The transition from early childhood education to primary education is, in many countries, the beginning of compulsory education. This has meant that much of the research on this transition has focused on academic aspects such as literacy or logical-mathematical competence. The lines of research have changed, and in recent years, very diverse…

Object exploration is considered a driver of motor, cognitive, and social development. However, little is known about how early childhood education and care settings facilitate object exploration. This study examined if children's exploration of objects during free play was facilitated by the use of particular spatial components (floor, tables,…

This study aimed to determine the motor creativity of preschoolers, to develop a music education programme suitable for the interests and needs of children, and to investigate whether music education is effective in motor creativity. A quasi-experimental design was used to test the effect of music education programme on children's motor…

Parenting styles act as a risk or a protective factor for the development of aggressive behavior problems in children. Moreover, children with deficits in emotion regulation often show increased aggressive behaviors. Previous studies confirm that parenting style also contributes to the development of emotion dysregulation. The present longitudinal…

Adopting an integrative grounded theory approach, this study aimed to uncover parents' perceptions of instrumentality regarding early childhood education within the scope of their children's academic skills, social-emotional development, and occupational aspirations. A total of 32 parents, each with at least one child enrolled in a preschool for…

Many previous studies indicate that children are highly sensitive to the immoral behavior of others, preferring prosocial over antisocial characters. Accordingly, children avoid transgressors from a very early age. A special kind of transgressor is the moral hypocrite, who not only acts immorally but also acts in contrast to what they preach.…

Robotics has emerged as a popular interdisciplinary pedagogical approach in the field of education to teach children STEM concepts. By providing playful learning experiences, the use of robots engages children in an active learning process, making it an effective tool to promote their targeted knowledge, skills, and disposition towards STEM,…

The emergence of moral emotions such as guilt is central in moral and prosocial development. Guilt is an important psychological factor, which motivates prosocial behaviour and is credited for multiple social functions. Importantly, it remains unclear what determines the extent to which children show guilt. The current study examined two factors…

How does one assess developmental change when the measures themselves change with development? Most developmental studies of word learning use either looking (infants) or pointing (preschoolers and older). With little empirical evidence of the relationship between the two measures, developmental change is difficult to assess. This paper analyzes…

In the field of educational robotics, it is important to understand the processes trough which child-robot interactions are established during play activities. In terms of socio-material characteristics, robots can vary widely, from more mechanical robots to more anthropomorphic ones. Research has shown that the degree of anthropomorphization of…

This study considered the influences of the home learning environment and preschool quality on the development of 5-year-old Chinese (N = 43) and South Asian (N = 32) children in Hong Kong. Children were recruited from two preschools--one admitted only South Asian children, and the other admitted only Chinese children. Children were assessed in…

Background: Early childhood is a critical period of language development. Yet less is known about how language growth relates to the development of phoneme awareness and cognitive flexibility during this period. Aims: To examine the longitudinal associations between growth in phonological awareness and cognitive flexibility from 4 to 5 years in…

There is insufficient Swedish research on giftedness and home-school collaboration and meeting gifted children's needs in early childhood education. This qualitative study explored these issues by interviewing parents of gifted children. The thematic analysis examined parents' descriptions of children's early development, asynchronicity, and…

Research Findings: Outdoor environments have recently become part of the early childhood quality puzzle, which has long been important to trace relationships between children's experiences in child care and their development. However, fewer studies have analyzed the extent to which the quality of these outdoor spaces relates to young children's…

This study investigated the implementation of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) and the provision of professional growth training for preschool teachers serving at-risk children or children from culturally disadvantaged backgrounds in Taiwan. Related strategies and challenges were analyzed, and teachers' application of CRT practices in the…