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Promoting Resilience in Kindergarten Children: Findings from an Action Research Program
35-49Views:149The negative impact of developmental risk often manifests itself as early as the formative years. Counteracting these risks and mitigating or modifying the factors that threaten optimal development seem feasible through pedagogical means. This study presents the initial results of a program whose primary goal is to support resilient functioning in preschool-aged children who exhibit at least four concurrent risk factors. Methods: The applied methods focused on assessing cognitive abilities, the frequency and severity of behavioral problems, and the perceived resilience as reported by the educators and parents. Children enrolled in the program participated in regular sessions, and the effectiveness of these interventions was evaluated through follow-up assessments at the end of the school year. Results: The findings indicated a slight but statistically significant improvement in cognitive abilities among the selected population. There was also a notable reduction in the risk of learning disabilities. Behavioral problems showed a significant decrease. According to both parents and educators, resilient functioning was significantly higher in the follow-up assessments compared to the initial evaluations. Conclusions: Overall, the program's impact can be considered positive. Although the sample size was not large and other factors beyond the sessions might have influenced the participants' outcomes, positive progress was achieved across all indicators. The program employs a complex methodological repertoire that extends beyond conventional pedagogical support services, which, based on the initial results, appears suitable for counteracting risk factors in preschool-aged children.
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Moderate-Risk Prematurity does not Hinder the Development of Reading and Spelling Abilities Despite the Lower IQ
35-50Views:207Background and aims: It is well established that the impacts of prematurity are often long-lasting in the various domains of development, however, the published findings concerning the prevalence, severity, and background of disorders are inconsistent. As yet research into the development of abilities contributing to the academic progress in Hungarian preterm children has been scarce. Our study aimed to find out to what extent prematurity impeded the reading and spelling abilities in school age and to contribute some information on the cognitive background of the performances. Methods: Three groups of 7 – 12 year-old children participated in the study. The target group consisted of moderate-risk preterms. For comparison two groups of full-term children were tested: typically developing good readers and dyslexics. To assess the reading and spelling abilities the Hungarian version of the 3DM (Dyslexia Differential Diagnosis) was used. Cognitive abilities were assessed using the Hungarian adaptation of the WISC-IV and the Rey Complex Figure Test. Results: The reading and spelling performances of the full-term good readers and the preterms did not differ and the preterms scored higher than the dyslexics. The cognitive tests did not offer any direct explanation to this, since the preterms lagged behind the full-term good readers in the WISC-IV full-scale IQ as well as in several specific cognitive measures. The CART Decision Tree served to analyse the relationships, allowing to reveal the interactions and the moderation effects. Discussion: The CHC model as a theoretical framework and the CART Decision Tree statistical analysis proved to be fruitful to disentangle the complex interplay of the cognitive background factors. There are various cognitive paths of acquiring the reading and spelling skills, e.g., in case of relatively lower IQs the sufficient levels of memory and processing speed may ensure success.