 teachers who were sampled purposefully. Data collected were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed most teachers are limited in pedagogical knowledge and skills for developing creative disposition. Teachers' pedagogical knowledge and skills for developing creative disposition are paramount if the curriculum objective of creativity development is to be achieved. Therefore, the study recommends pre-primary teachers' empowerment to acquire appropriate pedagogical knowledge and skills for developing creative disposition effectively.

This study, aiming to reveal preschool children's mental models of their environment, was carried out with the participation of 225 children aged 36-72 months attending 8 different preschool education institutions. It is based on qualitative research designed around a case study. The Word Association Test and Drawing were used as the data collection tools. In the study, it was observed that 36-48-month-old children mostly focused on the visuals they saw in the park (garden) and traffic in their environmental drawings, and in addition to these visuals, 49-60-month-old children included the forest in their environmental drawings, and 61-72-month-old children included home and school in their environmental drawings. The most prominent environments/elements observed with both data collection tools were the house, traffic, park, and sky for the 3648-month-old children; house, traffic, park, sky, and rural-village for the 49-60-month-old children; and house, traffic, park, sky, rural-village, forest and nearby settlement (market, store, etc.) for the 61-72-month-old children. The common elements that children associate with the environment in their mental models are the concepts of house, traffic, park, and sky.

Nowadays, artificial intelligence, which is used in different fields with the increase in the number of works and transactions carried out in digital environment, is also used in the field of education. The main purpose of this study is to examine the views about artificial intelligence of preschool children, their mothers and teachers. The research was planned with phenomenology research design, one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research was formed by selecting a total of 30 people in the convenience sampling method, including 5 preschool teachers teaching in public and private independent kindergartens, 1 student from each teacher's 5year-old class and his/her mother. The data were collected through interviews and the interview questions were prepared by the researchers as open-ended questions. According to the results of the research, it was concluded that although the teachers defined artificial intelligence on the correct scientific basis, they did not have sufficient knowledge, did not use it in educational environments to increase the productivity of children and were worried. Considering the answers given by mothers and children to the questions about artificial intelligence, it can be interpreted that artificial intelligence is not defined correctly and there is a lack of knowledge, mothers have concerns that artificial intelligence may be harmful for their children, and children see artificial intelligence as a living being that they can talk to. [Paper presented at the International Preschool Education Congress (8th).]

The aim of this study is to determine the number sense skills of preschool (Kindergarten) children. In the study, survey design, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The study group consists of a total of 114 children attending all the kindergartens (5 kindergartens) in the city center of Tunceli in the 2020-2021 school year. The data collection tool used in the study is the "Preschool Number Sense Test" developed by the researchers. In the analysis of the data, the correct answers obtained by using number sense skills, the correct answers obtained by using rule and operation-based methods, the false answers obtained by using number sense skills, the false answers obtained by using rule-operation-based methods and the questions left unanswered were considered. As a result of the analysis made, it was determined that preschool students used rule- and operation-based methods more in problem-solving when dealing with questions, and it was seen that they used number-sense-based methods less frequently.

This study aims to examine parents' views on parental involvement in preschool English language teaching. Today, as parents realize their roles, they have started to play a more active role in their children's educational process. In this period when children need their parents' support the most, parents need to turn this situation into an opportunity and contribute to their children's foreign language acquisition process. For this reason, this study examined the views of parents on their participation in this process in the preschool period, which is considered to be very important in terms of foreign language acquisition. It is predicted that this study will shed light on parents' thoughts about their participation in the preschool foreign language education process and will benefit the studies to be carried out to make English language teaching more effective in the preschool period. In this study, the case study design, one of the qualitative research designs, was used to obtain parents' views on their involvement in preschool English language teaching. A total of 15 parents, consisting of eight fathers and seven mothers, whose children received preschool English education in different schools in Afyonkarahisar province in Turkey, voluntarily participated in the study. In this study, the parents' opinions about their involvement in English language teaching were obtained through semi-structured interview forms. As a result of the study, it was found that although almost all the parents adopted the view that parental involvement was necessary when the situation of supporting their children's English learning at home was examined, it was found that they could not support their children in their English learning process due to limited time, insufficient English level, the view that school alone is sufficient and similar reasons. It is concluded that parents who thought that their English level was insufficient for their children's participation in the English language learning process, remained passive in this process and were not informed about how they could participate in the foreign language teaching process of their children.

Executive function skills are crucial for children in the 21st century, serving as indicators of their readiness for learning. Children with well-developed executive function skills can effectively accomplish various tasks, solve problems using diverse strategies, and collaborate with others happily. This research aims to: 1. Identify the necessity for fostering executive function skills among early childhood students in Nonthaburi Province. 2. Analyze the causes underlying the necessity to promote executive function skills in early childhood students. 3. Propose strategies to enhance executive function skills in early childhood students. The research consists of two phases. Phase 1 involves identifying the necessity for developing executive function skills among early childhood students, with a sample group comprising 12 volunteer kindergarten teachers randomly selected from 12 classrooms and 328 early childhood students aged 5 to 5 years 11 months (162 boys and 166 girls). The research instrument used is the MU.EF-101 assessment. Data analysis involves calculating the mean and standard deviation of T-scores for working memory, inhibitory control, and shift/cognitive flexibility. Phase 2 analyzes the causes of necessity and proposes strategies to promote executive function skills in early childhood students. The data sources for this phase are 12 teachers, and the research instruments include fishbone diagram recording forms and group discussion recording forms. Findings suggest that parental involvement is crucial in training children to perform tasks independently and in teaching children patience. Additionally, teachers should analyze children's behaviors to plan appropriate learning activities based on their context. Teachers must encourage children to think and make decisions independently, encourage when mistakes occur, and ensure the availability of suitable tools and toys that promote the development of executive function skills in early childhood students, which teachers or parents can conveniently utilize.

Financial literacy, viewed not only as a fundamental skill but also as an investment, proves valuable for individuals, aiding them in making sound financial decisions and savings. In the current societal landscape, where financial responsibilities are important, instilling financial education early on through suitable programs becomes pivotal, particularly for the younger generation. This study aims to examine parental viewpoints regarding their children's money literacy and management, aiming to enhance social-emotional skills related to saving and giving within the preschool classroom. The study spanned two months and encompassed 101 children and their families. The project was introduced to parents, and 36 volunteer parents were selected to participate. An educational program focusing on money management and donations was executed within the classroom. Official permission from the preschool municipality administration office was obtained, and all participants provided written consent for their involvement. According to the parents, their children acquired money management skills and relished the process of collecting and donating savings to other children in need. In interviews, participating parents expressed feeling active and enthusiastic about their involvement in the school program, highlighting the productive interaction between them and the teachers.