The present study explored the association between the structural quality of child care, caregivers' sensitive responsiveness, children's involvement in play and activity in the setting, and children's expression of aggression. Eighty-four early childhood care settings were classified into either high (29) or low structural quality (55) based on…

The purpose of this article is to present a theory-driven blended intervention model that integrates evidence-based interventions to support language and social development of young children. We (1) provide an overview of practices that are designed to support language and social-emotional development, (2) present a theory of change model that…

The purpose of this article is to present a theory-driven blended intervention model that integrates evidence-based interventions to support language and social development of young children. We (1) provide an overview of practices that are designed to support language and social-emotional development, (2) present a theory of change model that…

The twofold aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between toddlers' physical and social spontaneity, as well as to investigate the interaction effects of gender, geographical background, and mother's occupational status on preschoolers' playfulness. Participants were 650 preschool children (353 boys, 297 girls), attending…

The purpose of the current study was to examine power assertive parental discipline and child difficult temperament as predictors of children's behaviour problems (internalizing, externalizing, and total behaviour problems) as well as mediating role of difficult temperament between power assertive parental discipline and children's behaviour…

Adults' behaviour in interactions with children is assumed to influence children's playfulness. However, little is known about how the quality of teacher-child interaction in early childhood education and care affects the development of children's playfulness, although the interaction quality has been identified as a strong predictor of children's…

The objective of the current study was to systematically review the available literature on the relation between behavioral and cardiac indicators used to measure distress in toddlerhood. After ascertaining the eligibility of 2,424 articles through a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and PROSPERO…

This study aimed to explore whether early developmental abilities are related to future executive function (EF) in children with motor delays. Fourteen children with motor delays (Mean age = 10.76, SD = 2.55) were included from a larger study. Object interaction and developmental outcomes (Bayley-III) were evaluated at baseline and 3, 6, and 12…

The relationship between turn taking (i.e., back-and-forth preverbal communicative exchanges) and joint attention has not been studied in interactions between children with autism and caregivers. In joint attention, a form of preverbal social communication, young children socially share attention with a partner about objects, a competency that is…

The relationship between turn taking (i.e., back-and-forth preverbal communicative exchanges) and joint attention has not been studied in interactions between children with autism and caregivers. In joint attention, a form of preverbal social communication, young children socially share attention with a partner about objects, a competency that is…

Developmental delays (DD) are missed early childhood developmental milestones in cognitive, motoric or linguistic domains. DD associated with behaviour problems may compound to impact parenting. This study investigated whether DD would moderate the relation between behaviour problems and parenting in families of toddlers. Data were drawn from an…

Spatial play in early childhood is associated with a variety of spatial and cognitive skills. However, these associations are often derived from studies in which different tasks are used across different age ranges, leaving open the question of how children's natural behaviors during spatial play develop from infancy into the early preschool…

This study examined the reciprocal associations between sleep (duration and quality) and aggressive behavior in toddlers. The sample consisted of 82 children (43 boys and 39 girls) and their parents who completed two assessments, when children were 2 and 3 years old. At both time points, children wore an actigraph for 3 consecutive days to assess…

This study examines the association between teacher--child interaction quality and children's self-regulation in Finnish and Portuguese toddler classrooms. The participants included 230 Finnish (M = 29; SD = 3 months) and 283 Portuguese M = 30, SD = 4 months) toddlers and their teachers (n = 43 Finland; n = 29 Portugal). The children's behavioural…

Risk-taking during the toddler years is crucial for the development of autonomy, initiative, and independence. However, the current culture in the U.S. seeks to minimize the risks young children are exposed to. This small-scale, mixed methods study examined parental attitudes towards toddler risk-taking and children's behavior during nature play.…