208 research outputs found
Child Care Experiences Among Dual Language Learners in the United States: Analyses of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort
This article uses nationally representative data from the Early Chlidhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort used to examine child care experiences with repreated cross-sectional analysis at 9, 24, and 52 months for dual language learner and non-dual language learner children
Associations between preschool attendance and developmental impairments in pre-school children in a six-year retrospective survey
BACKGROUND: Many school-aged children suffer physical and mental impairments which can adversely affect their development and result in significant morbidity. A high proportion of children in western countries attend pre-school, and it is likely that the preschool environment influences the prevalence and severity of these impairments. Currently there is insufficient data available on the prevalence of these impairments and their causal associations. The influence that location of a pre-school and the duration of preschool attendance have on the prevalence of these impairments is not known. METHODS: In a retrospective survey spanning six years (1997ā2002) we reviewed the records of 6,230 preschool children who had undergone routine school entry assessments. These children had been assessed utilising a modified manual of the "Bavarian Model" for school entry examinations. This model outlines specific criteria for impairments of motor, cognitive, behavioural and psychosocial functioning. Prevalence rates for physical and behavioural impairments were based on the results of these assessments. The relationship between the prevalence of impairments and the duration of preschool attendance and the location of the preschool attended was estimated utilizing logistic regression models. RESULTS: We found that 20.7% of children met the criteria for at least one type of impairment. Highest prevalence rates (11.5%) were seen for speech impairments and lowest (3.5%) for arithmetic impairments. Boys were disproportionately over represented, with 25.5% meeting the criteria for impairment, compared to 13.0% for girls. Children who had attended preschool for less than one year demonstrated higher rates of impairment (up to 19.1% for difficulties with memory, concentration or perseverance) compared to those who had attended for a longer duration (up to 11.6% for difficulties with pronouncation). Children attending preschool in an urban location had slightly elevated rates of impairment (up to 12.7%), compared to their rural counterparts (up to 11.1%). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that there are high prevalence rates for physical and mental impairments among preschool children. Furthermore, children without preschool experience are a risk group for struggling with educational successes. The associations between the duration of preschool attendance and location of preschool attended and rates of impairment need replication and further exploration. Larger prospective studies are needed to examine if these relationships are causal and may therefore lend themselves to specific intervention strategies
Specific Features of After-School Program Quality: Associations with Childrenās Functioning in Middle Childhood
This longitudinal study examined associations between three after-school program quality features (positive staffāchild relations, available activities, programming flexibility) and child developmental outcomes (reading and math grades, work habits, and social skills with peers) in Grade 2 and then Grade 3. Participants (nĀ =Ā 120 in Grade 2, nĀ =Ā 91 in Grade 3) attended after-school programs more than 4Ā days per week, on average. Controlling for child and family background factors and childrenās prior functioning on the developmental outcomes, positive staffāchild relations in the programs were positively associated with childrenās reading grades in both Grades 2 and 3, and math grades in Grade 2. Positive staffāchild relations also were positively associated with social skills in Grade 2, for boys only. The availability of a diverse array of age-appropriate activities at the programs was positively associated with childrenās math grades and classroom work habits in Grade 3. Programming flexibility (child choice of activities) was not associated with child outcomes
Family income, parent education, and perceived constraints as predictors of observed program quality and parent rated program quality
Social Cognition in Preschoolers: Effects of Early Experience and Individual Differences
Social cognition is the way in which people process, remember and use information in social contexts to explain and predict their own behaviour and that of others. Childrenās social cognition may be influenced by multiple factors, both external and internal to the child. In the current study, two aspects of social cognition were examined: Theory of Mind (ToM) and Emotion Understanding (EU). The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of type of early care (0-3 years of age), maternal education, parentsā country of birth, and childās language on the social cognition of 118 Italian preschoolers. To our knowledge, the joint effect of these variables on social cognition has not previously been investigated in the literature. The measures used to collect social cognition and linguistic data were not parent- or teacher-reports, but based on direct assessment of the children through two standardized tests, the Test of Emotion Comprehension and the ToM Storybooks. Relationships among the variables showed a complex pattern. Overall, maternal education and linguistic competence showed a systematic effect on social cognition; the linguistic competence mediated the effect of maternal education. In children who had experienced centre-base care in the first three years of life, the effect of maternal education disappeared, supporting the protective role of centre-base care for children with less educated mothers. The children with native and foreign parents did not significantly differed on the social cognition tasks. Limits of the study, possible educational outcomes and future research lines were discussed
A Comparative Analysis of Competency Frameworks for Youth Workers in the Out-of-School Time Field
Research suggests that the quality of out-of-school time (OST) programs is related to positive youth outcomes and skilled staff are a critical component of high quality programming. This descriptive case study of competency frameworks for youth workers in the OST field demonstrates how experts and practitioners characterize a skilled youth worker. A comparative analysis of 11 competency frameworks is conducted to identify a set of common core competencies. A set of 12 competency areas that are shared by existing frameworks used in the OST field are identified. The age of youth being served, descriptions of mastery for each competency area, an emphasis on developing mid-level managers, and incorporating research emerge as factors that should be addressed in future competency frameworks
Regulation, subsidy receipt and provider characteristics: What predicts quality in child care homes?
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