The Relation of Preschool Child-Care Quality to Children''s Cognitive and Social Developmental Trajectories through Second Grade

The cognitive and socioemotional development of 733 children was examined longitudinally from ages 4 to 8 years as a function of the quality of their preschool experiences in community child-care centers, after adjusting for family selection factors related to child-care quality and development. These results provide evidence that child-care quality has a modest long-term effect on children's patterns of cognitive and socioemotional development at least through kindergarten, and in some cases, through second grade. Differential effects on children's development were found for two aspects of child-care quality. Observed classroom practices were related to children's language and academic skills, whereas the closeness of the teacher-child relationship was related to both cognitive and social skills, with the strongest effects for the latter. Moderating influences of family characteristics were observed for some outcomes, indicating stronger positive effects of child-care quality for children from more at-risk backgrounds. These findings contribute further evidence of the long-term influences of the quality of child-care environments on children's cognitive and social skills through the elementary school years and are consistent with a bioecological model of development that considers the multiple environmental contexts that the child experiences.     

Infant Information Processing in Relation to Six-Year Cognitive Outcomes

As part of a longitudinal follow-up of full-terms and preterms, infant measures of information processing obtained at 7 months and 1 year were related to various 6-year outcomes: general intelligence, language proficiency, early reading and quantitative skills, and several facets of perceptual organization (N = 91). 7-month Visual recognition memory (VRM) was associated with 6-year performance in all domains, and 3 1-year measures--VRM, cross-modal transfer (CMT), and object permanence--were related to IQ and/or one or more specific outcomes (r's = .20 to .47). Many of the infant-childhood relations remain significant even with IQ partialed. Additionally, 7-month VRM and 1-year CMT scores were lower for infants who, at 6 years, were considered at risk for learning disabilities. Overall, measures from the first year of life predicted both specific cognitive abilities and IQ at 6 years; to some extent, the specific abilities were predicted independently of IQ.     

论婴幼儿早期发展中“教”与“养”关系

在促进婴幼儿早期发展的过程中,"教"与"养"两种抚育行为构成了一对重要的关系,直接关系到婴幼儿身体发育和心理发展之间的相辅相成.早期的身心相依,决定了教与养合一,养的过程客观上渗透了教,但却是一个"无意教"的过程.处理教与养的关系,就是要使无意的教变为自觉的教,而不是刻意的教,是以养融教.     

Instrument Development and Validation of the Infant and Toddler Assessment for Quality Improvement

Research Findings: There is a growing need for accurate and efficient measures of classroom quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Observational measures are costly, as their administration generally takes 3–5 hr per classroom. This article outlines the process of development and preliminary concurrent validity testing of the Assessment for Quality Improvement (AQI), a new measure of global quality. The AQI is a classroom-level measure of structural and process quality. It consists of 24 items on a 5-point scale designed for use in ECEC infant and toddler classrooms. At between 60 and 90 min per room, the AQI is a relatively efficient measure. Item response theory modeling was used to ensure logical and coherent ordering of subitems. Exploratory factor analysis supported the use of the AQI total score and the Interactions section as a stand-alone measure. Correlations between the Infant and Toddler versions of the AQI and the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale–Revised were moderate, providing preliminary support for the concurrent validity of both versions. Practice or Policy: Our results suggest that the AQI is a promising, efficient measure of global quality in infant and toddler ECEC environments. This may be especially relevant for Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, for which the observational component is a major cost driver.     

Teacher-Rated Family Involvement and Children's Social and Academic Outcomes in Kindergarten

This study examines the relation between teachers' report of family involvement in school and children's social and academic competencies during kindergarten, after accounting for the contribution of socioeconomic status and early maternal sensitivity. Teachers reported on the family involvement for 223 children. Two dimensions of family involvement with school were measured: families' attitudes toward schools and families' activities with schools. Children's social and academic competence was assessed through classroom observations and teachers' reports. Results describe the contribution of socioeconomic status and maternal sensitivity in predicting some aspects of kindergarten competence, and the association of family involvement and child competence after accounting for these covariates. Findings suggest that teachers' reports of family attitudes are a more consistent predictor of outcomes than teachers' reports of family involvement activities. These findings support the position that families and schools can collaborate and provide a social resource to children in kindergarten.     

Home-Based Child Care Provider Education and Specialized Training: Associations With Caregiving Quality and Toddler Social-Emotional and Cognitive Outcomes

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: Although there has been considerable research on the associations between the qualifications of teachers in center-based settings and preschool-age children’s developmental outcomes, very little is known about the relationships between home provider qualifications and the developmental outcomes of toddlers who attend licensed family child care settings or unregulated family, friend, and neighbor care settings. Analyzing a sample of toddlers and their providers drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, we found positive relationships between home-based quality and higher education degree (defined as an associate’s degree or at least a bachelor’s degree), field of major, and coursework in early childhood education or a related field. However, provider qualifications were unrelated to children’s cognitive outcomes and related to a limited number of social-emotional outcomes. Practice or Policy: Our results suggest that as states consider the spectrum of supports needed for strengthening home-based child care in ways that facilitate responsive and developmentally supportive caregiving, strategies should include opportunities for home-based care providers to pursue higher education. A more nuanced analysis of the content and comprehensiveness of providers’ formal education is needed to better understand relationships between toddlers’ social and cognitive development and providers’ formal education.     

Infant Temperament Profiles,Cultural Orientation,and Toddler Behavioral and Physiological Regulation in Mexican-American Families

This study sought to (a) replicate infant temperament profiles from predominantly White samples in a sample of low-income, predominantly first-generation Mexican-American families, (b) investigate associations between infant temperament profiles and toddler behavioral and physiological regulation, and (c) explore whether mothers’ cultural orientation would moderate those associations. Mothers and infants (n = 322; 46% male) were assessed during pregnancy and at infant ages 9, 12, and 24 months. Latent profile analysis yielded three temperament profiles that were consistent with those from extant research. Compared to the high positive affect, well-regulated profile, the negative reactive, low regulated profile was associated with poorer behavioral and parasympathetic (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia) regulation, but associations depended on mothers’ Mexican and Anglo cultural orientation.     

Classroom Quality and Academic School Readiness Outcomes in Head Start: The Indirect Effect of Approaches to Learning

This study used the FACES 2009 dataset to examine the possibility of an indirect effect of classroom quality on academic school readiness through teacher-rated approaches to learning in a large nationally representative sample of children served by Head Start. Research indings: Classroom quality did not directly predict gains in academic school readiness across the Head Start school year (β = -0.009, p = .844). However, classroom quality did predict gains in teacher-rated approaches to learning (β = 0.151, p = .040), which in turn predicted gains in academic school readiness (β = 0.105, p < .001), and there was a significant indirect effect of classroom quality on academic school readiness through approaches to learning (β = 0.016, p = .049). Although associations were generally small, this pattern of results suggests that approaches to learning may facilitate the relationships between classroom quality and academic school readiness. Practice or Policy: Educators should make targeted efforts to boost children’s approaches to learning as it may represent an important lever for academic success. In a society increasingly focused on high-stakes testing, we must not lose sight of the importance of domain-general skills that can help children achieve school and life success.     

The Self-Perceptions of Pupils with Down Syndrome in Relation to Their Academic Competence,Physical Competence and Social Acceptance

The self-perceptions of 64 pupils with Down syndrome aged between 8 and 16 years were assessed in three school related domains; academic competence, physical competence, and social acceptance. Results from the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance and a School Situations Grid suggested that pupils with Down syndrome hold very positive self-perceptions in each school related domain, that self-perceptions become more positive with age, are more positive for females than males, and remain positive regardless of school placement type. The utility of the instruments for assessing the self-perceptions of pupils with Down syndrome is discussed. Possible explanations for the study findings and suggestions for further research are also raised.     

Assessing Quality in Toddler Classrooms Using the CLASS-Toddler and the ITERS-R

Many very young children attend early care and education programs, but current information about the quality of center-based care for toddlers is scarce. Using 2 observation instruments, the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale–Revised (ITERS-R) and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, Toddler Version (CLASS-Toddler), 93 child care classrooms for toddlers across the state of North Carolina, representing a range of quality, were assessed to determine overall quality, and associations between observed quality and teachers' ratings of child behavior problems and competence outcomes using the Brief Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment. Research Findings: Findings indicated that overall, toddler classrooms were rated as being of moderate quality. Associations between observed quality and teacher-reported child behavior problems and competence outcomes indicated that CLASS-Toddler ratings were positively associated with fewer behavior problems; specifically, children in classrooms with higher levels on the CLASS-Toddler domains of Emotional and Behavioral Support as well as Engaged Support for Learning were reported to have fewer behavior problems. Similarly, the ITERS-R subscales of Interaction and Listening and Talking were positively related to fewer reported behavior problems. Regression models showed that the CLASS-Toddler Emotional and Behavioral Support domain predicted differences in child behavior problems. Practice or Policy: Findings suggest the need for additional research related to very young children's experiences in center-based child care to examine associations between quality and child experiences and outcomes. Children's experiences over time need to be examined to understand how these early child care experiences are related to children's later school adjustment and performance. On a related note, professional development for teachers in toddler classrooms needs to be addressed in terms of preparing effective teachers for young children during the toddler developmental period.     

Perceived Classroom Interaction,Goal Orientation and Their Association with Social and Academic Learning Outcomes

This study aimed to investigate students’ perceptions of classroom interaction and goal orientation in association with academic achievement, school non-attendance, and disobedience among students in lower-secondary schools. The sample contained 1975 students from grades 8–10 (age 14–16) in 11 Norwegian lower-secondary schools. The results generally supported the theoretical model in which classroom interaction is significantly associated with goal orientation, which in turn is associated with academic achievement, school non-attendance, and disobedience. However, some grade-specific relations were observed.     

Impact of Process Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care on Academic Outcomes: Longitudinal Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis studies the association of pedagogical processes in early childhood care and education with outcomes in two academic domains: language and literacy as well as mathematics. It synthesizes evidence from 17 longitudinal studies in nine European countries with 16,461 children in regular center-based care spanning the period between ages 3 and 16. Results of a three-level meta-analysis provided small overall effect sizes for both global and domain-specific process quality, and indicated lasting associations with academic development over children’s school career (ES = .11, Cohen’s d = .22, and ES = .10, Cohen’s d = .20). Effects varied by outcome domain, type of process measure, and differences in adopted analyses, with important implications for pedagogical practice and future research.     

Neurocognitive and Temperamental Systems of Self‐Regulation and Early Adolescents’ Social and Academic Outcomes

ABSTRACT— The aim of the current study was to examine the role of individual differences in neurocognitive and temperamental systems of self‐regulation in early adolescents’ social and academic competence. Measures used in the study included the Attention Network Test, the Early Adolescence Temperament Questionnaire, a peer‐reported Social Status Questionnaire, a self‐reported measure of Schooling Skills, and information on grades obtained by the students in a variety of school subjects (n= 69 12‐year olds). Results showed that efficiency of the neurocognitive network of executive attention is related to academic outcomes, particularly in mathematics, as well as to aspects of social adjustment. Temperamental effortful control appears to be a significant predictor of all dimensions of school competence assessed in this study and mediates the relationship between social adjustment and poor schooling outcomes. These data suggest that individual differences in systems of self‐regulation are central to understanding processes of learning and social adjustment in the school.     

农村老年人社会支持与生活质量的相关研究

采用《社会支持评定量表》和《生活质量量表》对河北省农村老年人进行抽样调查。结果表明,农村老年人的社会支持对生活质量有显著影响,不同来源的社会支持对生活质量的影响不同,其中主观支持的影响更为显著。要改进农村老年人的社会支持、提高生活质量,就要充分发挥政府职能和家庭养老功能,同时改进农村老年人及其家庭成员的养老意识。     

高校教师思想政治工作与社会稳定

阐述高校教师思想政治工作的重要性,指出高校教师队伍整体思想现状是健康、积极、向上的,但也存在一些值得关注的问题。提出为了维护校园和社会稳定,应始终坚定不移地以邓小平理论、江泽民“三个代表”思想作为高校教师思想政治工作的武器;加强理论研究和思想政治工作规律探索,提高思想政治工作效能;充分发挥高校基层党组织的战斗堡垒作用和广大教师党员的先锋模范作用;引导广大高校教师参加社会实践,让他们了解中国国情,关注社会,关爱民生,增强维护社会稳定的紧迫感。     

中学生的情绪智力及其与社会适应的关系

对六城市的2533名中学生施测情绪智力、人格五因素和社会适应问卷,以探讨中学生情绪智力的发展特点及其与社会适应的关系。结果表明:(1)中学生情绪智力的不同维度表现出不同的发展特点;(2)情绪感知可显著负向预测个体的行事效率、违规行为和积极应对;情绪运用可显著正向预测积极社会适应的所有4个维度;情绪理解可显著正向预测亲社会倾向;情绪管理可显著正向预测行事效率,负向预测违规行为;(3)与人格的预测作用相比较,情绪智力对个体社会适应的意义尤为突出地表现在对于生活中困难与挫折的应对上。     

中国农村贫困地区6-30月龄儿童喂养状况和影响因素的实证研究

儿童生命早期是决定其未来健康状况和能力发展的最关键时期,并将长期影响儿童的生存、生长、发育、人力资本积累以及未来一生的收入水平。本研究采用来自秦巴山区农村地区的1802名6-30月龄儿童及其家庭的基线和追踪调研数据,通过描述性分析和逻辑回归模型方法分析了婴幼儿照养人的喂养行为现状及其影响因素。本研究发现,秦巴山区农村照养人存在过早停止母乳喂养的情况,仅有27%的婴幼儿在6个月前进行了纯母乳喂养,42%的婴幼儿母乳喂养持续到1周岁,从未纯母乳喂养过的婴幼儿比例高达39%。从辅食喂养情况来看,样本地区6-23月龄儿童中能够达到食物最小多样性的儿童比例为36%,该水平低于其他东亚和太平洋国家农村地区的均值(56.7%),但远高于非洲和南亚国家农村地区的均值(14.1%-23.7%)。秦巴山区农村照养人喂养行为不佳的一个可能原因是他们缺少可靠的知识和信息来源。此外,喂养行为与照养人的教育水平成显著正相关关系。因此,如何为农村地区的照养人,尤其是教育水平较低的照养人,提供儿童生长发育和喂养知识的支持与指导是一个必要且重要的研究方向。