儿童入学准备状态的理论模型与干预途径

入学准备状态是指学龄前儿童为了能够从即将开始的正规学校教育中受益所需要具备的各种关键特征或基础条件。本文从三个方面介绍了国外关于儿童入学准备状态研究的新进展：（1）儿童学校适应结果的早期预测因素和儿童入学准备状态的生态学模型;（2）入学准备状态评定工具的发展状况和效度评价; （3）国外针对入学准备状态不足儿童采用的干预措施及其效果评价。最后,对当前研究的不足和未来发展方向进行了讨论,并结合文化差异对开展中国儿童入学准备状态研究提出了建议。     

教师关于儿童入学准备的观念

入学准备是指学龄前儿童为了能够从即将开始的正规学校教育中受益所需要具备的各种关键特征或基础条件.入学准备研究对于存在潜在发展风险之儿童的早期识别和及时干预具有重要价值.为了了解中国儿童入学准备应包含哪些方面,对76名幼儿园大班教师和65名小学一年级教师进行了半结构式访谈,结果发现:(1)中国儿童的入学准备可以归纳为26个项目;(2)“社会性与情绪发展”和“学习方式”领域的入学准备和适应问题被教师提及的次数较多,“认知发展与一般知识”、“言语发展”领域被提及较少,“身体健康和运动发展”领域被提及最少;(3)幼儿园教师和小学一年级教师对于入学准备所涉内容的看法比较接近;(4)小学一年级教师认为自理能力、学习技能和同伴交往等方面是当前幼儿园教育的薄弱环节.最后,结合访谈结果及NEGP模型对中国儿童入学准备研究的未来方向提出了建议.     

学前儿童入学准备的类型及其与自信心、焦虑的关系

利用潜在剖面分析法和辨别分析法对744名幼儿园大班儿童入学准备的类型进行了分类,探讨了不同类型儿童入学准备的特点;不仅使用变量为中心范式考察了儿童入学准备与心理健康的关系,而且使用个体为中心范式分析了不同类型儿童心理健康状况的差异。研究结果表明：（1）儿童入学准备的性别差异不显著;随着家长学历的升高,儿童入学准备水平呈现增高的趋势;（2）儿童入学准备分为成熟型、普通型和滞后型3种。成熟型儿童的入学准备水平最高,滞后型儿童的入学准备水平最低,而普通型儿童的入学准备水平处于成熟型和滞后型之间;（3）儿童入学准备和自信心显著正相关,与焦虑显著负相关;不同入学准备类型儿童的自信心和焦虑均差异显著。     

大班幼儿数学入学准备研究

研究从数与运算、量、几何空间及关系四个领域对江西省346名大班幼儿的数学入学准备的现状进行测查发现：幼儿在传递性推理、数的守恒概念、递增模式的认知等方面的发展相对较晚,在依据数量和大小进行双重排序、分类、加减运算等方面的发展相对较早;城市幼儿在各维度上的均分都显著高于农村幼儿;公办园幼儿学习结果优于民办园幼儿,小学附设幼儿最差。研究对了解公办与民办、城市与农村幼儿数学入学准备现状,分析幼儿数学学习影响因素,提高幼儿数学教育质量,进一步做好幼儿数学的入学准备具有重要的实现意义。     

小学一年级儿童入学准备状况及其家庭危险和保护因素的研究

以北京市某郊区310名儿童为研究对象,考察儿童的入学准备现状,并进一步探讨入学准备不足儿童的家庭危险和保护因素。结果发现:(1)儿童入学准备整体不足的比例为15.80%,各领域准备不足的比例依次为身体健康和动作技能(20.30%)、认知和一般知识(20.00%)、学习方式(19.70%)、情绪和社会性(17.70%)以及言语发展(13.90%)。(2)儿童(7岁)在入学准备整体和学习方式、言语发展领域的准备状况好于年龄较大儿童(≥7岁)。女生的身体健康和动作技能准备好于男生。(3)父母高学历、权威教养方式和户外互动是儿童入学准备不同领域的保护因素,专制和放任教养方式是其不同领域的危险因素。     

小学儿童入学准备的类型及其与学校适应关系的研究

对北京市389名儿童入学准备的类型进行研究,探讨不同入学准备类型儿童的特点,并通过追踪数据考察儿童入学准备类型对其一学期后学校适应的影响。结果表明:(1)入学准备可以分为入学准备良好、身体健康和动作技能准备不足、身体健康和动作技能突出/其他领域准备不足和入学准备综合不足四种类型;(2)女生入学准备良好型的比例显著高于男生,而身体健康和动作技能准备不足型、入学准备综合不足型的比例显著低于男生;(3)城区儿童入学准备良好型的比例显著高于郊区,而入学准备综合不足型的比例显著低于郊区;(4)入学准备良好型儿童的学校适应好于身体健康和动作技能准备不足型和入学准备综合不足型,入学准备综合不足型的学校适应最差。     

干预训练对儿童掌握遗传知识的作用

引入干预训练法探讨儿童的遗传概念的发展开辟了儿童朴素生物学认知领域研究的新方向。文章从干预内容（关于遗传的事实性知识与概念重组）和形式（讲授与同伴互动）两个方面报告了近些年有关干预训练影响儿童对遗传知识掌握的研究进展,并从不同干预内容和形式以及被试年龄选取的适当性三个方面,深入分析了以往各种干预方法效果差异的原因,最后提出未来的研究应致力于改进干预训练内容、探索儿童遗传概念获得的最佳时期和发展的快速期,强化儿童遗传认知的研究与幼儿生物科学启蒙教育之间的联系     

贫困对儿童心理健康的影响及其内在机制

儿童贫困问题是世界范围内的一个重大公共卫生问题。近几十年来,国内外的研究发现贫困对儿童的消极心理健康状态和积极心理健康状态均会产生影响。研究者试图从家庭和社会两个层面来解释贫困对儿童心理健康的影响,以揭示其内在影响机制。未来的研究应加强贫困儿童心理健康发展过程中的保护因素研究,探索儿童期贫困对个体心理健康的长期影响及其成因,进一步在我国社会文化背景下开展本土化研究,为实践上的预防和干预提供帮助。     

小学儿童数概念与运算能力发展的研究

我们曾对学龄前儿童和初入学儿童数概念与运算能力的发展作了研究。小学儿童的运算思惟是如何发展的呢?这也是儿童心理学重要研究领域之一。 我们围绕着小学儿童数概念与运算能力发展的研究,企图摸索一下小学儿童运算中     

数学困难儿童的数学估计能力

对数学困难儿童(简称数困)的数学估计进行探讨有助于理解数困的成因和寻找适当的干预措施。本文在简要回顾数困和估计的概念基础上, 重点对近年来国内外关于数困儿童数学估计(主要是估算和估数)的表现及影响因素、神经基础和相关的干预研究进行了回顾和梳理, 并强调未来对数困儿童的数学估计研究应注重从选取被试、扩展研究范围和加强干预方案设计等方面开展探讨。     

回忆准备就绪程度的判断发展

实验采用 3× 3× 2 (年龄 ,材料 ,性别 )三因素混合实验设计 ,按照学习成绩好、中、差分层随机选取小二、初二、大二被试各 18名 ,其中男女各半 ,选用三种不同的实验材料 ,对被试回忆准备就绪程度的判断发展进行了实验研究 ,得到结论如下 :回忆准备就绪程度的判断准确性随年龄增长而提高 ;回忆准备就绪程度的判断的发展总体上与材料难度无关 ;回忆准备就绪程度的判断发展总体上的性别差异不显著 ;回忆准备就绪程度的判断水平与记忆成绩之间有较高正相关。     

Building Schools’ Readiness to Implement a Comprehensive Approach to School Safety

Research consistently finds that a comprehensive approach to school safety, which integrates the best scientific evidence and solid implementation strategies, offers the greatest potential for preventing youth violence and promoting mental and behavioral health. However, schools and communities encounter enormous challenges in articulating, synthesizing, and implementing all the complex aspects of a comprehensive approach to school safety. This paper aims to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and the application of that evidence in schools and communities by defining the key components of a comprehensive approach to school safety and describing how schools can assess their readiness to implement a comprehensive approach. We use readiness and implementation data from the Safe Communities Safe Schools project to illustrate these challenges and solutions. Our findings suggest that (1) readiness assessment can be combined with feasibility meetings to inform school selection for implementation of a comprehensive approach to school safety and (2) intentionally addressing readiness barriers as part of a comprehensive approach may lead to improvements in readiness (motivation and capacity) to effectively implement a comprehensive approach to school safety.     

回溯性监测判断与预见性监测判断发展的比较研究

实验采用3×3×2(年龄,材料,性别)三因素混合实验设计,按照学习成绩好、中、差分层随机选取小二、初二、大二被试各18名,其中男女各半,对被试回溯性监测判断与预见性监测判断的发展进行了比较研究,得到如下结论①三种监测判断发展的速度不同,回溯性监测判断发展最早,回忆准备就绪程度的判断发展较早,任务难度的预见判断发展最晚。②材料在三种监测判断中的作用不同。③三种监测判断发展中性别差异均不显著。④预见性监测水平与记忆成绩之间存在较高正相关,而回溯性监测水平与记忆成绩之间相关较低。     

Improving School Readiness in Preschoolers with Behavior Problems: Results from a Summer Treatment Program

To examine a) the feasibility of delivering a summer treatment program for pre-kindergarteners (STP-PreK) with externalizing behavior problems (EBP) and b) the extent to which the STP-PreK was effective in improving children’s school readiness outcomes. Participants for this study included 30 preschool children (77 % boys; Mean age?=?5.33 years; 77 % Hispanic background) with at-risk or clinically elevated levels of EBP. The STP-PreK was held at an early education center and ran for 8-weeks (M-F, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) during the summer between preschool and kindergarten. In addition to a behavioral modification system and comprehensive school readiness curriculum, a social-emotional curriculum was also embedded within the STP-PreK to target children’s self-regulation skills (SR). Children’s pre- and post-school readiness outcomes included a standardized school readiness assessment as well as parental report of EBP, adaptive functioning, and overall readiness for kindergarten. SR skills were measured via a standardized executive functioning task, two frustration tasks, and parental report of children’s emotion regulation, and executive functioning. The STP-PreK was well received by parents as evidenced by high attendance and satisfaction ratings. Additionally, all school readiness outcomes (both parent and observational tasks) significantly improved after the intervention (Cohen’s d effect sizes ranged from 0.47 to 2.22) with all effects, except parental report of emotion regulation, being maintained at a 6-month follow-up. These findings highlight the feasibility and utility of delivering an early intervention summer program that can successfully target multiple aspects of children’s school readiness, including behavioral, social-emotional/self-regulation, and academics.     

How Preschoolers' Social–Emotional Learning Predicts Their Early School Success: Developing Theory‐Promoting,Competency‐Based Assessments

Starting on positive trajectories at school entry is important for children's later academic success. Using partial least squares, we sought to specify interrelations among all theory‐based components of social–emotional learning (SEL), and their ability to predict later classroom adjustment and academic readiness in a modelling context. Consequently, self‐regulation, emotion knowledge, social problem solving, and social–emotional behaviour were assessed via direct assessment and observation for 101 preschoolers; teachers provided information on classroom adjustment through kindergarten and academic readiness in kindergarten. Our final outer (measurement) model showed robust latent variables for SEL components. Regarding the inner (structural) model, latent variables showed expected predictive relations among SEL components, and with later classroom adjustment and academic readiness: preschoolers' executive control predicted aspects of their social cognition (i.e., emotion knowledge and social problem solving) and emotionally negative/aggressive behaviour, and emotion knowledge predicted their emotionally regulated/prosocial behaviour. Further, most SEL components directly and/or indirectly predicted teachers' evaluations of later classroom adjustment and kindergarten academic readiness. Our findings extend our understanding of SEL during preschool, suggesting that early assessment and monitoring is possible using these instruments, and potentially aiding the development of programmes to maximize children's SEL in the service of early school success. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Child physical punishment,parenting, and school readiness

This study explored how physical punishment (PP) and other parenting approaches may predict school readiness outcomes. By using the Canada‐wide representative data, 5,513 children were followed over a 2‐year period. Caregivers reported on their use of PP and other parenting approaches (i.e., literacy and learning activities and other disciplinary practices) when children were 2–3 years old, whereas school readiness was measured at 4–5 years using interviewer‐administered tests of number competence and receptive vocabulary skills. Analyses controlled for PP use at 4–5 years, child externalizing behaviours, and various sociodemographics. Results indicated that PP does not directly predict school readiness; however, the effect of PP was moderated by other parenting approaches. Children's receptive vocabulary was weaker if caregivers used PP together with less frequent explaining/teaching regarding problem behaviour, or PP with less frequent engagement in literacy and learning activities. Children had weaker number competence when PP co‐occurred with more frequent psychological aggression (e.g., yelling/scolding). Results suggest that PP hinders children's school readiness when used alongside other parenting approaches, which reflects the reality of parenting (i.e., PP does not occur in isolation). Findings support early education efforts aimed at promoting early learning and literacy opportunities, as well as positive disciplinary strategies that do not involve PP.

Highlights

• We explored how physical punishment and other parenting approaches may predict school readiness outcomes using Canada‐wide data.
• Results provided little evidence of positive effects of physical punishment on school readiness across a range of parenting and disciplinary contexts.
• To promote school readiness, early education efforts should promote early learning opportunities and positive disciplinary strategies that do not involve physical punishment.

     

Disentangling the Relations Between Different Components of Family Socioeconomic Status and Chinese Preschoolers’ School Readiness

Family socioeconomic status (SES) has been frequently linked to children’s early development. Treating SES as an aggregated variable has many issues, as different components of SES may relate to child outcomes through divergent mechanisms. The purpose of the study was to examine whether parents’ engagement in home learning activities and children’s participation in extracurricular activities (EAs) would function as pathways through which individual SES components related to children’s school readiness. A total of 588 families with preschool‐aged children were recruited from Guangdong province in China. Children’s receptive vocabulary, Chinese reading, and early math skills were individually assessed at three time points, and children’s social skills were rated by parents. Parents reported their engagement in home learning activities with children and their children’s participation in EAs. The results showed that all three components of family SES were related to multiple aspects of children’s school readiness, but through different pathways. Parental income was related to children’s school readiness through EA participation only; parental education and occupational status were associated with school readiness via both parental engagement and child EA participation. The findings suggest that considering SES components separately will produce a more nuanced understanding of the divergent pathways through which family SES may relate to children’s school readiness. Chinese government may provide parent education programs focused on cognitive stimulation for low‐SES families to promote children’s school readiness. Furthermore, the government needs to ensure children’s equal access to EAs to prevent increasing the developmental gap among children from discrepant socioeconomic backgrounds.