bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of premorbid general cognitive abilities in children
Authors: Wright Ingram , Strand Steve , Wonders Sarah
Published: January 2023

This paper aims to review currently available methods of estimating premorbid cognitive abilities in children of school age, and to discuss the potential usage of the CAT-3 to provide estimates of premorbid general cognitive abilities or IQ. Data were collected on a sample of 60 pupils who completed the Cognitive Abilities Test (third ed.) (CAT-3) either in year 5 (age 9+), year 7 (age 11+) or year 9 (age 13+). Children completed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for ChildrenUK(third ed.) (WISC-IIIUK) within nine months of having undertaken routine CAT-3 testing in school. Correlation coefficients between CAT-3 and WISC-IIIUKindices are presented alongside other comparable data that might be used to estimate premorbid intellectual abilities. The results show that correlation coefficients between CAT-3 scales and WISC-IIIUKindex scores are strong and significant, accounting for 50–75 per cent of the variance in WISC IQ. Other methods of estimating premorbid abilities in children show poorer correlations accounting for 50–75 per cent of the variance in actual IQ. The current results reveal high correlations between CAT-3 scores and WISC-IIIUKindex scores, which are superior to other published methods that may be employed to estimate premorbid abilities. These results, coupled with evidence of the high stability of CAT-3 scores over time, highlights their superior utility in providing estimates of premorbid ability in children. Simple regression equations are provided for the estimation of premorbid intellectual ability.
The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire: Predictive validity of parent and teacher ratings for help-seeking behaviour over one year
Authors: Sharp Carla , Croudace Tim J. , Goodyer Ian M. , Amtmann Dagmar
Published: January 2023

Latent growth modelling was applied to investigate the predictive validity of the subscale and total difficulties scores from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Prospective data were collected on a community sample ofn= 659 children (aged 7 to 11 years) over a one-year period. Outcomes at one year after baseline were defined in terms of parental help-seeking behaviour and worry. Teacher-reported SDQ summary scores were more predictive of help-seeking behaviour from both the general practitioner and the school than parent-reported SDQ scores. Changes (increases) in SDQ scores proved more useful in predicting help-seeking than initial scores. Gender, age and socioeconomic status were not related to help-seeking behaviour, but the parents of children with higher IQ scores were more likely to seek help. The usefulness of the SDQ to predict help-seeking behaviour for emotional-behaviour difficulties in community settings and its implications for service-use issues in the UK context are discussed.
Promoting non–violence in schools: The role of cultural, organisational and managerial factors
Authors: Jennifer Dawn , Shaughnessy Julie
Published: January 2023

While schools are increasingly being asked to address issues of violence, certain cultural, organisational and managerial factors can obstruct violence prevention, reinforcing a culture in which violent attitudes impede the development of a safe learning environment. The focus of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention strategy designed to support schools and young people in promoting nonviolence. The longitudinal study (one year) built on the UK-001 CONNECT project funded by the European Union within whichCheckpointswas selected for evaluation as part of ongoing work relating to violence in schools. The research design used a test/retest design involving baseline measures and qualitative case study data, including semi-structured interviews, diaries, observations and documentary evidence. Twelve schools were selected to participate based upon their previous involvement with work on anti-bullying. Three of the final seven study schools experienced a significant decrease in overt bullying and aggressive behaviour. These results are discussed in the light of the qualitative findings which highlighted three organisational models that illustrate the process of a school’s readiness to implement an intervention. The models describe the cultural, organisational and managerial factors that can either inhibit or facilitate the promotion of non-violence. At one end of the spectrum is the school that recognizes the negative consequences of not addressing the issues of bullying and violent behaviour and which is committed to the process of change; at the other is the school that is not yet sensitive to the bullying and violent behaviour experienced by their children and young people, and which experiences difficulty in articulating a clear way forward.
The ‘A Quiet Place’ programme: Short-term support for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream schools
Authors: Renwick Fran
Published: January 2023

This paper describes the nature and philosophy of the ‘A Quiet Place’ therapeutic programme, and a research process which explores the effectiveness of the intervention protocol, via a quasi-experimental participant/control design. The significant differences in classroom behaviour between the two research conditions noted after the intervention period are found to have persisted at a statistically significant level for one year. A calculation of effect size shows that these results compare favourably with the findings of outcome studies investigating both effectiveness and efficacy. An exploration of the underlying process of change based on internally generated case monitoring data supports a hypothesis that ‘change’ in the context of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties as managed by schools involves the development of a limited number of ‘core competencies’, namely stress management, increased emotional intelligence and increased resilience. The necessity to engage in a process of further research and debate around the process and mediators of change is emphasised.
Attention seeking: The paradoxes of an under-researched concept
Authors: Mellor Nigel
Published: January 2023

The term attention seeking has been used in association with major behaviour difficulties at home and school. The concept has, however, an ambivalent position in the literature and remains largely unresearched. To survey its use, electronic databases MEDLINE, PsychINFO and ERIC were searched (up to October 2003) using the key words ‘attention seeking’. In addition 133 books were surveyed in the fields of educational and clinical psychology and psychiatry. No comprehensive review of published material in this area was discovered from a period covering four decades. The term, however, had a wide, although very thinly spread, occurrence. It was, however, usually employed without any, or any adequate, definition. The survey concluded that there was an absence of thorough discussion of a term in academic and common use that referred to potentially serious problems, and two paradoxes emerged. There was thus a possibility of great scope for misunderstanding of the implications of behaviours labelled attention seeking. Wide ranging research was needed.
Educational psychology in Scotland: More community than school based?
Authors: King Elizabeth N. , Wilson Mark
Published: January 2023

From its inception the practice of educational psychology in Scotland was founded on a developmental rather than a medical model. This article starts with an examination of the history of educational psychology in Scotland, with its community-based child c, and the development of its statutory functions within the education system. In recent years there has been a clear move away from a deficit-based focus on individual children, and it is argued that Scottish educational psychology is developing some characteristics of community psychology. This article highlights examples of ‘bottom-up innovation’ within educational psychology, to illustrate approaches to effective prevention practice, particularly highlighted upon children at risk of poor outcomes. As local authority employees educational psychologists are now expected to play key roles in developing social policy and practice in working with parents, community and other agencies. The article also highlights some ‘top-down’ policy initiatives and legislation aimed at inclusion and equality, and examples of how educational psychology services can be in a key position to shape and add to the effectiveness of such initiatives.
Working with a Youth Offending Team: Personal perspectives on challenges and opportunities for the practice of educational psychology
Authors: Ryrie Neil
Published: January 2023

This discussion paper describes the role of an educational psychologist (EP) working in a Youth Offending Team (YOT). The recent political and legislative history leading to the establishment of YOTs is set out and their main functions are described. The evidence of the relationships between offending behaviour in young people, on the one hand, and educational failure and individual vulnerability, on the other, is summarised in order to argue that working to reduce offending behaviour is of central interest to local education authorities (LEAs) and to EPs. YOTs were established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. This legislation introduced a range of initiatives which reflected the desire to get to the roots of complex and often seemingly intractable difficulties presented by young people who offend. To achieve this, a broader range of professionals was to become involved in working with young offenders. YOTs are genuinely multi-professional as well as multi-agency bodies; consequently the lessons learned from them can be used to anticipate some of the issues that are likely to arise in the move toward integrated children’s services. The paper goes on to identify a number of challenges and opportunities that are faced by an EP working in such a setting. The significance of these challenges and opportunities for EPs more generally are also explored. The paper concludes that EPs can have a considerable role to play in working not only with young people who offend but also with the teams created to work with offenders.
Dynamic assessment and a reversal task: A contribution to needs-based assessment
Authors: Bosma Tirza , Resing Wilma C.M.
Published: January 2023

The aim of this explorative study is to examine whether a dynamic test and an additional reversal task provide valuable information about children’s general cognitive performances, which could be especially useful for planning educational interventions. The Analogical Reasoning Learning Test (ARLT) was administered to 26 young children, receiving special education services, followed by a newly developed reversal task in which the child was requested to construct analogy problems for the examiner. Results demonstrated additional information about the children’s cognitive performance (compared to the static test) and the ability to construct problems, which indicated a transfer of the trained problem-solving strategies to the construction of problems in the reversal task. Qualitative analyses of the reversal task revealed additional information about individual strategies and verbalisation. This combination of tasks could provide the first steps towards measures that could provide directions for (educational) interventions.
What needs to be put in place at an operational level to enable an integrated children’s service to produce desired outcomes?
Authors: Hymans Michael
Published: January 2023

This paper describes a research project that required members of existing multi-agency teams to normally distribute 38 statements about multi-agency working, taken from a literature review. Participants were asked to sort these statements in terms of which they would most and least want to emphasise for successful multi-agency working. The use of this (Q-sort) research method enables the researcher to factor analyse the data to obtain key factors around which there is significant agreement between participants. The eight ‘factors’ identified in this research represent eight distinct and different viewpoints or constructions about what constitutes successful multi-agency working from among 54 different professionals (comprising psychologists, social workers, youth offending team workers, speech and language therapists, youth workers, family therapists, psychotherapists, teachers, nursery nurses, health visitors and midwives) who are already part of multi-agency teams and who have been asked to use their experiences to give their opinions on this topical area. These factors include ‘having time for reflection’, ‘team members being given a chance and support to show what they can do’, ‘the effectiveness of the team in changing and developing to meet users’ needs’; ‘effective communication for sharing good practice’, ‘working with other partner agencies’; ‘acknowledging specific expertise and diversity’, ‘using training and development plans’ and ‘achieving local and national targets and goals’. These factors are also shown to relate specifically to the desired outcomes highlighted by the non-statutory guidance toEvery child matters: Change for children. The clarity of role and work processes is seen as key to successful multi-agency working and warrants more detailed research, especially as there are implications for educational psychologists if they are to be given the chance and support to show what they can do in helping multi-agency teams achieve their objectives. The importance of line management and professional supervision is also discussed. This research highlights the need for further investigation into the ‘people’, ‘processes and procedures’, ‘policy and strategy’, ‘partnership and resources’ and ‘customer results’ elements of multi-agency working. It suggests further that the ‘inter-professional’ element is worthy of more research.
What can intervention tell us about arithmetical difficulties?
Authors: Dowker Ann
Published: January 2023

146 children (mean age 6 years 10 months) were included in the Numeracy Recovery intervention programme. The programme involved working with children who have been identified by their teachers as having problems with arithmetic. These children were assessed on nine components of early numeracy, and received weekly individual intervention (half an hour a week for approximately 30 weeks) in the particular components with which they have been found to have difficulty. Six months after the start of intervention, the children showed significant improvement on three standardised tests. Scores on three components (estimation; derived fact strategies; translation between concrete, numerical and verbal presentations of arithmetic problems) were analysed in relation to one another; to general level of addition performance; to standardised test scores; and to improvements in these scores. Regressions showed few relationships between the components, addition level, and standardised test scores. However, addition level predicted both the initial standardised test scores and improvement in these scores; and derived fact strategy use showed a negative relationship to test improvement. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Working together? The practice of educational psychologists and speech and language therapists with children with specific speech and language difficulties
Authors: Palikara Olympia , Lindsay Geoff , Cullen Mairi-Ann , Dockrell Julie E
Published: January 2023

Meeting the needs of children with specific speech and language difficulties (SSLD) has recently been an area of public policy concern, because of the difficulties in securing speech and language therapy for children with special educational needs (SEN). There is a clear need for education and health service staff working together to support children with speech and language difficulties.

The present research involved case studies of six English local authorities (LAs), along with the eight speech and language therapy services provided by the relevant local health trust. They were chosen as examples of good practice in education and health services working together, on the basis of information provided during a previous national study. The purpose of the research was to explore the collaborative practice of educational psychologists (EPs) and speech and language therapists (SLTs) with respect to the education of children with SSLD.

This paper reports the views of 51 EPs and 120 SLTs, who worked in the case study LAs with respect to: collaboration; approach to assessment; provision; monitoring of progress; training and views on good practice. Despite the positive regard for collaboration expressed by both EPs and SLTs, their practice revealed little evidence of this occurring. Differences in approach, including the use of assessments for diagnostic purposes and the preference for inclusive as opposed to specialist provision, revealed important differences in conceptualisation between EPs and SLTs. The paper argues that these must be addressed so that collaborative practice by EPs and SLTs may be used not only to developgoodpractice but also to improve outcomes for children byeffectivepractice.
Under identification of speech and language impairment in children attending a special school for children with emotional and behavioural disorders
Authors: Stringer Helen , Lozano Sonia
Published: January 2023

The link between language impairment (LI) and behaviour difficulties in children and adolescents is well established. There are reported incidence rates for LI of up to 50 per cent in children attending psychiatric clinics, rising to 70 per cent for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, the depth and breadth of research knowledge is not reflected in clinical practice either in Health nor Education. As many as one third of children referred for psychiatric intervention will have unsuspected LI, with consequent under referral to speech and language therapy services. This will have an obvious and adverse effect on the child’s ability to access available services.

The study reported here examined the level of staff awareness of LI in a special school for children with emotional and behaviour difficulties (EBD). Results showed that the prevalence of LI in the school was 74 per cent, while less than half of these children had been identified by teachers or health professionals.

If this school is typical of others, levels of identification of LI in children with behaviour difficulties, including ADHD appear to remain low. Raising awareness of LI by education and training is suggested as the most appropriate way to address this issue as would benefit the whole population of the school, not just children with particular psychiatric diagnoses.
Empowering learning support assistants to enhance the emotional wellbeing of children in school
Authors: Burton Sheila
Published: January 2023

This article is practice based in that its main emphasis is on how psychological theory into behavioural, emotional and social development can be used to empower learning support assistants (LSAs) to increase children’s skills in the area of emotional literacy. For the past two decades, since the introduction of a national curriculum, the educational focus in the United Kingdom has been principally on raising academic attainment within schools. Yet in recent years there has been a growing appreciation by Government that to raise standards it is not sufficient to focus solely upon the content of the curriculum and the way in which it is delivered. Schools need to be concerned with the all round development of children and young people, as shown by the introduction of the Every Child Matters (2005) programme with its broader and enduring outcome measures. This paper describes how an educational psychology service has developed training and support that aims to increase the success of pupils by empowering LSAs to address pupils’ emotional needs. It explores the rationale for investing significant time and effort into such work and describes how a small pilot project has been extended to become a county-wide initiative across primary and secondary phases of education. Consideration is given to the partnership with schools and the practical aspects to be considered in an initiative of this kind. Early evaluation results are reported and areas for development are considered, including further in-depth evaluation of individual outcomes for pupils.
Educational psychologists promoting the emotional wellbeing and resilience of refugee parents
Authors: German Mala
Published: January 2023

The wealth of research on the value and psychological importance of parenting support and education is very positive (Buchannan, 1999; RCPCH 2002). However the evidence suggests that too few families from refugee backgrounds are accessing such services. This paper explores how educational psychologists can begin to address this imbalance to promote the emotional wellbeing and resilience of refugee parents. This is examined via an overview of parenting support available, within the current socio-political context. Approaches that foster non-pathology, mutual respect, shared learning, empowerment and advocacy are then discussed. Finally case study examples of inclusive practice specifically tailored to meet the needs of refugee parents are described and the need for targeted outreach support is promoted.
Differences in the correlates of reading accuracy and speed in young Dutch readers
Authors: de Jong Peter F.
Published: January 2023

In this study the differential relationships of phonological awareness and rapid naming (serial and discrete) with reading accuracy and speed were examined. Participants were 52 Dutch second grade children. Measures of phonological awareness, serial rapid naming (objects and digits) and discrete rapid digit naming were administered. Also, various aspects of reading ability were measured: reading accuracy and speed for words and nonwords, and text reading fluency. The results indicated that second grade Dutch children were not fully accurate readers. A clear dissociation was found between phonological awareness and serial rapid naming, the former being mainly related to reading accuracy and the latter to reading speed. However, both were related to text reading fluency. A dissociation was also observed between serial and discrete rapid digit naming. The latter was particularly associated with word reading speed. The implications for the interpretation of cross-linguistic studies on the correlates of reading are discussed.
From school to further education: Student and teacher views of transition, support and drop-out
Authors: Mallinson Anne
Published: January 2023

This study explored the views of a sample of vulnerable students and their teachers regarding transition, support and dropping out from further education. The context was recent Scottish legislation and concerns about young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). Questions were discussed in focus groups, which were recorded and transcribed. The data were coded using grounded theory, leading to the following themes: good information, positive attitudes, learning and teaching, and opportunities. Students suggested reasons for dropping out relating to induction and course match and to social, financial, immaturity and learning issues. Proposals are made regarding ways of improving transition and support processes to promote student resilience, with a view to reducing dropout and fostering effective learning. These are areas in which educational psychologists can be strategically involved in collaborative working with schools, further education colleges and other agencies, in providing training and in promoting action research.
Post-School Educational Psychology Services: International perspectives on a distinctive Scottish development
Authors: MacKay Tommy
Published: January 2023

The development of post-school psychological services potentially has profound implications for the future of the profession of educational psychology, not only in terms of training, staffing, service organisation and approaches to service delivery but also in terms of our understanding of the nature of educational psychology as a discipline within applied psychology, of its relationship to other branches of practice and indeed of the boundaries within applied psychology as a whole. This paper presents a two-fold argument. First, it asserts that, as a structured initiative within educational psychology, post-school psychological services represent a unique Scottish development. In the world literature on the historical development of services and their current position there is no international comparison. Second, it asserts that this unique initiative emerged from a unique context – the distinctive nature of educational psychology in Scotland.
Conceptualising progression in the pedagogy of play and sustained shared thinking in early childhood education: A Vygotskian perspective
Authors: Siraj-Blatchford Iram
Published: January 2023

This paper is concerned specifically with the pedagogies applied in supporting learning through children’s play, and it is framed outside mainstream discourses on the nature of play. The development of the paper also represents one stage in a continuing effort to develop a better understanding of sustained shared thinking in early childhood education. The paper focuses on the educational potential of shared playful learning activities. However, given the overwhelming consensus regarding the importance of play in early childhood development, even a diehard educational pragmatist must begin by addressing subjects that are most commonly considered by psychologists. The paper begins with an account of ‘sustained shared thinking’, a pedagogical concept that was first identified in a mixed method, but essentially educational effectiveness study. Then a consideration of the nature and processes of ‘learning’ and ‘development’ is offered. It is argued that popular accounts of a fundamental difference in the perspectives of Piaget and Vygotsky have distracted educational attention from the most important legacy that they have left to early childhood education; the notion of ‘emergent development’. Pedagogic progression in the early years is then identified as an educational response to, and an engagement with, the most commonly observed, evidence based developmental trajectories of young children as they learn through play.
Cognitive training: Improving problem-solving transfer skills of learning disabled students
Authors: Phye Gary D. , Johnson Sue A.
Published: January 2023

The effectiveness of cognitive training with the Cognitive Training for Children Programme (Klauer & Phye, 1994) and other forms of the Klauer training programmes has been recently reviewed (Klauer & Phye, 2008). Numerous meta-analyses confirm the wide spread effectiveness of training inductive reasoning skills with different ability groups at varying ages in various settings. The majority of these studies were conducted in Germany. The present study was designed to determine the effectiveness of the English form of the Cognitive Training for Children Programme (Klauer & Phye, 1994) in a clinical setting. Theoretically, focus was on the impact of meaningful practice with inductive reasoning strategies on the growth of problem-solving transfer ability of learning disabled children. Future research efforts involving an integration of dynamic assessment techniques, and the cognitive analysis of practice using the Cognitive Training for Children Programme is recommended.
Analogical reasoning skill acquisition with self-explanation in 7–8 year olds: Does feedback help?
Authors: Stevenson Claire E. , Resing Wilma C.M. , Froma Mandy N.
Published: January 2023

This microgenetic study assessed the development of analogical reasoning on figural matrices by examining the additional effect of feedback on repeated practice including self-explanation. Participants were 39 children aged 7 to 8 years (M 7; 9 years) divided over self-explanation only and feedback plus self-explanation conditions based on randomised blocking. During six microgenetic sessions a multiple choice figural analogy task was administered. The results showed increased performance over time and an advantage of feedback for answer choice and most markedly for explanation quality. A trend was observed in which girls’ performance, regardless of feedback, and that of boys with feedback are comparable, yet boys without feedback did not perform quite as well. Further investigation of possible gender differences in the roles of self-explanation and feedback are advised. We recommend a combination of feedback and self-explanation to gain maximal advantage from these simple but useful approaches to supporting children’s learning processes.
‘It’s a tricky one to answer, that …’ Locus of control in parents and caregivers of children with severe and complex learning disabilities and challenging behaviours
Authors: Gale Ian
Published: January 2023

This paper examines how locus of control is expressed in caregivers’ descriptions of children’s behaviour. Locus of control has been considered a key factor in enabling parents and caregivers to respond to challenging behaviour in children with severe and complex disabilities, but assessment of parental or carer locus of control has usually been based on the a priori assumption that individuals show predominant patterns of response that remain consistent across situations whether parents are considering their own or other children.

Experiential descriptions by the parents and caregivers of six children whose behaviours severely challenged their ability to care were reviewed. Analysis of caregiver descriptions suggested that locus of control was situation specific and parents’ ‘locus of control’ less clearly identifiable in the transcripts than suggested by literature based on the use of standardised forms. The focus of parent and caregiver locus of control shifted between external and internal, with prima facie evidence that shifts were related to real life ‘barriers’ (MacNaughton & Rodrigue, 2001).

The relevance and validity of the concept of locus of control in the context of challenging behaviour is discussed. It is suggested that identifying caregiver perceptions in relation to specific circumstances (in particular, children’s challenging behaviour) may be more constructive than using generalised measures of locus of control.
Literacy with parents for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties
Authors: Mercieca Daniela , Mercieca Duncan P.
Published: January 2023

This paper aims to explore the issue of literacy for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). A group of parents met for six sessions with the authors and discussed how literacy could be applied to their children in the homes. A multi-sensory approach was discussed and experimented with using various texts mentioned in the article. This paper deals with three main ideas, namely challenging parental constructions about their children and about literacy and story-telling; the possible therapeutic role of such a process and its ensuing influence on parents’ roles as advocates for their children; and the idea of experimenting with stories and practices using the senses. In conclusion, the relevance of the above for practising educational psychologists is highlighted.
Do nurture groups improve the social, emotional and behavioural functioning of at risk children?
Authors: Seth-Smith Fiona , Levi Netali , Pratt Richard , Fonagy Peter , Jaffey Debbi
Published: January 2023

Nurture groups are teacher-led interventions which seek to address the difficulties of children exhibiting a range of emotional and behavioural problems by establishing more adaptive relationships with adults and peers. This study investigates changes in social, emotional and behavioural functioning in children within a nurture group and comparison condition. Significant changes were found in nurture group children’s Total Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire scores, and along with an increase in ‘pro-social’ behaviour, a decrease in ‘peer difficulties’ and ‘hyperactivity’ relative to the comparison group. Significant changes were found in most strands of the Boxall Profile whilst ratings of nurture group children’s academic levels also improved significantly more than those of the comparison group. The discussion considers the implications of these results and the methodological constraints. It is concluded that nurture groups are a promising teacher-led intervention for social and emotional difficulties. The authors recommend a randomised controlled study to further explore the routes by which these groups effect change.
Supporting positive pupil relationships: Research to practice
Authors: McGrath Helen , Noble Toni
Published: January 2023

Positive peer relationships at school are linked to many positive and desirable pupil outcomes such as sound levels of academic performance, optimal levels of well-being and adult mental health. On the other hand social isolation or rejection at school are linked to a range of negative pupil outcomes such as lack of engagement, disconnection to school, absenteeism, being bullied, behavioural difficulties, drug usage, depression and anxiety and social difficulties as an adult. This paper provides an overview of the research literature about the importance of peer relationships for pupil well-being and reports on research conducted in 11 Australian Government schools with low incidences of bullying. In these 11 schools the four common factors that contributed to the development of a safe, caring and inclusive school culture were: (i) making pupil well-being a high priority; (ii) planning for a ‘relationship culture’ that focuses on the development of positive peer relationships; (iii) having an effective school leadership team that focused on whole school wellbeing and the personal growth of pupils; and (iv) incorporating an effective whole school behaviour management programme. This paper also provides a comprehensive discussion of a range of practical evidence-based whole-school approaches, classroom practices and individual support strategies that can facilitate the work of educational psychologists in helping school communities to build positive relationships.
Teachers’ views on psychosocial development in children from 4 to 6 years of age
Authors: Berkhout Louise , Dolk Maarten , Goorhuis-Brouwer Sieneke
Published: January 2023

Psychosocial well-being is an important area of attention in early childhood care and education because when psychosocial problems appear, they can often persist past childhood.

Based on their working experience with many different children, teachers of young children are aware that they make important contributions to the healthy social and emotional development. The aim of this study is to explore the views of experienced teachers in facilitating the psychosocial development of children from 4 to 6 years of age.

Twenty teams of teachers, amounting in total to 52 teachers, were interviewed during small group sessions. The transcribed interviews were analysed qualitatively with a framework based on theories of play and psychosocial development. The findings were summarised according to particular themes.

As a result of the study the following themes appeared. Teachers described play as an integral part of the psychosocial development of children in which the conditions for play, the unique development of the child and the role of the teacher are included. Moreover, teachers found that especially ‘pretend play’, in which children can express themselves in their own way, contributes to communication skills and social cognition.

The findings may contribute to the growing discussion in early childhood education and care about the significance of play and the time provided for playing.
Opportunities for language development: Small group conversations in the nursery class
Authors: King Sarah , Saxton Matthew
Published: January 2023

The development of children’s oral language skills is clearly recognised as a key element of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in England. However, most current advice is based on research from dyadic interactions between mother and child and stresses the importance of one-to-one conversations. There has been limited research on the benefits or drawbacks offered when talking with young children in groups, or the use of group conversations as an opportunity for teaching and developing children’s language and communication skills. The present study presents data on the interaction patterns of different children, in terms of the topics they talk about and overhear, their individual initiation and response rates and the feedback they receive, and relates this to their progress in language development. Video observations of nine 3- to 4-year-old children and their key worker during so-called ‘family group’ sessions in a nursery class were analysed for each child in turn, to give a measure of the number of verbal initiations and responses made to and by the child during each session. The findings indicate some of the adult behaviours and conversation topics most usefully employed during small-group conversations in the nursery setting, to provide opportunities for language use that individual one-to-one conversation may not encourage.
Listening to young children: An investigation of children’s day care experiences in Children’s Centres
Authors: Day Sara
Published: January 2023

This article presents the findings of qualitative research investigating how six young children were experiencing and enjoying their day care in Children’s Centres. Tools and methodologies were developed to listen to each child and to obtain unified answers to research questions. The children’s relationships with carers and other children had high importance to them and there were shortcomings in the availability of key adults and their interactions with them for some children. The psychological need for children’s attachments with adults and children within day care settings is uniquely raised. Implications are discussed for improvement of day care, attachment theory and educational psychologists.
Pre-school children in kinship care: Are we doing enough as EPs?
Authors: Cunningham Lisa , Lauchlan Fraser
Published: January 2023

Kinship care is a growing alternative to local authority care yet it has been argued that its information base, practice guidance and support structures are in arrears of the introduction of new legislation. This research aims to extend the limited information currently available on kinship care by exploring some of the factors and potential implications that this type of parental surrogacy may have on the development, attachment and education of these children.

The context of the study is a pre-school extended day care establishment situated within a large multi-cultural authority. Questionnaire data sampling the views and experiences of 39 participants (educational psychologists, social workers and kinship carers) as well as in-depth case studies of two pre-school children in kinship care were analysed.

The results provide evidence that children in kinship care often experience attachment related issues and behavioural difficulties, which can further impact on their cognitive and social development, academic performance and subsequent educational attainment and achievement. However, the authors argue that often these difficulties arise from the experiences the child encountered prior to them requiring kinship care intervention, and not as a result of the kinship care arrangement itself.

In recognition that they are not a homogeneous group, all efforts should be made to identify the needs of individual kinship children in education as early as possible with ongoing monitoring. Future research should be carried out in multi-agency contexts to understand further the needs of this potentially vulnerable client group, and intervention programmes to address their needs should be explored.

The authors conclude with some recommendations for supporting children receiving kinship care including implications for the role of the educational psychologist.
Children and their development as the starting point: A new way to think about the design of elementary schools
Authors: Rigolon Alessandro , Alloway Maxine
Published: January 2023

Although the active role of the environment in education has been widely accepted, only few schools render this consideration into built spaces. This is mostly due to a lack of communication between educators and designers. This paper aims to begin to bridge the gap between pedagogy and architecture by exploring aspects of child development and implications for designing developmentally appropriate environments. Five aspects of child development are considered: physical; ego; cognitive; social; and ethical. What is known about child development in each of these areas has significant implications for designing schools in new and innovative ways to better foster student learning. This analysis of child development highlights common themes of how schools should be designed including a variety of scale, exposure to nature, and interactivity of spaces. This interdisciplinary approach to design has significant implications for the development of school buildings.
The computerised-based Lucid Rapid Dyslexia Screening for the identification of children at risk of dyslexia: A Singapore study
Authors: Brookes Gaynor , Ng Veronica , Lim Boon Hong , Tan Wah Pheow , Lukito Natalia
Published: January 2023

The computerised-based Lucid Rapid Dyslexia Screening (Lucid Rapid) used for the speedy identification of children at risk of literacy difficulties or dyslexia has been employed as part of the dyslexia awareness drive organised by the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) to identify Singapore children who may be at risk of literacy difficulties or dyslexia. In view of a lack of research on the Lucid Rapid, this study explored the effectiveness of the Lucid Rapid in the screening of children at risk of literacy difficulties or dyslexia in the Singaporean context. In this exploratory study, a sample of 127 children aged between 6 years to 12 years 2 months was each administered the Lucid Rapid. This was followed by formal assessments conducted at the DAS or external agencies, comprising of cognitive and literacy assessments as well as phonological tests. As part of the formal assessment, a full background history was taken of each child including educational history and teachers’ reports. Data from this sample showed that children found to be at risk of dyslexia on the Lucid Rapid were likely to be diagnosed to be dyslexic. However, concerns were raised on the large number of children who were misclassified falling within the false positive (misclassifying children to be at risk of dyslexia when they are not dyslexic) and false negative (misclassifying children to be at low risk of dyslexia when they are dyslexic) groups. In this sample, phonological processing, auditory sequential memory and phonic decoding, but not visual-verbal integration memory, on the Lucid Rapid positively correlated with comparable measures in formal assessments. As compared to the true negative group (children classified to be at low risk of dyslexia and not diagnosed to be dyslexic), the false negative group showed lower phonic decoding and auditory sequential memory scores. Risk levels on the Lucid Rapid have been found to be negatively correlated with a number of cognitive, literacy and phonological measures. The children’s home language usage might also affect the Lucid Rapid results to some extent.
Computerised assessment of handwriting and typing speed
Authors: Horne Joanna , Ferrier Jonathan , Singleton Chris , Read Caroline
Published: January 2023

This paper reports on two studies using computer-based dictation tasks for measuring speed of typing and handwriting. In the first study, 952 students aged 11 to 17 years attending 19 different secondary schools hand wrote and typed passages dictated by a computer. For both handwriting and typing, a very high correlation was found between speed calculated by the computer and that calculated by a human assessor, establishing that computerised calculation is a reliable as well as convenient and time-saving method of establishing writing speed. There were greater age-related gains in speed of typing compared with handwriting and greater variation in typing skill than handwriting skill. However, almost half of students with slow handwriting (below standard score 85) were found to have average or better typing speeds.

In the second study, 55 students aged 13 to 14 years were administered these tasks together with the Hedderley Sentence Completion Test of handwriting speed. Despite the clear differences between the two test formats, a significant moderate level of correlation was found between them (r=0.54). Almost one-third of students with slow handwriting in the computer-based task had not previously been identified as having support needs but would potentially be disadvantaged in written examinations. By eliminating the ‘thinking’ time involved in free writing, computerised dictation tasks give ‘purer’ measures which can reveal physical handwriting and/or typing problems. They also simulate examination requirements more closely than mechanical repetitive tests of writing speed, and should be particularly helpful in establishing whether students need access arrangements in examinations.
Increasing physical activity of adolescents in Kuwait: An exploration of the conditions that foster and inhibit the process of change
Authors: Stockton Karen
Published: January 2023

Despite the evidence that increasing physical activity is essential for the overweight/obese adolescent population, a minority engage in necessary levels of moderate to vigorous physical exercise. In this study a physical activity intervention was designed for 120 adolescents aged 14 to 15 years in an international school in Kuwait, where adult obesity is among the highest in the Arab peninsula. All of the participants completed solution-focused questionnaires. From these, a purposive sample of 15 students who were engaging in the intervention process and showing evidence of increased physical activity levels were selected for interview. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The main factors to emerge in relation to the process of change were target setting, the social factor, parental support and skill level. It is proposed that educational psychologists are well placed to develop evidence-based systemic interventions in supporting adolescents in finding ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle within an obesogenic environment.
How did young people identified as presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties experience a person-centred transition review meeting?
Authors: Taylor-Brown Michelle
Published: January 2023

This paper reports an idiographic study, which explores how three young people identified as presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) experienced the process of a person-centred transition review meeting. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather views and experiences. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore participants’ personal experiences in depth. Analysis revealed several themes that occurred across participants. Power was a salient issue, identifiable in different forms across themes. The process of person-centred reviews incorporated an expectation of reciprocity that reduced power imbalances and encouraged the boys and their families to participate more fully. Implications are considered.