The association between playgroup participation, learning competence and social-emotional wellbeing for children aged 4-5 years in Australia

Data from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children is used to examine the associations between playgroup participation and the outcomes for children aged 4 to 5 years. Controlling for a range of socio-economic and family characteristics, playgroup participation across the ages of 0-3 years was used to predict learning competence and social-emotional functioning outcomes at age 4-5 years. For learning competence, both boys and girls from disadvantaged families scored 3-4% higher if they attended playgroup when aged 0-1 and 2-3 years compared to boys and girls from disadvantaged families who did not attend playgroup. For social and emotional functioning, girls from disadvantaged families who attended playgroup when they were aged 0-1 and 2-3 years scored nearly 5% higher than those who did not attend. Demographic characteristics also showed that disadvantaged families were the families least likely to access these services. Despite data limitations, this study provides evidence that continued participation in playgroups is associated with better outcomes for children from disadvantaged families.

Australian children with special health care needs: Social-emotional and learning competencies in the early years

This study examined the relationship between special health care needs and social-emotional and learning competence in the early years, reporting on two waves of data from the Kindergarten Cohort of Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Six hundred and fifty children were identified through the 2-question Special Health Care Needs Screener as having special health care needs. Children with special health care needs were more likely to be male, to have been of low birth weight, to be taking prescription medications, to be diagnosed with a specific health condition and to be from families where the mother was less well educated. These children scored significantly lower on teacher-rated social-emotional and learning competencies prior to school compared to a control group of children without special health care needs. Multiple regression analyses indicated that being identified with a special health care need prior to school predicted lower social-emotional and learning competencies in the early years of school. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for policy and practice.

Self-regulation from birth to age seven : associations with maternal mental health, parenting, and social, emotional and behavioural outcomes for children

Self-regulation refers to our individual capacities to regulate our behaviours, emotions, and thoughts, with these skills developing rapidly across early childhood. This thesis examined sleep, emotional, and cognitive regulation development, and related parental influences, for children participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Important longitudinal associations among children's self-regulation, maternal mental health, parenting, and later behaviour problems for children were also investigated. A unique contribution of this research was a prevalence estimate of early childhood self-regulation problems in Australian children that was documented for the first time.

Multilingualism and speech-language competence in early childhood: Impact on academic and social-emotional outcomes at school

This large-scale longitudinal population study provided a rare opportunity to consider the interface between multilingualism and speech-language competence on children’s academic and social-emotional outcomes and to determine whether differences between groups at 4 to 5 years persist, deepen, or disappear with time and schooling. Four distinct groups were identified from the Kindergarten cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) (1) English-only + typical speech and language (n = 2,012); (2) multilingual + typical speech and language (n = 476); (3) English-only + speech and language concern (n = 643); and (4) multilingual + speech and language concern (n = 109). Two analytic approaches were used to compare these groups. First, a matched case-control design was used to randomly match multilingual children with speech and language concern (group 4, n = 109) to children in groups 1, 2, and 3 on gender, age, and family socio-economic position in a cross-sectional comparison of vocabulary, school readiness, and behavioral adjustment. Next, analyses were applied to the whole sample to determine longitudinal effects of group membership on teachers’ ratings of literacy, numeracy, and behavioral adjustment at ages 6 to 7 and 8 to 9 years. At 4 to 5 years, multilingual children with speech and language concern did equally well or better than English-only children (with or without speech and language concern) on school readiness tests but performed more poorly on measures of English vocabulary and behavior. At ages 6 to 7 and 8 to 9, the early gap between English-only and multilingual children had closed. Multilingualism was not found to contribute to differences in literacy and numeracy outcomes at school; instead, outcomes were more related to concerns about children’s speech and language in early childhood. There were no group differences for socio-emotional outcomes. Early evidence for the combined risks of multilingualism plus speech and language concern was not upheld into the school years.

Horsing around – Using equine facilitated learning to support the development of social-emotional competence of students at risk of school failure

The social-emotional issues some students experience can place them at risk of school failure. Traditional methods of support can be ineffective or not sustainable and new alternative approaches need to be attempted to support social-emotional competency, school engagement and success for students at risk. This paper discusses preliminary outcomes of an equine facilitated learning (EFL) programme specifically designed to focus on using horses to improve the resilience and social-emotional competency in students perceived as ‘at risk’ of school failure. This qualitative exploratory study used interviews and observations over a six month period to listen to the voices of the students themselves about their experiences of EFL. Initial findings from the pilot study suggest that EFL programmes can be a novel and motivating way to promote resilience training and social-emotional development of students at risk of failure and, in turn, improve their level of engagement and connection with school environments.

Impact of the Roots of Empathy Programme on Social-Emotional Learning: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Roots of Empathy (ROE) is a universal, school-based social and emotional learning programme aimed at increasing prosocial behaviour and reducing difficult behaviour. This paper reports the findings of a cluster randomized controlled trial of the effects of ROE on 8-9 year old children. 74 schools and 1,181 children took part. The findings provide evidence that ROE is effective in increasing prosocial behaviour (g=+.20, p=.043) and some potential evidence that it may reduce difficult behaviour (g=-.15, p=.070). While ROE was found to lead to improvements in positive behaviour, these were not associated with improvements in empathy or other social and emotional learning outcomes.

Dilemma-based learning in the humanities : integrating social, emotional and thinking skills.

Ayuda a entender las formas de aplicación de los dilemas en el marco del aprendizaje de las humanidades en secundaria. Esta técnica introduce instrumentos que ayudan a los estudiantes a practicar y desarrollar habilidades para la reflexión, la investigación y el pensamiento lógico y analítico, que les permiten tomar decisiones sabias en sus vidas. El trabajo con los dilemas, también mejora las aptitudes sociales de los alumnos y su aptitud para trabajar en grupo de manera eficaz; les facilita el desarrollo de otras capacidades como el pensamiento creativo y el razonamiento que pueden utilizar en otras asignaturas y, asimismo, colabora en su desarrollo profesional.

100 ideas for supporting pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Guía que proporciona a los que trabajan con niños con dificultades sociales, emocionales y de conducta cien ideas prácticas de cómo apoyar y desarrollar su aprendizaje. Las ideas están organizadas en quince secciones que incluyen información que va, entre otras, desde la creación de un entorno de aprendizaje, el apoyo al alumno, el desarrollo de técnicas de gestión eficaz del aula, o cómo hacer frente a los comportamientos profundamente difíciles.

Meeting the needs of disafected students : engaging students with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Recurso que ofrece actividades para involucrar a los estudiantes desmotivados y asegurar que tengan éxito en su experiencia de aprendizaje, independientemente de sus necesidades particulares. A través de una variedad de enfoques y técnicas, incluida la alfabetización emocional, ofrece estrategias de apoyo y da ejemplos prácticos de cómo estimular e involucrar a estos estudiantes en la gestión de su comportamiento y su aprendizaje. Describe las causas del absentismo escolar y expone una serie de síndromes y trastornos que pueden dar lugar a la aversión a la escuela.

Play=learning : how play motivates and enhances children's cognitive and social-emotional growth.

En este recurso para estudiantes e investigadores en psicología del desarrollo, expertos en desarrollo infantil y aprendizaje piden reconsiderar las formas de juego que facilita el desarrollo en todos los campos ya que el juego proporciona a los niños la oportunidad de maximizar sus capacidades de atención, aprender a llevarse bien con sus compañeros, cultivar su creatividad, trabajar a través de sus emociones y obtener las habilidades académicas que son la base para el aprendizaje futuro.

Social-emotional adustment in deaf children: An investigation of the relationship between academic and speech perception abilities to social-emotional adjustment

This paper discusses the results of a study undertaken to determine if there is a relationship between psychological variables and cognitive or academic variables among hearing-impaired children.

A comparison of social-emotional patterns of day versus residential students enrolled in an oral educational setting

This paper reviews a study of CID students and their scores on the Meadow-Kendall Social-Emotional Assessment Inventory test (SEAI).

The school and the social-emotional adjustment of hearing-impaired adolescents

This paper reviews the social and emotional issues of hearing impaired adolescents.