While negative associations between behavioral inhibition/shyness and social competence are well established for children from Western cultures, the directions of these associations have been inconsistent for Chinese children, partly due to the ongoing social-cultural changes in China. Drawing from three samples of young Chinese children (born…

Despite the popularity of social skills groups, there remains a need for empirical investigation of treatment effects, especially when targeting pivotal aspects of social functioning such as initiations to peers. The goal of the present study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial of a 12-week social intervention (SUCCESS), which combined an…

Digital technology systems are adopted rapidly throughout the globe for the virtual learning process especially with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital screen-based gadgets are integrated to provide a seamless interactive medium of learning even before the initiation of formal education. Studies on the technology use of younger…

In recent years, preschooler's self-regulation has been extensively researched. This systematic review deals with the overlaps and differences among the many different terminologies and definitions of self-regulation in childhood and the association with preschooler's social-emotional and behavioural development. A systematic literature search in…

This field note presents findings from an assessment conducted on the Little Ripples program, which was piloted with Burundian refugee children ages three to five in Tanzania. The aim of the assessment was to understand the general progress of the program, attitudes and perceptions about the use of mindfulness in the classroom, and the perceived…

Some aspects of child non-cognitive development in pre-school have independently been shown to predict academic outcomes in later primary and early high school. However, the extent to which each aspect uniquely predicts these outcomes remains unclear. It is also unclear as to what mechanisms may predict these aspects of non-cognitive development.…

Background: There is limited knowledge about how positive and negative parenting practices differ across individuals and change over time in parents with substantiated physical abuse history, and how trajectories of these parenting practices affect child adjustment. Objective: The present study examined latent trajectories of positive and negative…

A growing body of evidence indicates that for some children, early incidences of challenging behaviors are predictors of later difficulties. These incidences of challenging behaviors may predict mental health issues, social adjustment issues and/or increased challenging behaviors that will impede school success and impact transition to adult life…

Two studies examined whether effects of attention to rewards during a delay of gratification task in waiting situations affects preschoolers' ability to delay gratification in working situations. Findings show that when work provides distraction, attention on rewards reduces delay time whether working or waiting; when work is not engaging,…

Explores family-style meal service as a means to building autonomy and healthy eating behaviors in young children. Discusses the development of food preferences, age-related developmental responses to food, and the importance of socially mediated exposure to food as a way to increased food acceptance. Presents guidelines for implementing…

Examined the underlying structure and factorial validity of the Children's Playfulness Scale in evaluating preschool children's behavior. Found that factor loadings, factor variances/covariances, and error variances/covariances are invariant across calibration and validation groups, indicating the good cross-generalizability of the scale. (JPB)

Studied whether behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to personality traits at age 18 after identifying 5 temperament groups (undercontrolled, inhibited, confident, reserved, and well-adjusted). Results pointed to continuities across time. (DR)

Examines the emotional development of preschoolers, including the issues of emotional expression, emotional understanding, regulation of emotions, developmental significance, and the role of the caregiver-child relationship. Finds that caregivers influence the emotional development of children as they model, coach, and respond to children.…

Questioned day care center children during free play about their collective activity to determine how the representation of cooperation is structured and what kind of transformation appears during development. Found a developmental trend of representation of group activity after age 2. Results highlight the importance of group and day care center…

This set of checklists in separate English- and Spanish-language versions, is designed to help parents and childcare providers determine through observations a child's developmental progress from birth to age 5. The checklists are excerpted from the "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready" guidebook, written by a retired kindergarten teacher with 25 years…