Interventions targeting cognitive control processes, such as Executive Functions (EF) have recently been experimented to enhance early math skills. This pilot study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of an intervention integrating EF activities into the mathematical domain among second-grade students. One hundred and four…

School adjustment is an important factor in children's, and research attributes an important role to the quality of the teacher-student relationship in predicting more favourable school adjustment. The purpose of this study is to expand our knowledge of the relationship between teacher-student relationship quality and school adjustment (academic…

A close student-teacher relationship is a protective factor for students' psychological well-being, and it is associated with students' internalizing and externalizing symptoms, but the mechanism underlying this association is unclear. To address this issue, this study investigated the role of children's hope in the relationship between teachers'…

Many studies have explored how Language-Minority Bilingual Children (LMBC) read and comprehend, while the way they learn to spell and write has received less attention. This study aimed to assess a comprehensive profile of spelling and writing skills in LMBC, comparing performances of 4th and 5th grade bilingual (n = 74) and monolingual (n = 131)…

This study investigated the involvement of Italian preschool and primary school teachers in outdoor education and scouting activities and their association with student cooperation and personal care. While outdoor education has various psychophysiological, psychosocial, social, and pedagogical benefits, some teachers express concerns about their…

The goal of this study was to track the progress of Italian children at risk for school failure enrolled in preschools based on the Reggio-Emilia approach. Risk factors considered included family socioeconomic status (SES), child receptive language, and child gender. Participants were 211 children (Mage = 60.8 months, 116 girls) in Reggio-inspired…

In this paper, we investigated the contribution of both cognitive and affective factors to mathematical skills. In particular, we looked at the protective role of self-concept for mathematical learning and performance. In a field study, we tested the relation of math self-concept and short-term visuo-spatial working memory to the mathematical…

The present research aims to extend findings from a recent study in which a large sample of primary and secondary school pupils was asked to choose a hypothetical classmate they would invite to share five different activities. Results demonstrated that a visible disability represents a barrier for social participation and involvement. In the…

In an era of evolving literacy challenges, an Italian based project 'Leggere: Forte!' (Reading Strong) is promoting shared reading aloud to spark youth interest in reading and improve language skills. Now in its third year, the project team have analysed the impact of daily shared reading on 1829 children aged 3-10. The results show significant…

In the early years of school, pupils have a very positive approach towards any new topic. Very often, the first contact with mathematics in the Italian school risks giving a limited and somehow negative impression, generating long-lasting effects. In this paper, we report on a series of experiences carried out in a second-year class of a primary…

Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to reflect on and process the sounds of spoken language and to conduct mental operations on the units that represent them, that is, phonemes. This study intended to examine the descriptive and psychometric properties of the phonemic awareness of schoolers test assessment (PASTA), a new tool that assesses…

This study was intended to assess the effect of a psychoeducational computer-assisted and paper-and-pencil training designed to empower visuospatial skills in students attending the second grade of the primary school. At pretest, posttest and at the subsequent 3-months follow-up, 44 Italian second graders were presented with a battery of tests…

In the current study, we investigated the role of vocabulary knowledge in the relation between working memory (WM) and reading comprehension, in a sample of 55 typically developing 8-year-old Italian children. The role of WM in comprehension is well-established, as both involve similar processes for successful task performance (i.e., active…

This study investigated the enjoyment, boredom, and anxiety of elementary school students and the relations of these emotions with achievement in two domains. Seven-hundred-and-sixty-seven second- and fourth-graders completed an adaptation of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Elementary School (AEQ-ES: Lichtenfeld, Pekrun, Stupnisky, Reiss,…

Undergraduate teacher candidates participated in a faculty-led, short-term study abroad to Reggio Emilia in Italy to further their knowledge about the educational philosophy used within the school setting and for the purpose of examining how philosophy might be applied in school settings in the United States. The faculty-led, short-term study…