scholarly journals The Sign 4 Little Talkers Intervention to Improve Listening, Understanding, Speaking, and Behavior in Hearing Preschool Children: Outcome Evaluation

10.2196/15348 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e15348
Author(s):  
Rosemary Davidson ◽  
Gurch Randhawa
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Early Years ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Language And Communication ◽  
And Behavior

Background Gaining age-appropriate proficiency in speech and language in the early years is crucial to later life chances; however, a significant proportion of children fail to meet the expected standards in these early years outcomes when they start school. Factors influencing the development of language and communication include low income, gender, and having English as an additional language (EAL). Objective This study aimed to determine whether the Sign 4 Little Talkers (S4LT) program improves key developmental outcomes in hearing preschool children. S4LT was developed to address gaps in the attainment of vocabulary and communication skills in preschool children, identified through routine monitoring of outcomes in early years. Signs were adapted and incorporated into storybooks to improve vocabulary, communication, and behavior in hearing children. Methods An evaluation of S4LT was conducted to measure key outcomes pre- and postintervention in 8 early years settings in Luton, United Kingdom. A total of 118 preschool children were tested in 4 early years outcomes domains—listening, speaking, understanding, and managing feelings and behavior—as well as Leuven well-being scales and the number of key words understood and spoken. Results Statistically significant results were found for all measures tested: words spoken (P<.001) and understood (P<.001), speaking (P<.001), managing feelings and behavior (P<.001), understanding (P<.001), listening and attention (P<.001), and well-being (P<.001). Approximately two-thirds of the children made expected or good progress, often progressing multiple steps in educational attainment after being assessed as developmentally behind at baseline. Conclusions The findings reported here suggest that S4LT may help children to catch up with their peers at a crucial stage in development and become school ready by improving their command of language and communication as well as learning social skills. Our analysis also highlights specific groups of children who are not responding as well as expected, namely boys with EAL, and who require additional, tailored support.

scholarly journals The Sign 4 Little Talkers Intervention to Improve Listening, Understanding, Speaking, and Behavior in Hearing Preschool Children: Outcome Evaluation (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary Davidson ◽  
Gurch Randhawa
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Early Years ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Language And Communication ◽  
And Behavior

BACKGROUND Gaining age-appropriate proficiency in speech and language in the early years is crucial to later life chances; however, a significant proportion of children fail to meet the expected standards in these early years outcomes when they start school. Factors influencing the development of language and communication include low income, gender, and having English as an additional language (EAL). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine whether the Sign 4 Little Talkers (S4LT) program improves key developmental outcomes in hearing preschool children. S4LT was developed to address gaps in the attainment of vocabulary and communication skills in preschool children, identified through routine monitoring of outcomes in early years. Signs were adapted and incorporated into storybooks to improve vocabulary, communication, and behavior in hearing children. METHODS An evaluation of S4LT was conducted to measure key outcomes pre- and postintervention in 8 early years settings in Luton, United Kingdom. A total of 118 preschool children were tested in 4 early years outcomes domains—listening, speaking, understanding, and managing feelings and behavior—as well as Leuven well-being scales and the number of key words understood and spoken. RESULTS Statistically significant results were found for all measures tested: words spoken (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) and understood (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), speaking (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), managing feelings and behavior (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), understanding (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), listening and attention (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), and well-being (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). Approximately two-thirds of the children made expected or good progress, often progressing multiple steps in educational attainment after being assessed as developmentally behind at baseline. CONCLUSIONS The findings reported here suggest that S4LT may help children to catch up with their peers at a crucial stage in development and become <i>school ready</i> by improving their command of language and communication as well as learning social skills. Our analysis also highlights specific groups of children who are not responding as well as expected, namely boys with EAL, and who require additional, tailored support.

The impact of algorithmic decision-making processes on young people’s well-being (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvira Perez Vallejos ◽  
Liz Dowthwaite ◽  
Helen Creswich ◽  
Virginia Portillo ◽  
Ansgar Koene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Algorithms rule the online environments and are essential for performing data processing, filtering, personalisation and other tasks. Research has shown that children and young people make up a significant proportion of Internet users, however little attention has been given to their experiences of algorithmically-mediated online platforms, or the impact of them on their mental health and well-being. The algorithms that govern online platforms are often obfuscated by a lack of transparency in their online Terms and Conditions and user agreements. This lack of transparency speaks to the need for protecting the most vulnerable users from potential online harms. OBJECTIVE To capture young people's experiences when being online and perceived impact on their well-being. METHODS In this paper, we draw on qualitative and quantitative data from a total of 260 children and young people who took part in a ‘Youth Jury’ to bring their opinions to the forefront, elicit discussion of their experiences of using online platforms, and perceived psychosocial impact on users. RESULTS The results of the study revealed the young people’s positive as well as negative experiences of using online platforms. Benefits such as being convenient and providing entertainment and personalised search results were identified. However, the data also reveals participants’ concerns for their privacy, safety and trust when online, which can have a significant impact on their well-being. CONCLUSIONS We conclude by making recommendations that online platforms acknowledge and enact on their responsibility to protect the privacy of their young users, recognising the significant developmental milestones that this group experience during these early years, and the impact that technology may have on them. We argue that governments need to incorporate policies that require technologists and others to embed the safeguarding of users’ well-being within the core of the design of Internet products and services to improve the user experiences and psychological well-being of all, but especially those of children and young people. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

The Sign 4 Big Feelings intervention to improve early years outcomes in preschool children: Outcome evaluation (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary Davidson ◽  
Gurch Randhawa
Keyword(s):  
Economic Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Children’S Wellbeing ◽  
Preschool Age Children ◽  
Measuring Change ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Clinically Significant

BACKGROUND Any delays in language development may affect learning, profoundly influencing personal, social, and professional trajectories. The effectiveness of the Sign 4 Big Feelings (S4BF) intervention was investigated by measuring change in early years outcomes after a three month period. OBJECTIVE To determine whether Early Years Outcomes (EYOs) significantly improve (beyond typical expected development), if children’s wellbeing improves after the S4BF intervention period, and if there are differences between boys and girls in any progress made. METHODS An evaluation of S4BF was conducted with 111 preschool age children in early years settings in Luton, United Kingdom. Listening, speaking, understanding, and managing feelings and behaviour, in addition to Leuven well-being scales were used in a quasi-experimental study design to measure outcomes pre- and postintervention. RESULTS Statistically and clinically significant differences were found for each of the seven pre- and post measures taken: words understood and spoken, well-being scores, and the four EYO domains. Gender differences were negligible in all analyses undertaken. CONCLUSIONS Children of all abilities may benefit considerably from S4BF, but a language-based intervention of this nature may be transformational for children who are behind developmentally, with EAL needs or of lower socio-economic status. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN42025531; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN42025531

scholarly journals Understanding the influence of 24-hour movement behaviours on the health and development of preschool children from low-income South African settings: the SUNRISE pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Draper ◽  
Simone A Tomaz ◽  
Caylee J Cook ◽  
Sasha S Jugdav ◽  
Candice Ramsammy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Sedentary Behaviour ◽  
South African ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Gross Motor

Background: The International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years, SUNRISE, was initiated to assess the extent to which young children meet movement behaviour guidelines (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, screen time, sleep). Objective: The South African SUNRISE pilot study assessed movement behaviours in preschool children from two low-income settings, and associations between these movement behaviours, adiposity, motor skills and executive function (EF). Methods: Preschool child/parent pairs (n = 89) were recruited from preschools in urban Soweto and rural Sweetwaters. Height and weight were measured to assess adiposity. Physical activity was assessed using accelerometers while sedentary behaviour, screen time and sleep were assessed via parent report. Fine and gross motor development were measured using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3, and EF was assessed using the Early Years Toolbox. Results: The proportion of children meeting the physical activity guideline was 84% , 66% met the sleep guideline ,48% met the screen time guideline , and 26% met all three guidelines. Rural children were more active, but spent more time on screens compared to urban children. Most children were on track for gross (96%) and fine motor (73%) development, and mean EF scores were in the expected range for all EF measures. EF was negatively associated with screen time, and gross motor skills were positively associated with physical activity. Conclusion: The South African SUNRISE study contributes to the growing literature on 24-hour movement behaviours in SA preschool children, and highlights that these behaviours require attention in this age group.

Understanding the development of low-income marriages : investigating the antecedents and outcomes of marital functioning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jeremy B. Kanter
Keyword(s):  
Marital Satisfaction ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Marital Functioning ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
White Middle Class

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Change in marital satisfaction is a salient research topic for social scientists, especially given the association between marital functioning and adult and child well-being. Scholars have begun to recognize a decline in marital satisfaction is avoidable for the majority of couples, and recent work has demonstrated the antecedents and outcomes associated with different marital experiences. However, most work has used White, middle-class couples. Thus, it is unclear if these patterns replicate for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, what resources are associated with different relational pathways, and if relationship functioning is associated with psychological functioning. Using three waves of data from a sample of low-income newlywed couples in the Supporting Healthy Marriages project, I identified three classes of couples. The majority of spouses reported stable, high relationship functioning during the early years of marriage. Gender differences emerged, with husbands reporting more stable marital functioning than wives. Guided by the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model, I also found individual (family-of-origin experiences), dyadic (e.g., perceptions of support), and structural (e.g., neighborhood safety) factors were associated with different marital experiences. Last, I found that change in marital satisfaction was influential to change in psychological distress. These results advance scholarship on the inequalities and resilience factors prevalent in low-income populations.

scholarly journals Parental perceptions, attitudes and knowledge on European preschool children’s total screen time: the ToyBox-study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
María L Miguel-Berges ◽  
Alba M Santaliestra-Pasias ◽  
Theodora Mouratidou ◽  
Paloma Flores-Barrantes ◽  
Odysseas Androutsos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Parental Perceptions ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sedentary Behaviours ◽  
Attitudes And Knowledge

Abstract Background Preschool children spend a significant proportion of their waking hours being sedentary. Parents play a critical role in developing and shaping their children’s lifestyle behaviours, particularly in the early years of life. This study aims to assess parental perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of their preschool children’s sedentary behaviours and the association with children’s television (TV)/video/DVDs viewing and total screen time. Methods Data were obtained from a sample of 4836 children (3.5–5.5 years), participating in the multi-centre ToyBox-study at baseline (T0) and at 1-year follow-up (T1) periods. Data on children’s sedentary behaviours were collected via a standardized proxy-administered primary caregiver’s questionnaire. Results Regarding total screen time, 66.6% of the children at T0 and 71.8% at T1 in the control group exceeded the recommendations, whereas the proportion in the intervention group varied from 69.7% at T0 to 72.5% at T1. The odds of exceeding total screen time recommendations were significantly higher when parental perceptions towards limiting the total screen time were negative [(both T0 and T1 and in the intervention and control groups (P < 0.05)]. Similarly, the odds of exceeding TV/video/DVDs viewing recommendations were significantly higher (both T0 and T1 is observed in both groups) when parental knowledge of recommendation were absent. Conclusions Preschool children whose caregivers stated rules limiting their sedentary screen time were less likely to spend a high amount of time watching TV/video/DVDs. Interventions to increase parental practices may be a promising approach to decrease total screen time of preschool children but studies are needed to confirm this.

scholarly journals Injustice Squared? An Intersectional Lens to Research on Productive Engagement in Later Life

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 24-24
Author(s):  
Christina Matz ◽  
Cal Halvorsen ◽  
Jacquelyn James
Keyword(s):  
Asian American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Unpaid Work ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
Paid And Unpaid Work

Abstract Social inequalities over the life course shape later life opportunities and outcomes in important ways. However, research on paid and unpaid work in later life has not always captured (and has sometimes mischaracterized) the variety and complexity of lived experiences in later life—in particular for low-income workers, workers of color, women, and others marginalized due to their social position. Further, statistics often obscure the most important information: how the most marginalized older workers are faring. Intersectionality, a term coined by legal scholar, Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes the overlapping and intersecting social identities that often influence how we move around in society. Some identities garner privilege and power and others oppression and marginalization; we must look at their intersection to better understand complexity and inform solutions. This symposium will apply an intersectional lens to research on paid and unpaid work in later life. The first paper is a scoping review that assesses the extent to which race and ethnicity are investigated in studies of the longitudinal association between workplace demands and cognitive health. The second paper explores how older Black and Hispanic adults’ work engagement is impacted by COVID-19. The third paper considers gender differences in volunteer engagement among Asian-American older adults. The final paper examines the Senior Community Service Employment Program’s role in participant financial, physical, and mental well-being. A discussant will reflect on these studies and the need for continued research that considers intersectionality in opportunities and experiences for paid and unpaid work in later life.

The Association between Hemoglobin and Behavior Problems in a Sample of Low-Income Hispanic Preschool Children

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 209???214 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN R. JOHNSON ◽  
MARILYN A. WINKLEBY ◽  
W. THOMAS BOYCE ◽  
ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN ◽  
RACHEL BROADWIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Low Income ◽  
And Behavior
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