Infant and Child Development最新文献

Research indicates that when literate children and adults hear a new word that they have never seen in print, they create an expectation for how the word may be spelled. However, studies have not yet examined the extent to which orthographic knowledge plays a role in children's spoken vocabulary learning when words are taught without print. The current study used structural equation modelling to examine the relation between children's word reading ability and their ability to learn novel words from spoken instruction. Children (N = 335; 7–9 years; 52% female; < 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 33% Black, 1% Multiracial, < 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2% Other; 57% White; 6% did not report race; 2% Hispanic/Latino, 97% Not Hispanic/Latino; < 1% did not report ethnicity) completed norm-referenced language and reading assessments and experimental measures of spoken word learning. Word reading ability and vocabulary knowledge uniquely predicted spoken word learning with respective medium-small and medium-large effects after controlling for phonological memory, general language ability, and nonverbal cognition. Thus, orthographic skill has important effects on vocabulary learning, unaccounted for in previous research, that should be addressed in current theory and practice.

Emotional knowledge (EK) is broadly defined as the ability to identify and understand emotions. Despite being recognized as a foundational component of socioemotional development in childhood, early emergence of EK is seldom explored before age 3. Similarly, research has yet to explore the feasibility of assessing young children's EK via online assessment, despite the growing relevance and potential of this modality in expanding research accessibility. To address these research gaps, a sample of 92 toddlers (age range: 18–36-months, 52 female and 40 male) and their mothers (M_age = 32.6 years; 50% White Canadian) participated in this exploratory study investigating the feasibility of assessing toddler EK using virtual assessment tools. Results provide evidence for future potential assessing toddler EK online, as most toddlers (66.7%) were able to participate in at least one component of the virtual assessment task. Methodological strengths and suggestions are discussed to facilitate future research that incorporates online assessments with younger children.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT04772677

Children's word learning takes place in rich physical environments. These settings may vary between exposures to a word. In recent years, researchers have become interested in determining whether context—and more specifically context variation—affects young children's word learning. This body of work stems from longstanding interest in the role of context on memory, often referred to as context-dependent memory. In this paper, we review research exploring context-dependent word learning in preschooler-aged children. We specifically focus on research exploring two types of context features: co-present competitor referents and physical backgrounds. Based on somewhat conflicting accounts of context effects on word learning, we propose a unified account of when context is most likely to affect word learning. Our proposal involves an interaction of cognitive constraints and conceptual understanding, both of which shift over the course of development. Said differently, we argue that three factors matter in predicting context effects during word learning: a learner's age, a learner's cognitive capacity, and a learner's understanding of labels as a category. In addition, we propose avenues for future research to better specify the role of context during early word learning.

This study aimed to examine the association between children's participation in physical and sports activities and their affective subjective well-being. Data were drawn from the Second Wave of the Children's Worlds: International Survey of Children's Well-Being (ISCWeB), involving a sample of 913 Chilean children aged 10 and 12 years. Participants completed self-report measures assessing feelings of happiness, sadness, stress, energy and boredom (positive and negative affect—CW PNAS). Participation in physical activities and sports was significantly correlated with positive well-being, indicating a strong link between such involvement and perceived positive affect. Age and gender did not significantly influence these outcomes. In contrast, lower participation in physical and sports activities was significantly associated with higher negative affect, with neither age nor gender showing substantial impact on this result. This research employed structural equation modelling to develop a model measuring physical and sports activities (PSA) and subjective well-being in Chilean schoolchildren. The study confirms the model's effectiveness in explaining the relationship between children's SWB and PSA involvement. Analysis showed significant correlations between indicators and emotional well-being factors. Findings emphasise emotions like calmness, happiness and stress in understanding the affective dimensions of children's well-being related to PSA.

Caregivers serve an important role in guiding their children's early playful learning experiences, which range widely from free play to direct instruction. How caregivers themselves approach different play types and how to best encourage playful learning among families remains an underexplored area of research. Caregivers of 2–5-year-old children (n = 177) completed an online survey about their perceptions and approach to different types of play across the play spectrum (i.e., free play, guided play, games, and direct instruction). Participants came from diverse backgrounds in terms of race, income, education level, and gender identity. Caregivers saw a number of benefits to each caregiver/child play type, and likewise reported barriers that limited their ability to participate. Several caregiver perception variables were associated with the frequency of engaging in each play type. These findings provide insight into the motivating factors and limitations in caregiver/child play, offering implications for future research on caregiver play beliefs as well as possible areas for intervention.

The transition from kindergarten to formal schooling is an important period for examining children's developing mathematical performance. We studied reciprocal associations among children's mathematical performance, parent factors (i.e., numeracy activities, beliefs about children's mathematical skills), and child factors (i.e., mathematics liking). Lithuanian children (N = 341; 180 girls) and their parents participated at three time points: end of kindergarten (T1; M_age = 6.87 years), beginning of Grade 1 (T2), and end of Grade 1 (T3). Reciprocal cross-lagged associations between parent- and child-related factors showed that children's mathematical performance positively predicted parental beliefs [β_T1–T2 = 0.247, β_T2–T3 = 0.280] and negatively predicted numeracy activities [β_T1–T2 = −0.227, β_T2–T3 = −0.110] during the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1, and during Grade 1. Children's mathematical performance positively predicted their mathematics liking at the end of Grade 1 (β_T2–T3 = 0.138). The results emphasise the role of children's mathematical performance in shaping parents' involvement and beliefs about children's mathematical learning and their children's mathematics liking.

Contemporary perspectives suggest that some children are more sensitive to their caregiving environment than others. This prospective longitudinal study examined the role of environmental sensitivity in the developmental pathways of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), focusing on its early identification during the neonatal period. Ninety-five Israeli boys, varying in their likelihood of developing ADHD, based on parental ADHD symptoms, were followed from birth to age 7 years. Both neonatal temperamental surgency and parental ADHD symptoms moderated the correlation between the early home environment (measured at 54 months) and child executive functions (EF; measured at 7 years), with medium effect sizes (double moderation; ΔR² = 0.12, β = 0.32 and 0.28, respectively). Among children with elevated levels of both parental ADHD symptoms and neonatal surgency, a more enriched home environment predicted higher EF. Very early and accurate detection of sensitivity to the environment can facilitate early preventive interventions to moderate the development of ADHD symptoms.

Parental beliefs and practices regarding motor development vary across cultures. However, there is a gap in cross-cultural studies focusing on minority groups. This mixed-methods study explores the cultural construction of infant motor development within the Druze-Israeli (Druze-IL) minority group. Using questionnaires, we measured beliefs, practices, physical settings, and infant motor skills among 83 Druze-IL mothers comparing them with a matched group of 83 Jewish-IL mothers, representing Israel's majority group. Moreover, qualitative insights were gleaned from semi-structured interviews with eight Druze-IL mothers. Results indicated that Druze-IL mothers prioritised stimulating motor development and valued expert guidance, while also perceiving it as a natural process. For example, they were less supportive of the prone position and preferred the upright position compared to Jewish-IL mothers. This preference was congruent with Druze infants' superior skills in upright postures compared to Jewish-IL infants. Interviews highlighted that Druze mothers balance traditional customs with expert advice, stressing the importance of attuning to their infants' needs to determine the suitability of various practices. The findings enrich our understanding of the socio-cultural construction of motor development and illustrate how Druze mothers negotiate influences from both minority and majority cultures in shaping their beliefs, practices, and ultimately, their infants' motor skills.

The importance of collecting data from multiple sources, particularly in studying family dynamics, is widely accepted. Thus, this study seeks to assess the agreement between parents and children on permissive, authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles while exploring the influence of the informant's sex on the agreement. A sample of 472 children and 424 parents was assessed using the Parental Authority Questionnaire and the Parenting Styles Questionnaire for Parents. Results revealed low to moderate agreement between informants for the total sample or controlling for the informant's sex. This study contributes to expanding empirical evidence and knowledge in this field, shedding light on the role of parent and child sex in reporting different parenting styles and highlighting the importance of using multiple informants to study family dynamics and processes.