Conversational turns are an important predictor of cognitive and language development, but little is known about their relationship with socioemotional development. In a previous study using LENA technology, Gómez and Strasser (2021) found that conversational turns assessed with 43 infants at 18 months predicted socioemotional competencies at 30…

In exploring how ritualized activities can help to nurture children's spiritual growth, this article encourages a re-thinking of what ritual involves. The link between ritual and routine is explored. Distinctions are drawn between personal and collective and between 'everyday' and 'special occasion' rituals, with neither the sole preserve of…

The psychological impacts of war on young learners' social and emotional development are examined in this integrated review. Not only can war and armed conflict have a profound influence on individual children, but they also negatively affect the entire family system. The difficulties associated with relocation, migration, and acclimatisation to…

Traditionally, children have generally been considered as developmentally immature and unable to experience spirituality. However, more recent studies seem to indicate the opposite. This article aims to: (1) explore how religiosity and spirituality evolve in the developing person; (2) describe the perceptions of children about God; (3) explore how…

This paper reports on the findings of a natural experiment based on a sample of 1123 children aged 4-8 from the provinces of Punjab in Pakistan, and Gujarat in India. It looks at the impact of attendance (or not) in early schooling on the cognitive and social-emotional development of young children. The role of school attendance was assessed over…

Background: Adolescence is crucial for nurturing motivation in peer relationships and for academic achievement. Although social and academic intrinsic values develop together, the direction of their development remains inconclusive. Aims: This study examined the longitudinal relations between social and academic intrinsic values to clarify their…

Aim/Purpose: This study explores the effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR) application designed to teach Theory of Mind (ToM) skills to children aged 5-6, addressing the gap in research on the use of VR for typically developing children. Background: ToM is a critical skill for social interaction and understanding others' perspectives. Despite…

Within educational research, there is a growing interest in using neuroscience methods such as electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) to probe neural mechanisms underlying students' learning and development, in natural, school-based settings. The results of these studies are beginning to appear in educational,…

Early childhood education (ECE) is vital for children's development, especially from birth to age five. Yet, there remains significant variation in teachers' qualifications across different settings and countries. While previous research suggests that teachers' qualifications may influence children's development outcomes in early childhood…

The new edition of "Exploring Critical Issues in Gifted Education" presents problem-based learning scenarios that explore authentic situations found in K-12 classrooms. The real-world, current issue scenarios and cases described in this text are designed to be read and discussed in a short amount of time, allowing the reader to gain…

Adverse experiences in early childhood may directly and indirectly impact children's development, including their preparedness to learn in their preschool and kindergarten classes. However, like many other developmental processes, these skills can be supported through positive experiences and resources in a child's environment. This work uses the…

Early childhood development (ECD) initiatives are championed globally due to their proven ability to help children at risk of developmental delay attain their developmental potential. A comparative study was conducted using a mixed research approach to assess child development disparities among rural and urban children across the domain of child…

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…

Autism spectrum condition (ASC) is characterized by atypical attention to eyes and faces, but the onset and impact of these atypicalities remain unclear. This prospective longitudinal study examined face perception in infants who develop ASC (N = 22, female = 5, 100% White) compared with typically developing infants (N = 131, female = 65, 55.6%…

The development of executive function (EF) has been linked to various life outcomes, motivating intense research on the topic. While much of this research has focused on more thoroughly understanding age-related changes of the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms involved, recent theoretical and empirical works have stressed how the immediate…