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Research Findings: This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the relationship between the home environment and the development of English as a second/foreign language for young Asian children. A systematic search of relevant databases generated 22 eligible studies published between 2001 and 2020 (N[subscript total] = 3,953 children; M[subscript age] = 2.7-6 years), of which 12 (N[subscript total] = 2,164 children; M[subscript age] = 2.7-6 years) were subject to meta-analyses. The results indicated that various home factors (e.g., family demographics, home literacy activities, language use, and parents' beliefs and motivations) were positively associated with young Asian children's English language abilities, literacy skills, phonological awareness, and interest in learning English. The roles of particular home environmental factors in children's English development may vary across different aspects of English development. The influences of family structure, home language use, and literacy environment tended to vary across sociocultural contexts and ethnic groups. Moreover, specific child- and home-related characteristics moderated and/or mediated the relationships between several home environmental factors and children's cognitive-linguistic abilities. Practice or Policy: The findings of this study highlight the significance of the home environment in the development of English as a second/foreign language for young children in Asia. These findings have important practical and policy implications regarding the design and implementation of culturally appropriate family-based English interventions in Asian contexts.

Research Findings: The present study examined the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and Chinese children's development of English as a second language in Hong Kong, and whether the home literacy environment (HLE) was an important mediator. Participants were 237 children (110 girls, Mage = 47.38 months, SDage = 3.66) and one of their caregivers. Children were assessed on phonological awareness, receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, and letter knowledge. Information on HLE (i.e. shared reading, extratextual talk, direct teaching, play and media-based activities, and literacy resources) was obtained via a caregiver questionnaire. Findings revealed significant SES differences in all aspects of HLE, as well as in children's English receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, and letter knowledge. HLE was differentially related to children's English skills, suggesting the mediating effect of HLE in the relation between SES and Chinese children's English skills. Practice or Policy: Findings from this study highlight the features of HLE that can best support children's second language development. The results can also inform the design of family interventions and policies aimed at reducing educational disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the relationship between the home environment and the development of English as a second/foreign language for young Asian children. A systematic search of relevant databases generated 22 eligible studies published between 2001 and 2020 (Ntotal = 3,953 children; Mage = 2.7–6 years), of which 12 (Ntotal = 2,164 children; Mage = 2.7–6 years) were subject to meta-analyses. The results indicated that various home factors (e.g., family demographics, home literacy activities, language use, and parents' beliefs and motivations) were positively associated with young Asian children's English language abilities, literacy skills, phonological awareness, and interest in learning English. The roles of particular home environmental factors in children's English development may vary across different aspects of English development. The influences of family structure, home language use, and literacy environment tended to vary across sociocultural contexts and ethnic groups. Moreover, specific child- and home-related characteristics moderated and/or mediated the relationships between several home environmental factors and children's cognitive-linguistic abilities. Practice or Policy: The findings of this study highlight the significance of the home environment in the development of English as a second/foreign language for young children in Asia. These findings have important practical and policy implications regarding the design and implementation of culturally appropriate family-based English interventions in Asian contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of the literature on the perspectives on school readiness and the transition to school process of children, parents, kindergarten- and primary teachers in Mainland China. In addition, the ways in which parents and teachers support child transitions from kindergarten to primary school are examined. Forty-seven publications from three English databases and one Chinese database were included. On measures of cognitive and socio-emotional development, urban children were reported to outperform their rural counterparts, and girls outperformed boys. Compared with children of ethnic minority backgrounds, Han children demonstrated higher levels of cognitive and socio-emotional development than their peers. Children with special educational needs scored lower than typically developing children on assessments of school readiness. Kindergarten and primary teachers acknowledged the importance of socio-emotional development and approaches to learning, but differed on expectations relating to academic achievement and behavior. Family socioeconomic status (SES) and the extent to which parents prioritized academic skills were associated with parents' beliefs, practices, and children's school readiness. Authoritative parenting contributed to children's socio-emotional, cognitive and language development on measures of school readiness. Research implications and future directions regarding the perceptions and practices involved in children's transition to school are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hong Kong Early Child Development Scale (HKECDS) is a tool for assessing holistic early child development in preschoolers aged from three to six years. The original version of the scale, HKECDS, was updated in 2019 (HKECDS-2) to reflect the contemporary context and local curricular expectations. Children (n = 144) from three kindergartens in Hong Kong completed the HKECDS-2 in individual sessions. Rasch model analysis and expert discussions resulted in a short version of the scale (HKECDS-3) with 50 items in nine domains. The domains are Personal and self-care (4 items), Language development (7 items), Pre-academic learning (10 items), Cognitive development (6 items), Gross motor (4 items), Fine motor (2 items), Health and safety (5 items), Moral development (6 items), and Society and environment (6 items). There were significant correlations between findings from the updated version of the tool, HKECDS-3 and the HKECDS-2 (long form), and older children had significantly higher scores than younger children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shyness, which is characterized by social withdrawal behaviours and approaching‐withdrawal conflicted social motivations, is suggested to influence children's social–emotional development. This study examined the association between shyness and social–emotional development among Chinese children aged 3 to 12. A systematic search of both Chinese and international databases for relevant research between 1990 and 2020 yielded 23 studies (n = 9,009 children), which were systematically reviewed. Among them, 15 studies (n = 6,303 children) were included in the meta‐analyses. Results from random‐effects models indicated that shyness was positively associated with internalizing problems (r=.21,p<.01), externalizing problems (r=.14,p<.01), peer victimization (r=.23,p<.05), and asocial behaviours (r=.47,p<.05), and negatively associated with peer preference (r=−.19,p<.01) and school social competence (for school‐aged children r=−.19,p<.01; for preschool children r=−.22,p<.01) in the Chinese context. Further, analyses revealed that the relationship between shyness and social–emotional development was moderated by children's characteristics (e.g., gender, age, receptive vocabulary, and emotional competence), social relationship (e.g., teacher‐child relationship and parent–child attachment), and situational context (e.g., interpersonal similarity). This study suggests that shyness generally exerts negative influences on Chinese children's social–emotional development, but the influences are unique to particular social–emotional domains and moderated by both children's characteristics and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]