Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and home learning environment (HLE): findings from a longitudinal study

The concept of “Home Learning Environment” (HLE) covers activities in a family providing intellectual stimulation for a child, such as reading to him or her or visiting libraries. Numerous studies have shown an association between HLE and children's cognitive development. In this longitudinal study, we focus on HLE as a predictor for children's behavioral development, namely, for later symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), controlling for relevant aspects like socioeconomic status (SES), or television viewing behavior. We analyzed the development of ADHD symptoms from kindergarten to the end of grade 2 and possible associations with HLE, SES, and television exposure, using a German community sample (N?=?924). Results indicated that ADHD symptoms were negatively and significantly correlated to HLE for all five measurement points as well as to SES (except T4) and to television exposure for T1 to T4. Observing later development, only early HLE but not SES or television exposure served as a significant predictor for ADHD symptoms at school, when age, sex, and ADHD symptoms in kindergarten were controlled for. A structural equation model showed that HLE acted as a mediator between SES and later ADHD symptoms. Our results highlight the importance of the concept of home learning environment also for children's behavioral development. As a consequence, parents should be supported in offering their children a more favorable learning environment.     

Casting the die before the die is cast: the importance of the home numeracy environment for preschool children

Mathematical competencies are important not only for academic achievement at school but also for professional success later in life. Although we know a lot about the impact of “Home Literacy Environment” on the development of early linguistic competencies, research on “Home Numeracy Environment” (HNE) and the assessment of its influence on the development of mathematical abilities is in its infancy. We still lack studies analysing this relationship and simultaneously controlling for other variables concerning the individual and the environment. Thus, in this article, we focussed on the development of mathematical competencies in a sample of 609 German children from the end of kindergarten until the end of Grade 1. In particular, we were interested in the role HNE plays in regard to this development while controlling for age, sex, intelligence, rapid naming, number span, linguistic competencies, kindergarten attendance and socioeconomic status. Moreover, HNE was compared between families with or without a history of mathematical disability. HNE was not only an important predictor of mathematical abilities at the end of kindergarten, but it also influenced the further development of mathematical competencies above and beyond its initial impact. Families with a history of dyscalculia provided a more unfavourable HNE than families with no such problems. Results are shown in a structural equation model, which highlights the importance of HNE. The findings indicate that those involved in policy and intervention should focus more on the learning environments in families to improve children's achievement.     

Book reviews

Interactive Television. TV of the future or the Future of TV Eds. Jens F. Jensen & Cathy Toscan, Media & Cultural Studies 1, Aalborg University Press, Aalborg, Denmark, 1999, ISBN 87–7307–625–2 / ISSN 1399–1752 http://www.forlag.auc.dk/en/

Killer Content: Strategies for Web Content and E‐Commerce written by Mai‐Ian Tomsen. Addison‐Wesley, 2000, 224 pages, ISBN: 0201657864. http://www.aw.com

The Business of Digital Television written by Chris Forrester. Focal Press, Oxford, Auckland, Boston, Johannesburg, Melbourne, New Delphi, 2000. ISBN 0 240 51606 0. http://www.focalpress.com     

Exploring the Effects of Television Viewing on Perceived Life Quality: A Combined Perspective of Material Value and Upward Social Comparison

American television programs have been criticized for being filled with images endorsing capitalist consumerism and for being weighted toward the upper middle classes. This study proposed that heavy viewing of these distorted representations may culminate in decreases in viewers' life satisfaction. A path model investigated this supposition, based on material value and social comparison perspectives. Surveys were administered to 225 adults in a northeastern town in the United States, and the data were subjected to path analysis. The findings of this study suggest that heavy television viewing may be associated with material value, estimates of other people's affluence, and perceived gaps between the self and others in material affluence. Of importance, the findings also suggest that the perceived gaps between the self and others may be associated both with dissatisfaction with personal life and dissatisfaction with current social equality, whereas material value may be associated only with dissatisfaction with personal life.     

An Update on COUNTER and SUSHI

Since its inception in 2002, COUNTER has given hope to many librarians charged with collecting usage data for their online collections. This hope turned to optimism in 2007 with the release of SUSHI (Standardized Usage Harvesting Initiative) as a NISO standard (Z39.93). In 2009 release 3 of the COUNTER Code of Practice for Journals and Databases takes effect and with it are some significant advances that will turn hopes and optimism into realities. This article describes the changes and their implications.     

Improving OpenURL Linking

Ever since OpenURL linking was introduced in 2000 by Herbert van de Sompel the link resolver has played an important role in providing users with access to the online resources they have rights to. From the start, one of the criticisms of OpenURL linking has been that it is not 100% successful—sometimes the user is presented with a link to full text, but that link fails. In 2010 a new National Information Standards Organization (NISO) workgroup was created to tackle the issue of OpenURL quality. This column will discuss this NISO initiative and look in detail at the proposed “Completeness Index” that promises a means of measuring the quality of OpenURLs being submitted by various content providers. The article will also discuss how some OpenURL quality issues may be more perception than reality and how librarians can configure their links and link resolvers to overcome these negative perceptions.     

Hurry Up,Please. It's Time—State of Emergency

This article explores the ethics of preservation, both as they have been traditionally established and as they might apply to current and future digital preservation efforts. The first part of the article reviews the literature of the past two decades to see how the preservation community has defined the ethical dimensions of its work, as well as developed guidelines to support an ethical practice. The second part considers digital preservation and the ways it both extends and complicates established ethical tenets. Digital preservation challenges the library community to revisit fundamental preservation practices and responsibilities. Our ability to come to consensus on these issues will be critical for the public's continued trust in our roles as stewards of the cultural record.     

ONIX-PL License Encoding Project

ONIX for Publication License (ONIX-PL) was introduced in 2006 with great hope that it would simplify the licensing and license management aspects of e-resource management. However, after several years this standard has not seen significant commercial adoption. Believing this standard still holds promise, the National Information Standards Organization, with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and support from Jisc and EDItEUR, has launched the ONIX-PL License Encoding Project. The goal of the project is to accelerate adoption by creating and making publicly available a set of publisher licenses encoded to the ONIX-PL standard. In this column we provide more details on the project, its goals, challenges, and prospects.