Associations of language‐based bedtime routines with early cognitive skills and academic achievement: A follow‐up from kindergarten to middle school

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to investigate the extent to which language‐based bedtime routines (LBR) reported by parents before kindergarten were associated with early cognitive skills at kindergarten and subsequent academic achievement in typically developing children. Method We followed a community‐based sample of 664 French‐speaking adolescents from kindergarten (5–6 years) to the end of middle school (15 years). Kindergarten measures included a parental questionnaire aimed at assessing the presence or absence of any kind of LBR, such as storytelling, looking at children’s books, reading a story, listening to songs, or singing nursery rhymes, as well as family contextual characteristics. Children also performed standardized assessments of oral language, pre‐reading skills, and non‐verbal reasoning. In middle school, children sat a national diploma typically used as an indicator of general academic achievement in Grade 9. Results After adjusting for family characteristics, the presence of language‐based bedtime routines (57%) predicted cognitive–academic skills in kindergarten, and was positively associated with academic achievement at Grade 9, related to the beneficial effect on children’s vocabulary in kindergarten. Conclusion The presence of language‐based bedtime routines may provide an indicator of positive parental behaviour including exposure to literacy activities, contributing to children’s early cognitive development and subsequent academic achievement.

Feasibility and Acceptability of an ABCD Program for Child Development Among Skipped Families in Rural Thailand: A Pilot Study

“…19 Therefore, providing such programs through community resources can be crucial for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, especially in low-resource communities. 20,21 This study aimed to create a unique program to promote child development, called ABCD program that included four essential elements: A for aesthetic (dancing and singing), 22 B for a bedtime story, 23 C for connecting with nature (outdoor activities) 24 , and D for drawing. 25 This program was developed by key leaders in the community, such as teachers from child development centers (CDC), healthcare providers who work at a sub-district health promoting hospital (SDHPH), and village health volunteers (VHVs), who are valuable resources in low-resource communities.…”

Reflections on and Exploration of Academic Early Warning Management and Support for Students in Colleges and Universities

“…Various majors in colleges and universities have the three major characteristics of a complicated curriculum system, the large correlation between courses, and difficult curriculum setting, coupled with the fact that students' learning progress and degree of absorption are different, which leads to high pressure on students' learning and serious polarization of performance [1][2]. The percentage of students who are subjected to academic sanctions such as grade reduction, withdrawal and deferment due to academic difficulties is as high as about 10% every year [3][4][5].…”

How I wonder what you are: Children's songs as a source of mental and internal state information

“…Young children's lives are enriched with songs, from the classic nursery rhyme “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” to the more modern song “Baby Shark.” Such songs may serve as essential teaching tools in educational settings (Morrone & Matsuyama, 2012), and also can be a part of informal parent‐child interactions (e.g., singing at bedtime; Câmara‐Costa et al., 2021). Nursery rhymes and songs exist across cultures and may be accessible to families regardless of their socioeconomic status due to the nature of songs being orally disseminated (Mullen, 2017).…”