Executive functions (EF) are domain-general cognitive skills that predict foundational academic skills such as literacy and numeracy. However, less is known about the relation between EFs and science achievement. The nature of this relation might be explained by the theory of mutualism, which states that development is the result of complex and…

Assessing children's working memory capacity (WMC) can be challenging for a variety of reasons, including the rapid increase in WMC across early childhood. Here, we developed and piloted an adapted WMC task, which involved minimal equipment, could be performed rapidly, and did not rely on verbal production ability (to facilitate the use of the…

The focus of this article is understanding the perceptions that Canadian Indigenous teachers and students have on a novel physical activity teaching method that is utilised in the classroom. We explore the role that physical activity plays in the healthy growth and development of children, with special attention to Indigenous children. Through…

Introduction: The main focus of early intervention is to strengthen the interaction of parents with young children with disabilities, and to ensure that parents become active participants in the development and education of their children. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an Early Intervention Program based on…

Children's experiences during early childhood are critical for their cognitive and socio-emotional development, two key dimensions of human capital. However, children from low income backgrounds often grow up lacking stimulation and basic investments, leading to developmental deficits that are difficult, if not impossible, to reverse later in life…

This book is an exploration of story and its importance in early childhood. It provides a thorough theoretical foundation, and considers how to practically implement the use of stories to aid children's wellbeing and holistic development. The chapters cover topics including cognitive and emotional development, creativity, play, mathematics,…

Recent genetic discoveries offer a new lens through which to study cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social processes that are foundational to children's development. In this article, we review the latest advances in genomics--genome-wide association studies and the polygenic scores that have come out of them--and discuss how these techniques…

Early intervention (EI) services--including but not limited to speech, physical, occupational, and mental health therapies--have been proven to significantly benefit young children's development, shaping their readiness for school and offering pivotal support for caregivers. However, racial disparities persist in identification for and access to…

This document describes plans for the analysis of the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE) follow-up data collected when participating children were in kindergarten or first grade. The overarching goal of MIHOPE is to provide information about whether families and children benefit from Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood…

Given the greater attention to student well-being as a concern for school education in Canada and beyond, this article is concerned with the questions of whether, and in what way, the well-being of children should be differently conceptualized than that of adults. This theoretical article responds to these questions and argues that the conceptual…

Animal love holds an important role in the emotional and social development of children. The ability of children to form an attachment to and to take responsibility for an animal, and the development of sensitive behaviors towards animals emphasize the importance of animal love in the personal development of children. This study was conducted to…

There is an urgent need to strengthen early childhood development and education in emergencies (ECDEiE) globally. Colombia has faced protracted and acute crises for decades. Also, the country has applied a unique approach to holistic and integrated ECDE policy formulation. We argue that these characteristics offer a valuable country-case to…

Just as paediatricians are the gatekeepers to children's physical health, preschool teachers are the gatekeepers to children's overall developmental progress. Their perceptions shape their interactions with their students and guide referral for special education. The implications for students' academic/developmental trajectories are manifold,…

Despite widespread interest in the construct of executive functioning (EF), we currently lack definitive evidence regarding the best measurement model for representing the construct in substantive analyses. The most common practice is to represent EF ability as a reflective latent variable, with child performance on individual EF tasks as observed…

Purpose: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is characterized by poor coordination and clumsiness in children. Subjects often show unsteady gait, frequent tripping, and difficulty holding objects. Here we evaluated the implicit and explicit motor learning capabilities of children with DCD. Method: We assessed a total of 80 children…