Effects of Neurological Training on Psychomotor Abilities of Kindergarten Children

That neurological dysfunction accounts for many cases of academic failure is well documented, but specific research on programs designed to overcome this dysfunction is sparse. In this study fifty kindergarten children having perceptuomotor and/or psychomotor deficits as identified by several well-known scales were assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group was then given a program of cross-patterning exercises for 3 minutes a day over a 3-month period. The obtained results suggest that a neurological training program does not significantly improve the psychomotor functioning of kindergarten children.     

The Effect of Integrating Movement into the Learning Environment of Kindergarten Children on their Academic Achievements

The aim of this study was to test the notion that integrating movement into the learning environment contributes to the academic achievements of kindergarten students. One hundred and sixty 4–6 year-old kindergarten students participated in the study for 145 days, which included pre- and post-intervention tests in language, mathematics, and non-verbal intelligence. The three interventions consisted of (a) a mindful movement—integrating movement in academic learning, (b) a movement for its own sake—allowing children free movement without providing academic instruction, and (c) a control condition—children engaging in their regular academic environment activities. The findings revealed that the mindful movement intervention resuted in the highest improvement in the academic achievement tests. Children engaging in movement for its own sake did not differ from the control condition. The findings support the notion that mindful movement enhances kindergarten children’s academic achievements. Possible explanations for this outcome are discussed.     

Enhancing Television Literacy Skills Among Preschool Children Through an Intervention Program in the Kindergarten

A study amongst 150 preschool children assigned to experimental and control groups indicates that an intervention program supported by systematic teachers' mediation can enhance preschoolers interpretive skills of television material, such as the ability to identify elements of fantasy in a television presentation in relation to special effects, the ability to bridge temporal and logical gaps, the ability to identify elements of camera work and their visual implications and the ability to make intelligent predictions based on inference from visual cues.     

The Impact of Teacher-Directed and Child-Directed Pretend Play on Cognitive Competence in Kindergarten Children

The goal of our research was to study different forms of organization of pretend play on children's cognitive performance in a mixed-age environment. We studied two forms of management of the playing process: (a) teacher-directed play with simultaneous involvement of all children in the classroom, where the teacher plays the dominant role in the education process directing children's activity, and (b) child-directed play in various small groups. Twenty-six observations were performed on 51 children in two mixed-age classrooms. The mean age of the children was 4.6 years, with age span from 3 to 6 years. Data were collected regarding children's affective and cognitive behavior according to generally accepted taxonomies: Bloom for the cognitive domain, and Krathwohl for affective domain. We found a significant increase in cognitive manifestations during direction of the playing process in groups compared with frontal management of the lesson (113.1 ± 12.1 vs. 45.7 ± 10.3, mean ± SEM, p < 0.0001), which is related with better employment of the powerful education engine of the free-play children.     

视听觉障碍儿童的认知能力

本篇主要探究视听觉障碍儿童的基本认知能力。视觉障碍儿童的听觉注意、听觉记忆和听觉表象比正常人更好 ;听觉障碍儿童的视觉搜索 (视觉注意 )、视觉表象、运动表象和视觉记忆比正常人好。这些实验研究更好地支持了特殊教育的三原则     

The Effect of Early Intervention on Academic Achievement of Hearing-Impaired Children

Objective. This population-based study assessed the relationship between characteristics of early intervention programs for hearing-impaired children and academic achievement. Methodology. The study was conducted on the elementary school-age population of six regions of the province of Quebec. Of the 301 hearing-impaired children registered, 112 met the eligibility criteria and participated in the study. The characteristics of early intervention which had been assessed were: age of initial access, the intensity, target and nature of services, service setting, coordination mechanisms, communication mode and parental compliance. Results. After adjustment for child and family characteristics and the other service variables studied, higher academic achievement was found to be significantly associated with services that (a) were initiated before children reached the age of two, (b) were parent-centered rather than child-centered, and (c) emphasized auditory intervention and an oral mode of communication. The results also showed that the socioeconomic environment in which the children lived significantly influenced the effect of certain characteristics of early intervention programs. The present study identified service characteristics with regard to specialized intervention and service delivery conditions that could lead to more effective early intervention programs.     

The Effect of Early Intervention on Academic Achievement of Hearing-Impaired Children

Objective. This population-based study assessed the relationship between characteristics of early intervention programs for hearing-impaired children and academic achievement. Methodology. The study was conducted on the elementary school-age population of six regions of the province of Quebec. Of the 301 hearing-impaired children registered, 112 met the eligibility criteria and participated in the study. The characteristics of early intervention which had been assessed were: age of initial access, the intensity, target and nature of services, service setting, coordination mechanisms, communication mode and parental compliance. Results. After adjustment for child and family characteristics and the other service variables studied, higher academic achievement was found to be significantly associated with services that (a) were initiated before children reached the age of two, (b) were parent-centered rather than child-centered, and (c) emphasized auditory intervention and an oral mode of communication. The results also showed that the socioeconomic environment in which the children lived significantly influenced the effect of certain characteristics of early intervention programs. The present study identified service characteristics with regard to specialized intervention and service delivery conditions that could lead to more effective early intervention programs.     

数学认知能力与语言认知能力的分离现象

在数学学习过程中,数学语言逐步从文字语言中分离出来,相应的数学认知能力和语言认知能力也具有类似的分离趋势.虽然目前的研究还没有涉及到更抽象的数学领域,如基础数学领域,但还是可以得到一个合理的结论:随着所学数学语言的进一步抽象,数学认知能力的发展将更加依赖数学表征能力的发展,而语言认知能力在数学认知能力发展中的作用将变得更为有限.因此,对数学认知的研究是非常必要的,在数学教育中,着重发展数学符号表征能力是非常重要的.     

说明性讲述活动与幼儿的学业语言发展

哈佛大学教育研究院的C.E.Snow于2010年提出了“学业语言(Academic Language)”这一概念,并指出学业语言与儿童未来的发展成就相关.研究者详细分析了学业语言对学前儿童发展的重要意义,并试着结合幼儿园的说明性讲述活动,探讨发展幼儿学业语言的可能性以及促进幼儿学业语言发展的策略.     

The Cognitive and Academic Benefits of Music to Children: Facts and fiction

There is considerable interest in the potential non‐musical cognitive and academic benefits of music listening and instruction to children. This report describes three lines of research relevant to this issue, namely, the effects of: (1) focused music listening on subsequent task performance (the Mozart effect); (2) music instruction; and (3) background music listening. Research suggests that while Mozart effect studies have attracted considerable media attention, the effect cannot be reliably demonstrated in children. In contrast, music instruction confers consistent benefits for spatiotemporal reasoning skills; however, improvements in associated academic domains, such as arithmetic, have not been reliably shown. Finally, background music may calm and focus children with special education needs, thereby enhancing learning. Additional research is required to determine whether this effect is evident in normal populations. Overall, evidence for the non‐musical benefits of music listening and instruction is limited. The inherent value of music and music education should not be overlooked by narrowly focusing on cognitive and academic outcomes.     

农村留守儿童歧视知觉、学业求助与学业拖延的关系

为了了解农村留守儿童歧视知觉、学业求助与学业拖延的关系,对370名农村留守儿童进行问卷调查。结果表明,农村留守儿童歧视知觉、执行性求助、回避求助与学业拖延呈显著正相关,工具性求助与学业拖延呈显著负相关;学业求助在歧视知觉影响农村留守儿童学业拖延间起中介作用。     

Cognitive and Motivational Effects of Seeking Academic Assistance

Abstract

The instructional needs of a student who sought assistance for his continuing academic difficulties within his high school setting were examined. The authors evaluated how his perception of his academic and motivational performances compared with the perceptions of his parents, school officials, and those professionals who conducted 3 psy-choeducational evaluations for a learning disability during his middle and high school years. None of the 3 evaluations considered the quality of the student's classroom instruction, school grading practices, or study strategies, all of which increased his vulnerability to risk. Discussion focuses on the question of whether the student's negative learning and motivational profiles might have improved if his school's attempts to provide academic assistance had adopted a broader and more comprehensive focus.     

The Variable Importance of General Intelligence (g) in the Cognitive Abilities of Children and Adolescents

Virtually all research affirms the importance of a general factor (i.e., Spearman’s g) in accounting for individual differences in intelligence (Spearman, 1904 Spearman, C. 1904. General intelligence, objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology, 15: 201–293. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). However, some scholars have suggested that cognitive abilities are not organised uniformly across all levels of age and ability. Using standardisation data from the Woodcock Johnson Test of Cognitive Ability Revised, the present study examines the influence of Spearman’s g in samples that vary in terms of ability (i.e., high and low ability) and age (i.e., children and adolescents). Findings suggest that as children mature, their cognitive abilities become increasingly differentiated, irrespective of individual differences in general ability.     

构建青少年自杀危机干预体系

近年来,青少年学生自杀事件时有发生.构建青少年自杀危机干预体系已成为当前学校心理健康教育和生命教育的一项迫切任务.青少年自杀危机干预体系的构建思路可归纳为:一个基本理念,两个工作重心,三个实践环节.青少年自杀危机干预的关键是正确认识和理解青少年的自杀行为,积极关注和研究自杀问题,整合社会、学校、家庭等各种资源.     

数学能力的脑与认知科学研究及其对早期数学教育的启示

数学能力是基础性的认知能力,包括数量、空间和逻辑推理等认知能力。早期数学教育有助于在儿童发育和发展的关键期为儿童奠定认知和神经基础,从而培养儿童抽象而精确的数学思维能力与问题解决能力。脑与认知科学研究表明,儿童生来具有数的概念,体现在两个独立的数的核心表征系统,一是大数系统,模糊估计、粗略表征物体的数量幅度;二是小数系统,精确计数、清晰表征每一个物体。早期数学教育可以借鉴当前丰富的脑与认知科学研究成果,将科学理论和教学实践相结合,利用儿童先天具备的数学潜质,逐渐深入而广泛地培养儿童的数学技能。培养儿童的早期数学能力需要家庭、学校和社会的共同努力。     

发展性阅读障碍儿童的阅读眼动研究及干预

眼动记录技术是探讨人阅读过程中的眼动行为与心理活动的一种重要技术手段.文章对发展性阅读障碍儿童阅读时的眼动行为指标进行分析梳理,结合正常儿童阅读过程中的眼动行为进行比较,探讨发展性阅读障碍儿童筛查方法、眼动特征,在此基础上分析发展性阅读障碍的发生原因并相应提出提高儿童阅读能力的干预措施.     

The Kindergarten Child: What Teachers and Administrators Need to Know to Promote Academic Success in all Children

This article describes kindergarten from the perspective of the whole child. Specifically, it reviews current research on best practices to improve children’s math and language arts competencies, memory skills, and the role of kindergarten in beginning science. It also describes the social experiences children have in kindergarten with respect to their academic success. Similarly, it reviews the impact of emotional competence on school success. This article then reviews research describing three major influences on children’s kindergarten adaptation and success (i.e., transition, parental involvement, retention). The article concludes with a discussion of full-day kindergarten programs and their potential for improving the chances of all kindergarten children, especially low-income and ethnic minority children, for success in school.     

对当前儿童读经运动的反思

儿童读经运动就其本质而言应该是一个经典教育运动。从中国传统教育来看,读经仅仅是众多学习方法之一,四书五经也仅仅是传统基础教育内容之一,在不同教育阶段教学应该采用不同的讲解方式。在教育哲学中。儿童读经的理念最接近于要素主义教育和永恒主义教育。相对于当前强调知识技能的应试教育,儿童读经就其在道德教育与文化教育方面的价值而言,的确有其积极作用。     

Effects of Junior Kindergarten on Emerging Literacy in Children from Low-Income and Linguistic-Minority Families

We study the benefits of junior kindergarten for linguistic-minority 4-year-olds compared to their linguistic-majority classmates from the same low-income neighborhoods. At the end of the school year, linguistic-minority children made significantly greater improvements in language skills than their host society classmates. At the mid-year point, junior kindergarten teachers made efforts to help linguistic-minority children overcome the challenges of the school environment of their new host society by adapting their pedagogical strategies to those showing difficulty in their receptive vocabulary skills. They also offered greater means of contact to parents of linguistic-minority children having difficulty attaining language proficiency than to parents of children showing better improvements. Parents of linguistic-minority students showing smaller gains were more likely to use a larger proportion of the communication methods offered by teachers and participate in the parent–school relationship for the well-being of their children. Long-term results suggest that linguistic-minority children continued to make significant improvements.