The purpose of this study is to compare the levels of playfulness and motivation of children with hearing loss in preschool and primary school based on their auditory perception levels. This study included 84 children with hearing loss aged 3-8 years and 50 normal-hearing children with similar demographic characteristics (the control group). The…

The purpose of the present study was to clarify comprehensively how and to what extent inhibition, spatial working memory (WM), and auditory WM influence agility, balance, and dexterity of motor coordination and comprehensive physical ability in kindergarteners. Participants were 43 children between the ages of 4 and 5 years old. The children…

South Africa consists of developed and developing contexts. This article reports on a study undertaken to determine the effect of a Perceptual--motor Intervention Programme in learning readiness of Grade R learners from deprived environments. Le Roux's Group Test for School Readiness was used as baseline assessments to establish the school…

We designed a working memory (WM) training programme in game framework for mild intellectually disabled students. Twenty-four students participated as test and control groups. The auditory and visual-spatial WM were assessed by primary test, which included computerised Wechsler numerical forward and backward sub-tests and secondary tests, which…

Variable language outcomes have been reported in children with the metabolic disorder galactosaemia (GAL), but these outcomes do not appear to be related to the severity of symptoms in the neonatal period, compliance with the non-dairy diet, or IQ. Currently, there is no means by which at-risk children with GAL can be identified early to initiate…

The aim of this study was to examine if specific skills that are developed during preschool years could predict the reading performance in the first and second grade of primary school. Two hundred and eighty-seven children participated in this longitudinal study. At the kindergarten level, phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatised naming,…

This paper describes research on newborns' responses to music. Video observation and electroencephalogram (EEG) were collected to see whether newborns' responses to random sounds differed from their responses to music. The data collected were subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis. This paper will focus on the qualitative study,…

Discusses (1) the process of early language development, giving specific attention to problematic aspects of a vocabulary for audition; (2) elicitation and instruction tasks used in the study of language acquisition; and (3) an investigation designed to compare language acquisition for dimensions of visual, spatial, and tactual perception with…

Provides an overview of how early identification and intervention for hearing impairment may benefit deaf infants' acquisition of symbolic language. Concludes that the role of the caregiver is central to the planning and success of early intervention programs for infants with deafness. (MDM)

There is now a renewed emphasis in the UK on short intensive interventions to tackle reading failure. In this paper we report on the effect of a programme based on a view that reading problems are associated with the inability of the learner to deal with speech at the level of individual speech sounds even though they may be fully competent in the…

Examines the link between music and language development in early childhood. Investigates three aspects in developmental processes: (1) early sound perception; (2) premusical and prelinguistic vocalization; and (3) the emergence of singing and speech. Discusses linguistic and musical environmental stimulation such as baby talk and lullabies.…

The role of hearing, although invisible, is critical to the development of language and literacy skills across key stage 1. Yet, Foundation stage and key stage 1 pupils are the most likely of all children to experience reduced hearing sensitivity, under developed listening skills and a less than ideal acoustic learning environment. The paper…

Discusses early detection of hearing impairment in Japan with particular reference to the system used in Tokushima Prefecture. Suggests that a required screening of all children at 18 months of age resulted in 2 developments: (1) all the hard-of-hearing children were identified; and (2) public health nurses became more alert to hearing impairment…

Discusses the Home Training Program for congenital hearing-impaired infants and their families administered by the Teikyo University Hospital. Suggests that the program is based on the maximum use of residual hearing, early identification of hearing impairment and early intervention, and support for parents. (AA)

Presents the ideas and educational activities of the TRIANGLE intervention program for both hearing-impaired or deaf infants and their mothers. The program encourages children's integration into the community and into school, offers classes on everyday learning activities at home, provides counseling and audiological assessment for parents and…