Preterm birth is associated with reduced social attention in infancy. Are these early social attention differences linked to later interactive ability? This study draws on a well-characterized preterm cohort in whom we have previously demonstrated a reduced attentional preference for social information in infancy, using eye-tracking. States of…

This study examined parental perceptions of the character traits of children with autism from early childhood to age 11. Parents (n = 153) provided descriptions of the "best things" about their children on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at ages 3-4, 7-8, and 10-11 years. Descriptions were coded using the framework of the Values in…

Communication is a vital social phenomenon; therefore, its study must be related to theories of social structure, social behavior, and human interaction. Successful communication is substantially crucial for better social life in all contexts. Unfortunately, the process of communication in medical settings and healthcare is challenging, especially…

Little research has been conducted on Arabic letter knowledge. This study investigates the nature of Arabic letter knowledge, its dimensionality, and the relative difficulty of letter knowledge items, all within an item response theory (IRT) framework. Three letter knowledge tests were administered to 142 native Arabic-speaking kindergarteners…

This article focuses on the fundamental role that early childhood educators (ECEs) play in the lives of infants and very young children and their families--underscoring the power of early interactions and relationships between infant--toddler and preschool educators and the children in their programs. The authors explore the ECEs' unique roles,…

Despite considerable progress in characterizing the early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), more remains to be learned about how symptoms emerge in the first year of life. Parents with a new baby who already had at least one biological child diagnosed with ASD (high-risk) or no family history of ASD (low-risk) completed two measures when…

Shared reading is an important context for the development of communication, language, and literacy skills in young children. Research conducted with children who require augmentative and alternative communication has indicated that dialogic reading techniques utilized in shared reading can aid in the development of communication skills. One area…

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between flow intelligence (Gf), age and cognitive abilities of processing speed (Comp) of attention (Incomp) and reaction inhibition (Flef) in relation to the level of Mathematical proficiency (MP) of preschool students. Sixty-four kindergarten students participated in the research. Based on…

Language play occurs when people manipulate language in some way, often for fun and always for impact. Alliteration, unexpected vocabulary, phrases that deliberately provoke thought each have impact and appear in all types of writing, whether factual, literary or persuasive. Language play is evident throughout life too: from simple word repetition…

"Growing Steady and Strong: Early Childhood Development Regional Guidance in East Asia and the Pacific" was developed against the backdrop of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis to support the country offices of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in implementing the early childhood development (ECD) agenda as a key pillar…

This Data Point uses data from the 2019 Early Childhood Program Participation (ECPP) survey. The ECPP survey asks about young children's participation in weekly child care. The survey includes three types of care: (1) care from a family member other than a parent (relative care); (2) care from someone who is not a relative (nonrelative care); and…

Background: Vocabulary and domain knowledge are important factors that influence comprehension development. However, these factors have most frequently been examined in relation to reading comprehension and much less frequently examined in relation to listening comprehension. Moreover, almost no empirical studies have examined profiles of…

Background: Vocabulary and domain knowledge are important factors that influence comprehension development. However, these factors have most frequently been examined in relation to reading comprehension and much less frequently examined in relation to listening comprehension. Moreover, almost no empirical studies have examined profiles of…

How do children construct a concept of natural numbers? Past research addressing this question has mainly focused on understanding how children come to acquire the cardinality principle. However, at that point children already understand the first number words and have a rudimentary natural number concept in place. The question therefore remains;…

Mutualism is a developmental theory that posits positive reciprocal relationships between distinct cognitive abilities during development. It predicts that abilities such as language and reasoning will influence each other's rates of growth. This may explain why children with Language Disorders also tend to have lower than average non-verbal…