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Parent-child back-and-forth conversation is recognized as important for early development. Accordingly, child media use guidelines encourage parents to co-use media, including mobile media, with children. However, information on the types of conversational interactions that occur during co-use of apps, and the best ways for parents to encourage back-and-forth conversation in this context, is lacking. This study described parent-child conversational turns and explored parent verbal behaviours in relation to the frequency of conversational turns in a sample of 44 parent and preschool-aged child dyads, who were videotaped co-using an educational app. Observed conversational turns most frequently involved simple naming or exchanges about app procedures, and rarely included expanded or distanced talk. Parent reflections of the app narration and content-related talk were positively related to conversational turns, while praises and directiveness were negatively related. Results suggest the need for a nuanced approach to guiding parents to make the most of co-use interactions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, families with young children were suddenly tasked with adapting to remote schooling, where lessons were largely delivered online via screen media devices. Meanwhile, concerns rose about increased amount of time young children were spending with screen media devices during periods of "lockdown". Few studies have examined caregivers' experiences of navigating remote schooling with the youngest learners, who are likely to be particularly dependent on caregivers. Further, no studies to our knowledge have examined how the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote schooling interacted with caregivers' perceptions and practices regarding child screen media use at home. Using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 26 low-income caregivers of young children in Miami-Dade County, Florida, we examined caregivers' experiences with remote schooling and their perceptions of and experiences with child screen media use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results demonstrated that caregivers experienced challenges in facilitating remote schooling for their young children, and that the pandemic and remote schooling brought about notable changes in perceptions and habits around child screen media use at home. These results have implications for future planning around schooling in times of crisis and around incorporation of educational technology into the schooling process, and suggest the need for updating guidelines for caregivers of young children around screen media use to account for the increased integration of screen media devices in schooling and everyday life.

There has been increasing emphasis in Barbados and the Caribbean region on providing quality education for children with diverse special education needs. The major system for identification of students with special education needs in Barbados relies on classroom teachers to initiate referrals of students to a centralized government office. Barbadian early childhood teachers therefore play an important role in early identification, but little information is available about their perceptions and practices in fulfilling this role. This study surveyed 90 classroom teachers of young children (2-7 years) in Barbados to examine how they identify and respond to social-emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges, and their perceptions of the adequacy of structural supports (i.e., training and resources). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine teacher responses. Teachers on average reported one-third of children in their classes had significant challenges in at least one domain. Few teachers reported using screening measures to assess for these difficulties, and teachers generally reported that their training in identifying young children with social-emotional, behavioral or learning difficulties was inadequate. Results are discussed in terms of implications for future efforts to improve early identification of social-emotional, behavioral and learning challenges in young children in a small island nation.

The sharp rise over the past decade in young children's access to various forms of screen media (e.g., smartphones, tablets, TVs) has posed new and significant challenges to caregivers in managing children's use of this type of media. For caregivers of young children with externalizing behavior problems, managing children's time with screen media is especially important and challenging. In this article, we summarize evidence of bidirectional links between early externalizing behavior problems and unhealthy screen media use in young children and discuss the extent to which prior interventions have responded to the needs of caregivers of children with these problems. We propose a conceptual model for an intervention to promote healthy screen media use for children with externalizing behavior problems that leverages current behavioral parenting interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Despite increasing integration of digital technology in schooling practices, few studies have considered parents’ thoughts and experiences with technology-facilitated learning at home. The present study surveyed 822 parents of young children in the U.S. about their perceptions of technology-facilitated learning, including COVID-19 remote schooling and technology-facilitated homework. Parents reported negative experiences with remote schooling but positive perceptions of technology-facilitated homework. Additionally, parents’ positive media attitudes and stronger digital skills related to more positive experiences and perceptions. Results suggest careful consideration of parents’ attitudes, skills, and experiences is needed to facilitate successful integration of digital technology to support young children’s learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the impact of co-use of educational apps on child learning. Co-use may be especially important for children at higher risk of poor outcomes, including children from economically disadvantaged families and those with behavior problems; however existing studies on co-use have not utilized at-risk samples. Thus, the current study examined whether parent co-use of interactive media facilitates learning in a sample of 40 low-income 4- and 5-year old children at risk for behavior problems. Using an experimental design, this study examined whether children's performance improved on a coding app game (Coding Safari) either with or without a parent, compared to a control condition in which in which dyads played with a coloring app. Children in the parent-child condition performed significantly better on the task at posttest than children in the control condition, controlling for pretest scores, child age, child general cognitive ability, behavior problem severity, and parent education. Additionally, there was a significant linear trend, with children in the parent-child condition performing the best followed by children in the solo play and control conditions, respectively. Results provide some of the first experimental evidence that parent-child co-use of educational apps may be beneficial for children's learning. IMPACT SUMMARY a. Prior State of Knowledge: Previous studies have demonstrated that parents play an important role in supporting young children's learning from books and television. However, little direct evidence is available about the extent to which parent co-use may promote learning from educational app games. b. Novel Contributions: This study was the first to provide experimental evidence that co-use of educational apps with parents may be advantageous for young children's learning from apps. c. Practical Implications: The findings support current guidelines that recommend that parents co-use media, including interactive media containing features intended to provide instructional support and feedback to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: Young children have increasing access to interactive applications (apps) at home and at school. Existing research is clear on the potential dangers of overuse of screens, but there is less clarity around the extent to which interactive apps may be helpful in supporting early learning. OBJECTIVE: In this systematic review, we present a narrative synthesis of studies examining whether children <6 years can learn from interactive apps. DATA SOURCES: The PsycInfo, PubMed, ACM Digital Library, and ERIC databases were searched. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included if the study design was randomized or nonrandomized controlled (quasi-experimental), the sample mean age was <6 years, the intervention involved children playing with an interactive app, and academic, cognitive, or social-emotional skill outcomes were measured. DATA EXTRACTION: Of 1447 studies, 35 were included. RESULTS: Evidence of a learning benefit of interactive app use for early academic skills was found across multiple studies, particularly for early mathematics learning in typically developing children. Researchers did not find evidence of an intervention effect for apps aiming to improve social communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. LIMITATIONS: Risk of bias was unclear for many studies because of inadequate reporting. Studies were highly heterogenous in interventions, outcomes, and study design, making comparisons of results across studies difficult. CONCLUSIONS: There is emerging evidence to suggest that interactive apps may be useful and accessible tools for supporting early academic development. More research is needed to evaluate both the potential of educational apps to support early learning, and their limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study described, using observational data, parent-child interactions during joint play with educational apps in 36 families with preschool-aged children in the United States. The study further explored how these parent-child interactions compared to those around shared reading and joint play with a math toy, and examined how the quality of parental behaviors (warmth, playfulness, parent engagement, and autonomy support) related to child engagement and affect during the interactions. Children took more of a lead role during app interactions compared to shared reading and math toy play. Higher quality parenting behaviors were related to higher child engagement and less negative affect during the app interactions and to child engagement and positive affect during the shared reading and math toy interactions. This study represents a first step toward updating existing knowledge about parent-child interactions around home learning materials to include issues relevant to the new mobile age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a commonly diagnosed childhood behavior disorder, yet knowledge of relations between ODD and early neuropsychological functions, particularly independent of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is still limited. In addition, studies have not examined neuropsy chological functioning as it relates to the different ODD symptom dimensions. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate how preschool neuropsychological functioning predicted negative affect, oppositional behavior, and antagonistic behavior symptom dimensions of ODD in 224 six-year-old children, oversampled for early behavior problems. Working memory, inhibition, and sustained attention predicted negative affect symptoms of ODD, controlling for ADHD, whereas delay aversion uniquely predicted oppositional behavior, controlling for ADHD. Delay aversion also marginally predicted antagonistic behavior, controlling for ADHD. Results demonstrate that different ODD symptom dimensions may be differentially predicted by different neuropsychological functions. The findings further underscore the importance of future research on ODD to take into account the possible heterogeneity of both symptoms and underlying neuropsychological functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable research has examined the effects of maternal depression on children, but few studies have focused on the relation between paternal and child depressive symptoms, particularly during early childhood. Even fewer studies have been longitudinal, leaving open questions about how paternal and child depression covary over time. The present study sought to address this gap by examining the relation between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms over a 3-year period. Participants were 153 preschool children with behavior problems and their parents. Three longitudinal analytic approaches were used to examine how father and child depression change together and predict one another over time. Additional analyses examined whether externalizing problems or maternal depression might account for the associations between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms. Changes in paternal depression significantly predicted changes in father-reported and mother-reported child depressive symptoms. These effects were evident both in year-to-year fluctuations and in linear trajectories across the 3-year period. Cross-lagged analyses suggested that these relations may have been driven by father-effects; paternal depression at one time point predicted child depression at the next time point, but child depression did not significantly predict later paternal depression. We found little evidence that externalizing problems or maternal depression accounted for the relations between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms. Results provide convergent evidence that fathers' depression may play an important role in the development of depressive symptoms in young children and underscore the importance of including fathers in studies of depression in families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been little research investigating parenting strategies and child outcomes in British Caribbean populations. This study examined the relations of parental control, structure, and autonomy support and children’s motivation and symptomatology in the Caribbean country of Barbados. Results indicated that parental structure was related to higher levels of child academic engagement, perceived competence, perceived control, and intrinsic and identified self-regulation. Parental control was negatively related to engagement, perceived competence, perceived control, and identified self-regulation, and positively related to depression. Autonomy support was, in general, positively related to these same outcomes, and negatively related to depression; however, autonomy support items tapping parents’ acknowledgment of the child and allowance of opinion exchange were related more strongly to positive outcomes than items tapping allowance of choice and independent decision making. Implications for understanding parenting in Caribbean families, and for future cross-cultural parenting research, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]