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We examined the longitudinal associations between stressful family life events at 4 years of age and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors at 7 years of age, whether family functioning and parental warmth (i.e., mothers' warmth, fathers' warmth) mediated those associations, and whether the associations varied by fathers' involvement in Korean families. Participants were 1,703 families, including mothers (Mage = 34 years; SD = 3.70 years), fathers (Mage = 37 years; SD = 3.97 years), and children (Mage = 51 months; SD = 1.22 months) from the Panel Study on Korean Children. Results revealed that stressful family life events were positively associated with children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors but not via family functioning and parental warmth. Family functioning and mothers' warmth successively mediated the association between father involvement and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Father involvement moderated the association between stressful family life events and children's externalizing behaviors. The findings highlight that father involvement may play a protective role in children's externalizing behaviors when Korean families experience stressful situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a well‐documented link between bilingual language development and the relative amounts of exposure to each language. Less is known about the role of quality indicators of caregiver‐child interactions in bilingual homes, including caregiver input diversity, warmth and sensitivity. This longitudinal study examines the relation between caregiver input (lexical diversity, amount), warmth and sensitivity and bilingual toddlers' subsequent vocabulary outcomes. We video‐recorded caregiver‐child interactions in Spanish‐English Latino homes when toddlers (n = 47) were 18 months of age (M = 18.32 months; SD = 1.02 months). At the 24‐month follow‐up, we measured children's vocabulary as total vocabulary (English, Spanish combined) as well as within language (Spanish, English). Results revealed that Spanish lexical diversity exposure at 18 months from caregivers was positively associated with children's Spanish and total vocabulary scores at 24 months, while English lexical diversity was positively associated with children's English scores; lexical diversity and amount were highly correlated. Additionally, caregivers' warmth was positively associated with children's Spanish, English and total vocabulary scores. Together, these factors accounted for substantial variance (30–40%) in vocabulary outcomes. Notably, caregiver input accounted for more variance in single language outcomes than did caregiver warmth, whereas caregiver warmth uniquely accounted for more variance in total vocabulary scores. Our findings extend prior research findings by suggesting that children's dual language development may depend on their exposure to a diverse set of words, not only amount of language exposure, as well as warm interactions with caregivers. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/q1V%5f7fz5wog Highlights: Video‐recorded observations of caregiver‐child interactions revealed warmth and high sensitivity from Latino caregivers.Linguistically‐detailed analyses of caregiver input revealed wide variation in the diversity of Spanish and English directed at 18‐month‐old bilingual toddlers.Bilingual toddlers' vocabulary (single language, total) was positively associated with caregivers' diverse input and warmth, thus extending prior findings on bilinguals' amount of language exposure.Findings suggest that caregivers' lexical diversity explains more variance in bilingual toddlers' single language outcomes, whereas warmth explains more variance in total vocabulary scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the associations between mothers' support of children's basic psychological needs (e.g., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and children's sibling relationship quality in early childhood. We also examined the mediating role of older siblings' self‐regulation among these associations. Background: According to self‐determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000), autonomy, competence, and relatedness are fundamental psychological necessities that support children's socioemotional well‐being and social relationship qualities. Method: Our knowledge of how these family processes operate, however, is unclear, especially among families with young children (aged ≤6 years). The study involved 275 Latina, non‐Hispanic Black, or non‐Hispanic White mothers in the United States. They were asked to report their levels of support for children's basic needs, self‐regulation, and sibling relationship qualities. Results: Mothers' support of children's competence and relatedness, but not autonomy, was positively related to children's positive involvement with their younger siblings. However, mothers' support of autonomy, competence, and relatedness was unassociated with children's sibling rivalry. Further, older siblings' self‐regulation mediated the positive association between mothers' support for children's autonomy and sibling positive involvement. Older siblings' self‐regulation did not mediate the associations between mothers' support for children's relatedness or competence and their positive sibling involvement. Conclusion: Both maternal support for basic psychological needs and older siblings' self‐regulation may contribute to positive sibling relationships in early childhood. Implications: Our findings inform practitioners, educators, and caseworkers that interventions enhancing children's self‐regulation may foster positive sibling relationships in early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined whether fathers' residency modified the associations among mothers' supportiveness, father involvement, children's negative emotionality during toddlerhood and children's academic skills in pre‐kindergarten via children's self‐regulation. Participants were 2,291 mothers (Mage = 23.24 years) and children (Mage = 14.99 months at Wave 1; 50.7% girls) in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. Results revealed distinctive associations by fathers' residency: self‐regulation mediated the association between mothers' supportiveness and academic skills only in resident‐father‐families. Self‐regulation mediated the association between negative emotionality and academic skills only in nonresident‐father‐families. The findings highlight the family processes of mothers, fathers, and children in low‐income family contexts that contribute to children's academic skills, and how those family processes may vary by fathers' residency status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spanish-speaking children's effortful control in preschool was indirectly and positively associated with their later English vocabulary and letter-word skills. • The association between Spanish-speaking children's effortful control and English vocabulary and letter-word skills was mediated through close teacher-child relationships and classroom engagement. • Effortful control was positively associated with Spanish-speaking preschoolers' vocabulary and letter-word skills in English. We examined the association between Spanish-speaking preschoolers' (N = 137; M age = 53 months; SD = 4 months; 53% boys) effortful control (EC) and English vocabulary and letter-word skills. We also examined whether close teacher-child relationships and classroom engagement mediated the association between EC and English vocabulary and letter-word skills and whether that mediated association varied based on parents' and preschoolers' English use at home. Data were gathered using teacher and parent surveys and child standardized assessments. The results revealed a positive association between preschoolers' EC in the fall of preschool and their English vocabulary and letter-word skills in the following spring. The association was mediated through close teacher-child relationships and classroom engagement, but only at certain levels of parents' and preschoolers' English use at home. The findings highlight the important role that EC may play in fostering Spanish-speaking preschoolers' English skills and the classroom socioemotional processes by which that association operates as a function of their linguistic experiences in English at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested a mediated-moderation model examining the association between Latina mothers' parenting stress and depression and children's academic skills approximately 4 years later, prior to kindergarten entry, whether mothers' positive parenting behaviors and children's self-regulation mediated those associations, and whether the mediated associations varied based on mothers' education. Participants were 714 low-income Latina mothers (M age at enrollment = 24 years; 78% Mexican; 59% foreign-born) and children (53% boys). Data were gathered across four time points: when the children were approximately 14, 24, and 36 months of age, and prior to kindergarten entry. Results revealed an inverse association between mothers' parenting stress and depression and children's academic skills mediated via parenting behaviors but only at certain maternal education levels. The findings highlight family processes by which Latina mothers who experience parenting stress and depression may adversely impact children's academic readiness for kindergarten, and how maternal education may buffer that association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested a culturally integrative model examining the associations among economic hardship during infancy and Latino children's later sociobehavioral problems and academic skills prior to kindergarten entry, whether mothers' mental health problems and positive parenting behaviors mediated those associations, and whether they varied by mothers' acculturation levels. Participants were 714 low-income Latino mothers (M age at enrollment = 24 years; 82% Mexican American; 59% foreign-born) and children (M age at enrollment = 4 months; 53% boys) in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSREP). Data were gathered across five time points: when the families enrolled in the EHSREP, when the children were 14, 24, and 36 months of age, and just prior to their kindergarten entry. The results revealed an inverse relation between economic hardship during infancy and academic skills prior to kindergarten entry, with the association mediated through maternal mental health problems and positive parenting behaviors. The association between economic hardship and children's sociobehavioral problems via maternal mental health problems and positive parenting behaviors, however, was not statistically significant. Instead, the positive relation between mothers' mental health problems and children's sociobehavioral problems was mediated by maternal positive parenting behaviors. The findings highlight key family processes by which economic hardship in infancy may be associated with Latino preschoolers' academic skills prior to entering school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the cross-language relations among Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ (N = 125; M age = 53 months, SD = 4.58) English and Spanish vocabulary, letter–word, and math skills; the changes they exhibited in those skills during 1 year of preschool; and the extent to which Spanish skills were associated with English skill gains. The results revealed that children's Spanish and English vocabulary skills were unassociated across languages, whereas their letter–word and math skills were positively associated. Children exhibited gains in vocabulary, letter–word, and math skills in English, with letter–word and math skills in Spanish at the start of preschool being positively associated with the development of those skills in English. Children also gained math skills in Spanish. However, their Spanish vocabulary and letter–word skills did not appear to change. Vocabulary skills showed positive within-language relations with children's letter–word and math skills. The findings highlight cross-language linkages between Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ academic skills in English and Spanish and how Spanish skills associate with their English academic readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We examined the extent to which positive interactions with peers and the amount of English exposure received from them during social interactions in the fall of preschool contributed to low-income Spanish-speaking children's ( N = 107; M age = 53 months; SD = 4.30 months; 56% boys) English vocabulary and letter-word skills in the spring (controlling for parents’ language use, family income, number of English books at home, and children's nonverbal cognitive abilities). We also examined the mediating roles of children's learning behaviors (e.g., attentiveness, independence, initiative, persistence, and participation) and English oral proficiency in the classroom. The association between positive peer interactions and English vocabulary skills was mediated by children's English oral proficiency, whereas the association between positive peer interactions and English letter-word skills was mediated by children's learning behaviors and English oral proficiency. The associations among peer English exposure and children's English vocabulary and letter-word skills were mediated by children's English oral proficiency. There was also evidence of a transactional association between positive peer interactions and children's learning behaviors and between peers’ and children's English oral proficiency. The findings highlight the importance of peer experiences in fostering Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ English vocabulary and letter-word skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the combined and unique contributions of home, teacher, and peer English exposure levels on Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ (N = 107) English receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. The combined levels of English exposure during the fall of preschool were positively associated with children's English receptive and expressive vocabulary skills in the spring. Furthermore, English exposure levels at home were uniquely and positively associated with children's English receptive and expressive vocabularies, whereas peer English exposure levels were uniquely and positively associated with children's English expressive vocabulary. Teachers’ English exposure levels were not uniquely associated with children's English vocabulary. The findings highlight the importance of the home environment and peer experiences in the classroom for maximizing Spanish-speaking children's early English vocabulary skills. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: We examined the role of the teacher–child relationship quality (close, dependent, and conflictive) on preschoolers’ (N =95) academic readiness for kindergarten, and we tested children''s prosocial and aggressive behavior and peer group exclusion as mediators of this relation. A unique feature of this study is the ethnically and socio-economically diverse preschool-aged sample. The association between close teacher–child relationships and academic readiness was partially mediated by prosocial behavior and peer group exclusion. There was also evidence of a transactional association between close teacher–child relationships and children''s behavior. Additionally, children''s behavior and peer group exclusion mediated the relation between negative teacher–child relationships (dependent and conflictive) and academic readiness. The findings suggest that teacher training, education, and support for establishing close teacher–child relationships may maximize preschoolers’ academic readiness by promoting social adaptation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article outlines a new method for collecting observational data in preschool classrooms using a combination of state‐of‐the‐art audio and visual equipment, including omnidirectional cameras. This audiovisual recording method capitalizes on the advantages of existing in‐person and mechanical observational designs. For example, the technique presented in this paper allows researchers to seamlessly follow multiple children as they move throughout their classroom and clearly hear conversations among children in noisy settings without having to be present in the observation environment. In addition to providing a step‐by‐step, practical guide for how researchers can use this observational technique in their own work, we give evidence that this method will allow researchers to obtain an incredibly detailed picture of children's behaviors and activities in a fraction of the time and with fewer personnel than is typically required of existing observational designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Engagement in social pretense predicted preschoolers' inhibitory control growth. • Gains associated with social pretense held controlling for other forms of social play. • Solitary pretense did not predict gains in inhibitory control. Recent experimental evidence suggests that engaging in pretend play can improve children's executive functions (EFs). Yet, evidence regarding how play relates to the development of EF remains sparse. The current study investigated whether preschoolers' social and solitary pretend play over the course of one preschool year predicted growth in inhibitory control, a key component of EF. Participants were 132 Spanish-speaking preschoolers (M age = 53 months) from 10 Head Start classrooms in the southwest United States. Multiple 15-s naturalistic observations of children's interactions (e.g., social, solitary) and activities (e.g., pretense, non-pretense) were gathered across free-play classroom contexts. Among observed play behaviors, social pretense was the only predictor of inhibitory control growth in preschool contexts. The current study speaks to the importance of continued research on play-based interventions, especially in diverse populations, and corroborates a growing body of theoretical and empirical evidence for the importance of pretend play in the development of EF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with later-life cognitive functioning. • This association is largely accounted for by educational attainment. • Upward social mobility may be protective against childhood disadvantage. • Evidence is strongest for the pathway and accumulation hypotheses. An emerging body of research suggests that later-life cognitive functioning may be partly the result of influences across the life course. Low socioeconomic position in childhood is associated with disparities in cognitive functioning in older adulthood. Framed by the life course perspective, several explanations for this association exist: the latency model , positing that the conditions of low early-life socioeconomic position are directly linked to later-life cognitive functioning; the pathway hypothesis , suggesting that the association is mediated through adult socioeconomic position; and the accumulation of (dis)advantage hypothesis , proposing that the combined conditions of the childhood and adulthood contexts are more impactful than either socioeconomic context alone. The purpose of this critical review was to assess the empirical evidence supporting each hypothesis through a synthesis of the extant literature on the association between childhood socioeconomic position and later-life cognitive functioning. We reviewed 29 studies with U.S. samples and found the strongest evidence for the pathway hypothesis, followed by the accumulation hypothesis. Support for the latency model is present but weaker than the other explanations. The influence of childhood socioeconomic position on cognitive functioning is stronger when cognitive functioning is assessed at a single time point rather than as change over time, suggesting that childhood socioeconomic position might not affect the rate at which cognition declines in later life but does impact performance measured at any designated testing occasion. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations of the state of the literature, directions for future research, and implications for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, a cross-lag mediation model was tested to examine longitudinal relations among low-income mothers' sensitivity; toddlers' engagement of their mothers; and toddler's self-regulation at ages 1, 2, and 3 years (N = 2,958). Age 1 maternal sensitivity predicted self-regulation at ages 2 and 3 years, and age 2 engagement of mother mediated the relation between age 1 maternal sensitivity and age 3 self-regulation. Lagged relations from toddler self-regulation at ages 1 and 2 years to later maternal sensitivity were not significant, suggesting stronger influence from mother to toddler than vice versa. Model fit was similar regardless of child gender and depth of family poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the indirect relations between maternal parenting stress when children were 15months of age and children’s vocabulary and academic skills when they were about to enter kindergarten, testing for potential mediation by mother-child closeness and children’s self-regulation skills. Participants had been involved in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project and included 1760 European American, African American, and Hispanic low-income mother-child dyads. Structural equation modeling revealed that mothers’ parenting stress when children were 15 months old was inversely related to children’s vocabulary and academic skills just prior to kindergarten, and that mother-child closeness at 25 months and children’s pre-kindergarten self-regulation skills consecutively mediated these associations in a three-path mediation model. The findings highlight the benefits of mother-child closeness in toddlerhood, and negative implications of maternal parenting stress. The discussion focuses on how maternal parenting stress is related to later maternal behavior, ultimately shaping child outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goals of this study were to examine (1) stability of maternal directiveness during interactions with their children from toddlerhood to late middle childhood, (2) direct and mediated relations between mothers' directiveness when children were two years old, mothers' respect for autonomy and children's positivity and negativity toward their mothers when children were in late middle childhood, and (3) differences in these paths by ethnoracial group. Participants included 876 European-American, 789 African-American, and 411 Mexican-American mothers and their children from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. Maternal respect for autonomy at Time 2 partially mediated an association between Time 1 directiveness and observed child positivity toward mothers at Time 2. There was also a direct inverse link between Time 1 maternal directiveness and children's observed positivity toward mothers at Time 2. Relations were similar across ethnoracial groups and for boys and girls. The discussion focuses on heterotypic stability in directive parenting and its implications for children's feelings toward their mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-analysis aimed to quantify the association between childhood SEP and later-life cognitive functioning and identify possible moderators. We conducted random-effects meta-analyses of 39 reports, contributing 49 independent subsamples from 229,824 respondents. Moderators were analyzed using meta-regression and subgroup analyses. There was a small, positive correlation between childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and cognitive functioning in older adulthood across the overall summary effect (r = 0.161), global cognitive functioning (r = 0.183), verbal episodic memory (r = 0.148), verbal fluency (r = 0.196), and processing speed (r = 0.130), but not inhibition (r = 0.058). An older mean sample age was linked with a weaker correlation for the overall summary effect and verbal episodic memory. Higher sample education was a significant moderator for verbal episodic memory only, such that the association between childhood SEP and verbal episodic memory was weaker at higher levels of education. Across all domains, mother's education was more strongly linked with cognitive functioning than other SEP constructs were. There was no significant moderation by gender, national income inequality, study design (whether prospective or retrospective), or the age of the childhood SEP measure (ages 0–4 or 9–15). Minimal publication bias was present. The socioeconomic conditions of one's childhood are related to cognitive performance in older adulthood. Policymakers should consider legislation and programs to improve circumstances for low-income children and families, particularly those that increase women's educational access, as targets for improving cognitive outcomes in later life. • Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is positively correlated with later-life cognitive functioning. • Older age and higher education weaken this correlation for some cognitive domains. • This correlation is strongest when SEP is measured as maternal education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing ethnic, cultural, and class diversity in the United States calls for a proactive approach in helping youth develop into socially competent adults. Youth in residential treatment may exhibit deficits in perspective-taking ability, social competence, and relationship skills, which are important outcomes of healthy diversity attitudes. For some, the milieu may be their first experience with youth of diverse backgrounds. However, little is known about this topic. The purpose of this study was to explore diversity awareness, attitudes, and skills of youth in residential treatment. The current study highlights the need for diversity education programs within treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children are particularly vulnerable to many classes of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected in indoor environments. The negative health impacts associated with chronic and acute exposures of the VOCs might lead to health issues such as genetic damage, cancer, and disorder of nervous systems. In this study, 40 VOCs including aldehydes and ketones, aliphatic hydrocarbons, esters, aromatic hydrocarbons, cyclic terpenes, alcohols, and glycol ethers were identified and qualified in different locations at the University of Missouri (MU) Child Development Laboratory (CDL) in Columbia, Missouri. Our results suggested that the concentrations of the VOCs varied significantly among classrooms, hallways, and playground. The VOCs emitted from personal care and cleaning products had the highest indoor levels (2‐ethylhexanol‐1, 3‐carene, homomenthyl salicylate with mean concentration of 5.15 µg/m3, 1.57 µg/m3, and 1.47 µg/m3, respectively). A cancer risk assessment was conducted, and none of the 95th percentile dose estimates exceeded the age‐specific no significant risk levels (NSRL) in all classrooms. Dimensionless toxicity index scores were calculated for all VOCs using a novel web‐based framework called Toxicological Prioritization Index (ToxPi), which integrates multiple sources of toxicity data. According to the method, homomenthyl salicylate, benzothiazole, 2‐ethylhexyl salicylate, hexadecane, and tridecane exhibited diverse toxicity profiles and ranked as the five most toxic indoor VOCs. The findings of this study provide critical information for policy makers and early education professionals to mitigate the potentially negative health impacts of indoor VOCs in the childcare facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the associations between family conflict during toddlerhood and children's prosocial and aggressive behaviors approximately 9 years later, as well as whether maternal supportiveness and children's self‐regulation mediate those associations. Family conflict has been identified as a risk factor for children's well‐being and behavioral problems. However, these studies often are confined to conflict during childhood, and few studies have considered the long‐term effects of conflict in toddlerhood on outcomes in late childhood. Participants were 2,215 mothers and their children (49.3% female) from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. Families were followed from 15 months to fifth grade. Findings demonstrated direct effects of family conflict on children's aggressive behaviors and indirect effects (via maternal supportiveness) of family conflict on youth's prosocial behaviors. The present study highlights the possible long term, deleterious effects of family conflict on parenting, children's self‐regulatory skills, and social behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pretend play in preschool predicted executive function in first grade. • Pretend play also moderated the relationship between risk and executive function. • Pretend play positively predicted executive function in high risk populations. Growing evidence highlights the importance of executive functions (EFs) for optimal development. Unfortunately, existing literature documents compounding deficits in EF due to the stressors associated with poverty. Recent research supports a positive relationship between pretense and EF, but few studies have examined the longitudinal association between these variables in a low-income sample. As such, the current study investigated whether pretend play behaviors among a sample of 191 Head Start preschoolers predicted EF outcomes in first grade, and whether pretend play mitigated the adverse consequences of cumulative risk on children's EF development. Results revealed a positive, prospective relationship between pretense in preschool and EF in first grade. In addition, pretend play moderated a negative association between cumulative risk in preschool and EF outcomes in first grade, with the association being weaker for children who engaged in more pretend play relative to those who engaged in less pretend play. Follow-up analyses suggest that pretend play may be particularly important for the inhibitory control aspect of EF in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the associations among the socioeconomic status (SES) of Turkish families when children (N = 340, Mean age = 83 months, SD = 3.59, 50.3% boys) were approximately 7 years of age (Time 1) and their emotional lability and emotion regulation tendencies 3 years later (Time 3). We also examined the mediating roles of mothers’ harsh and responsive parenting behaviors when children were 9 years of age (Time 2). Results revealed that family SES was positively linked to parental responsiveness and negatively linked to harsh parenting; harsh parenting was positively linked to children’s emotion lability and negatively linked to children’s emotion regulation (after controlling for prior levels of emotion regulation and emotional lability at Time 2). Further, harsh parenting significantly mediated the associations between family SES and children’s emotional lability and emotion regulation tendencies. The pattern of associations did not vary by child gender or community (e.g., Istanbul, Ankara, Bolu) in Turkey. The findings highlight the interplay among family SES, maternal parenting behaviors, and children’s self-regulation outcomes in a non-Western, collectivist society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the early parenting and temperament determinants of children's antisocial and positive behaviors in a low-income, diverse ethno-racial sample. Participants were from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, which included 960 European American (initial M age = 15.00 months; 51.2% female) and 880 African American mothers and their children (initial M age = 15.10 months; 49.2% female) followed from 15 months of age to 5th grade. For European American children, findings showed direct and indirect effects (via self-regulation) of early negative emotionality on later behaviors. For African American children, discipline practices in infancy had direct long-term implications for behaviors in 5th grade. Discussion highlights the interplay of parenting, temperament, and culture from infancy to late childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We addressed several issues concerning children who show gender non-normative (GNN) patterns of peer play. First, do young children with GNN peer preferences differ from children with gender normative (GN) peer preferences in problem behaviors? Second, do GNN and GN children differ in sociability and isolation and do they have differential socialization opportunities with externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent peers? We employed a Bayesian approach for classifying children as GNN based on their peer preferences as compared to their peers using a sample of Head Start preschool children from a large Southwestern city ( N = 257; 53 % boys; M age = 51 months; 66 % Mexican American). To calculate socialization opportunities, we assessed affiliation to each child in the class and weighted that by each peer's characteristics to determine the exposure that each child had to different kinds of peers. GN children of both sexes interacted more with same-sex peers, which may limit learning of different styles of interaction. As compared to GN children, GNN children exhibited more engagement in other-sex activities and with other-sex play partners and GNN children experienced somewhat fewer peer interactions, but did not differ on problem behaviors or social competence. Boys with GNN peer preferences had increased exposure to peers with problem behaviors. GNN girls experienced little exposure to peers with problem behaviors, but they also had little exposure to socially competent peers, which may reduce learning social skills from peers. Implications of these findings for future socialization and development will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new social network method shows that young children vary in their abilities to interact with multiple peer groups and to maintain group interactions over time. Learning how to competently sustain group interactions is an important developmental task for preschoolers and is associated with enhanced school readiness, particularly for girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in child care environments has raised a public concern. This study aimed to characterize indoor VOCs in four facilities of Head Start programs in Kansas city, Missouri, investigate seasonal and spatial variations in VOC levels, and assess health risks associated with children's VOC exposure. In total, 49 VOCs including aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes, glycol ethers, esters and chlorinated hydrocarbons were identified and quantified in the facilities. Significant differences were noted for the VOC concentrations among the facilities. Toluene was the most abundant aromatic hydrocarbon detected in all the air samples, with a narrow median concentration range of 2.17–3.07 μg/m3. 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy)ethanol never reported in prior research was detected in only one facility in this study, with the median (range) concentration of 0.83 (