Rebecca A. Dore, Daniela Avelar, Britt Singletary, Kammi Schmeer, Laura M. Justice
{"title":"Print and Screen Media in Families Experiencing Low Income: The Impact of Stressors and Protective Factors","authors":"Rebecca A. Dore, Daniela Avelar, Britt Singletary, Kammi Schmeer, Laura M. Justice","doi":"10.1002/icd.70084","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70084","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Children's early print and screen media experiences at home shape language and literacy development, but screen media can displace reading and vary by socioeconomic status (SES). This study examines how family stressors (economic strain, parent psychological distress, inter-relational stress) and protective factors (parent activity involvement, parenting self-efficacy, perceived parental impact, social support and external childcare) influence children's print and screen media experiences in lower-SES families. This study uses data from 222 mothers to child dyads (46% Black, 38% White) from the longitudinal SMALL Talk project, focusing on families experiencing poverty. Data were collected at children's age 40–44 months via interviews and online surveys. Findings will inform how family contexts can promote or hinder positive print and screen media engagement to support child development and school readiness.</p>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/icd.70084","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Impact of the ‘My Body Is Safe’ Animated Film Program on Children's Skills in Self-Protection Against Sexual Abuse: A Randomised Controlled Study","authors":"Seda Dulcek, Fatma Nevin Sisman","doi":"10.1002/icd.70079","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There is a vital need to conduct age-appropriate programs that are suited to a child's stage of development in which the child, the parents, the school, and the community can work together to prevent sexual abuse. The ‘My Body is Safe’ program for parents and children seeks to provide children with the skills of self-protection. The participants in the study were 70 preschool children of the ages 4–6. The data for the study, which was conducted over the period March–May 2022, were collected with a Parent and Child Information Form and the ‘What If Situation Test’. Following a pretest administered to the experimental and control groups, the experimental group was offered six 20-min ‘My Body is Safe’ program sessions. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, a posttest was administered at the end of the sixth session and a follow-up test 2 months later. The mean age of the children participating in the study was 5.58 ± 0.52. It was observed following the program that the scores of the experimental group on all the subscales of the What If Test had increased significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05). No change was seen in the scores of the control group (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The ‘My Body is Safe’ program is an effective program for developing children's self-protection skills. It is recommended that nurse-led body safety training is included in school curriculums and widely provided to preschool children.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Catalina Rey-Guerra, Juliana Borbón, Melissa Guerra
{"title":"Gendered Attitudes and Parenting Practices of Mothers and Fathers in Two Culturally Diverse Colombian Cities","authors":"Catalina Rey-Guerra, Juliana Borbón, Melissa Guerra","doi":"10.1002/icd.70068","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70068","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The present study explores how gender role attitudes and beliefs shape caregiving and parenting practices among low-income caregivers in Bogotá and Malambo, Colombia, and considers their implications for children's early socialisation. Through a feminist and sociocultural lens, the research uncovers how caregivers actively negotiate, often inconsistently, between gender-stereotypical and counter-stereotypical aspirations and behaviours. The findings reveal persistent tensions between parents' stated commitments to gender equality and the subtle ways in which gendered expectations continue to structure everyday parenting practices. Influences such as formal employment, family structure, child gender, intergenerational norms, and geographic location were identified as key factors in shaping how gender is lived and reproduced in the home. By amplifying the voices of mothers and fathers in two culturally distinct Colombian communities, this study addresses a critical gap in the literature and contributes to a more contextually grounded understanding of gendered parenting. It offers valuable insights for designing gender-transformative policies and interventions rooted in the lived realities of families in the Majority World.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Manipulation Complexity in Infants","authors":"Kaityn Contino, Eliza L. Nelson","doi":"10.1002/icd.70087","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70087","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Object exploration affords rich opportunities for learning across the first years of life. During object play, infants use different combinations of fingers, different roles for each hand, and will deconstruct object parts—these fine-grained differences comprise the construct <i>manipulation complexity</i> (MC). We examined MC in a sample of 90 typically developing infants (47 males; 75% White) assessed at six monthly visits from 9 to 14 months of age from a battery of eight objects. Guttman analyses found that MC is cumulative, meaning that infants can do the most complex manipulation skill if they are able to also do all the lower ranked manipulation skills. The order from least complex to most complex was: (1) bimanual manipulation, (2) bimanual manipulation with distinct roles for each hand, (3) object deconstruction, and (4) independent digit movement. These results introduce a new framework for describing fine motor skills in infant manipulation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146070238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping Multi-Domain Influences on Theory of Mind: A Systematic Review and Call for Research Action","authors":"Jana Warnke, Christopher Osterhaus","doi":"10.1002/icd.70080","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Theory of mind (ToM)—the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others—is a core social-cognitive skill that develops throughout childhood and adolescence. This systematic review synthesises 337 studies with 89,111 participants from 39 countries to organise the literature. We propose a six-domain ecological model encompassing within-child factors, family, peers, educational settings, community contexts, and culture. Research has heavily focused on within-child factors, especially executive functioning, language, and emotional understanding, which are consistently linked to preschool ToM. In contrast, advanced ToM and later developmental stages remain underexplored. Family and peer influences show meaningful but varied associations. Educational settings may promote ToM through inclusive practices and teacher behaviours, although findings are sparse. Cultural mechanisms are rarely examined beyond group comparisons, and community-based influences are nearly absent. We highlight major gaps and call for longitudinal, context-sensitive, and cross-cultural research to better inform interventions supporting children's social, emotional, and academic development.</p>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/icd.70080","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lisa Karlsen, Veslemøy Rydland, Elisabet Solheim Buøen, Deborah Lowe Vandell, Siri Steffensen Bratlie, Stian Lydersen, Ratib Lekhal
{"title":"Early Childhood Education and Care Quality and Gains in Skills Among a Diverse Sample of Toddlers and Preschoolers in Norway","authors":"Lisa Karlsen, Veslemøy Rydland, Elisabet Solheim Buøen, Deborah Lowe Vandell, Siri Steffensen Bratlie, Stian Lydersen, Ratib Lekhal","doi":"10.1002/icd.70081","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We investigate whether quality of early care and education, measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), predicted gains in toddlers' and preschoolers' vocabulary and self-regulation over 7 months. The sample consists of 318 toddlers (M age = 26 months; 46% female; 56% dual language learner) and 569 preschoolers (M age = 44 months; 51% female; 71% dual language learner), attending 89 toddler and 124 preschool classrooms in Oslo, Norway. Using mixed effect linear regression analyses, among toddlers, higher learning support on CLASS predicted gains in vocabulary. Among preschoolers, higher classroom organisation and instructional support on CLASS predicted gains in self-regulation skills. Implications of these findings for the developmental needs of toddlers and preschoolers, and the use of CLASS as a classroom quality measurement tool, are discussed.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taylor J. Bryant, Dawna Duff, Bethany Bell, Lisa Fitton, Suzanne M. Adlof
{"title":"Invisible Print? Reading Skill Predicts Children's Learning of Novel Spoken Words","authors":"Taylor J. Bryant, Dawna Duff, Bethany Bell, Lisa Fitton, Suzanne M. Adlof","doi":"10.1002/icd.70062","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Research indicates that when literate children and adults hear a new word that they have never seen in print, they create an expectation for how the word may be spelled. However, studies have not yet examined the extent to which orthographic knowledge plays a role in children's <i>spoken</i> vocabulary learning when words are taught without print. The current study used structural equation modelling to examine the relation between children's word reading ability and their ability to learn novel words from spoken instruction. Children (<i>N</i> = 335; 7–9 years; 52% female; < 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 33% Black, 1% Multiracial, < 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2% Other; 57% White; 6% did not report race; 2% Hispanic/Latino, 97% Not Hispanic/Latino; < 1% did not report ethnicity) completed norm-referenced language and reading assessments and experimental measures of spoken word learning. Word reading ability and vocabulary knowledge uniquely predicted spoken word learning with respective medium-small and medium-large effects after controlling for phonological memory, general language ability, and nonverbal cognition. Thus, orthographic skill has important effects on vocabulary learning, unaccounted for in previous research, that should be addressed in current theory and practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/icd.70062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146006104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Janelle Bobula, Cynthia Côté, Amber Cook, Tasmia Hai, Marlee R. Salisbury, Anna L. MacKinnon, Ryan J. Giuliano, Gerald F. Giesbrecht, Catherine Lebel, Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, Leslie E. Roos
{"title":"The Online Assessment of Emotional Knowledge in Toddlerhood","authors":"Janelle Bobula, Cynthia Côté, Amber Cook, Tasmia Hai, Marlee R. Salisbury, Anna L. MacKinnon, Ryan J. Giuliano, Gerald F. Giesbrecht, Catherine Lebel, Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, Leslie E. Roos","doi":"10.1002/icd.70069","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70069","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Emotional knowledge (EK) is broadly defined as the ability to identify and understand emotions. Despite being recognized as a foundational component of socioemotional development in childhood, early emergence of EK is seldom explored before age 3. Similarly, research has yet to explore the feasibility of assessing young children's EK via online assessment, despite the growing relevance and potential of this modality in expanding research accessibility. To address these research gaps, a sample of 92 toddlers (age range: 18–36-months, 52 female and 40 male) and their mothers (<i>M</i>_age = 32.6 years; 50% White Canadian) participated in this exploratory study investigating the feasibility of assessing toddler EK using virtual assessment tools. Results provide evidence for future potential assessing toddler EK online, as most toddlers (66.7%) were able to participate in at least one component of the virtual assessment task. Methodological strengths and suggestions are discussed to facilitate future research that incorporates online assessments with younger children.</p><p><b>Trial Registration:</b> ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT04772677</p>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/icd.70069","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145993307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Early Word Learning in Context: A Review of the Literature","authors":"Nicholas Tippenhauer, Megan M. Saylor","doi":"10.1002/icd.70082","DOIUrl":"10.1002/icd.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Children's word learning takes place in rich physical environments. These settings may vary between exposures to a word. In recent years, researchers have become interested in determining whether context—and more specifically context variation—affects young children's word learning. This body of work stems from longstanding interest in the role of context on memory, often referred to as context-dependent memory. In this paper, we review research exploring context-dependent word learning in preschooler-aged children. We specifically focus on research exploring two types of context features: co-present competitor referents and physical backgrounds. Based on somewhat conflicting accounts of context effects on word learning, we propose a unified account of when context is most likely to affect word learning. Our proposal involves an interaction of cognitive constraints and conceptual understanding, both of which shift over the course of development. Said differently, we argue that three factors matter in predicting context effects during word learning: a learner's age, a learner's cognitive capacity, and a learner's understanding of labels as a category. In addition, we propose avenues for future research to better specify the role of context during early word learning.</p>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/icd.70082","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145993308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuzhen Dong, Matthew H. C. Mak, Robert Hepach, Kate Nation
{"title":"Emotional Words, Emotional Contexts: Investigating Emotional Valence in Children's Writing and Word Learning","authors":"Yuzhen Dong, Matthew H. C. Mak, Robert Hepach, Kate Nation","doi":"10.1002/icd.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There is a relationship between the emotional valence of a word and its surrounding context in adult language, and context valence predicts how well adults learn new words. We asked whether this extends to children. Using a large corpus of stories written by children (<i>N</i> = 103,541; ~55 million words, ages 7–13), we found a positive correlation between word and context valence (<i>r</i> = 0.46), which was stable across age. We then conducted a pre-registered word learning experiment investigating how emotional narrative context shapes learning of novel adjectives during independent reading. Children (<i>N</i> = 120, age 7–11 years, 59 girls, ethnic information not collected) read 15 novel words embedded in 30 short narratives of either neutral, negative, or positive valence. We found that children inferred word valence from narrative context, demonstrating that context valence is an effective cue for word learning. Children learned novel adjectives, and older children outperformed younger children in word recognition and valence judgment. Novel adjectives read in more emotional (positive/negative) contexts were recognised more accurately than those in neutral narratives (Odds Ratios = 1.39–1.60). We discuss how affective associations build from children's experience of words in emotional contexts, consistent with affective embodiment supporting children's learning of abstract concepts.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47820,"journal":{"name":"Infant and Child Development","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145987144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}