Child Development in Russia: Perspectives from an international longitudinal study (Early Childhood Research and Education: An Inter-theoretical Focus, 3)

This book presents unique results of complex studies from the all-Russian longitudinal study “Grow with Russia”. In the framework of the cultural-historical concept, it focuses on the social situation of development, which is organized by adults, and its influence on cognitive and emotional development of children. It examines the role of the traditional play in children's development in modern conditions. The book explores the changes in social situation of development due to the digitalization of the world and its impact on child development, child groups and play development. The book searches for cognitive cultural tools as means of concept acquisition by preschool children in different domains as well as key factors that influence effectiveness of different cultural tools usage. This book provides international perspectives, making results from the study applicable to different cultural contexts. Foreword Contents Editor and Contributors 1 Preschool Education and Child Development in Russia 1.1 Learning as Design 1.2 Teaching as Design in Activity 1.3 Teaching and Verbalization 1.4 Learning and Orientation 1.5 Development of Executive Functions 1.6 Program for Education and Upbringing of Preschool Children 1.7 Changes in Preschool Education References 2 Impact of the Quality of the Classroom Educational Environment on the Emotional Understanding in Preschool Children 2.1 Educational Environment According to Vygotsky and Bronfenbrenner 2.2 Structural and Processual Quality of the Educational Environment 2.3 Impact of Educational Environment on Child Development 2.4 Emotional Development in Preschool Children 2.5 Study 2.5.1 Procedure 2.5.2 Sample 2.5.3 Methods 2.6 Results 2.6.1 Relation Between the Structural Quality and Processual Quality of the Educational Environment in the Classrooms 2.6.2 Impact of the Structural and Processual Quality of the Classroom Educational Environment on the Development of Children’s Emotion Understanding Over One Year 2.6.3 Impact of the Structural Quality of Classroom Educational Environment on Children’s Increase in TEC Score Between T1 and T2 2.6.4 Impact of the Processual Quality of Classroom Educational Environment on Children’s Increase in TEC Score Between T1 and T2 2.7 General Discussion 2.7.1 Relation Between the Structural Quality and Processual Quality of the Educational Environment 2.7.2 Impact of the Structural Quality of the Educational Environment on the Development of Emotion Understanding in Children 2.7.3 Impact of the Processual Quality of the Educational Environment on the Development of Emotional Understanding in Children 2.8 Conclusion References 3 Language Development and Executive Functions in Russian 5–7-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Study 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Language Development in Senior Preschoolers 3.3 Phonology 3.4 Vocabulary (lexics) 3.5 Grammar 3.6 Narration 3.7 Interim Conclusions 3.8 Development of Executive Functions in Children 3.9 Participants 3.10 Procedure 3.11 Methods 3.12 Results 3.12.1 Language Development in 5–7-Year-Old Children 3.13 Executive Functions and Language Development 3.14 Relationship Between Executive Functions and Language Competence in 5–6-Year-Old Children 3.15 Relationship Between Executive Functions and Language Performance 3.15.1 Dynamics in the Relationship Between Language and Executive Functions in 5–7-Year-Old Children (A Longitudinal Study) 3.16 Conclusion References 4 Executive Functioning and Mathematical Skills Development: From Preschool to School 4.1 Method 4.1.1 Participants 4.1.2 Materials and Procedure 4.2 Results 4.2.1 Relation Between Executive Functions and Math Skills in Preschool Children 4.2.2 Relation Between Executive Functions in Preschool and Math Skills in First Grade 4.3 Discussion 4.3.1 Relation Between Executive Functions and Math Skills in Preschool Children 4.3.2 Relation Between Preschoolers’ Executive Functions and First Graders’ Math Skills References 5 Role of Bilingualism in Child Development: Insights from Executive Functions and Emotion Understanding 5.1 Nationalities and Ethnic Languages in Russia 5.2 Cognitive Development of Children Growing up in Multilingual Environment 5.3 Executive Functions and Language in Monolingual Children 5.4 Relationship Between Executive Functions and Language Across the Linguistic Levels 5.4.1 Phonetics and Phonology 5.4.2 Lexical Processing 5.4.3 Symbolic Language 5.5 Executive Functions in Children with Atypical Language Development 5.6 Intermediate Conclusions 5.7 Relationship Between Executive Functions and Language in Bilingual Children 5.8 Study 1: Differences in Executive Functions Between Bilingual and Monolingual Children in Russia 5.9 Bilingualism and Social and Emotional Development 5.10 Study 2: Differences in Emotion Understanding Between Bilingual and Monolingual Children 5.11 General Discussion 5.12 Conclusion References 6 Play and Possibilities of Cognitive Development in Preschool Age 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Study 1. Perspectives of Russian Parents and Grandparents on Children's Play Activity 6.3 Study 1 Methods and Sample 6.4 Study 1 Results 6.5 Study 1 Discussion 6.6 Study 2. The Possibilities of Influencing EF Through Role-Playing Activity 6.7 Study 2 Methods and Sample 6.8 Study 2 Results 6.8.1 Cognitive flexibility 6.8.2 Motor persistence 6.8.3 Inhibition 6.9 Study 2 Discussion 6.10 General Discussion 6.11 Conclusion References 7 Physical Fitness and Child Development: Interrelations in Preschool Age 7.1 Introduction 7.1.1 Physical Activity and Physical Fitness in Preschool Children 7.1.2 Connection Between Executive Functioning and Physical Fitness in Preschool Age 7.2 Empirical Research 7.2.1 Method 7.3 Results 7.3.1 Gender Differences in EF Among Preschoolers 7.3.2 The Role of PF in EF Performance for Girls and Boys 7.4 Discussion 7.5 Conclusion References 8 Use of Digital Devices and Child Development: Digital Tools or Digital Environment? A Cultural–Historical Perspective 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Sample 8.3 Methods 8.4 Results 8.4.1 The Use of Digital Devices Among Modern Preschoolers 8.4.2 The Relationship Between the Use of Digital Devices and the Executive Functions in Preschool Children 8.5 Conclusion References 9 Impact of the Kindergarten Educational Environment on the Development of Dialectical Thinking and Understanding of Emotions in Preschoolers 9.1 Introduction: Why Dialectical Thinking? 9.1.1 Experimental Study of Dialectical Thinking 9.2 ROOTS—TRUNK—CROWN 9.3 Adult Role Assessment: Support Scales 9.4 Conclusion References 10 Concept Acquisition in Mathematics Through Symbolic Means 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Symbolic Means and Signs 10.3 Results 10.4 Symbolic Images and Visual Models 10.5 Results 10.6 General Discussion 10.7 Conclusion References 11 Sociometric Status and Child Development in Preschool Age 11.1 Methodology and Procedure 11.2 Sample 11.3 The Results of the Sociometric Status Assessment 11.4 The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Sociometric Status in Preschool Age 11.5 The Relationship Between Emotions Understanding and Sociometric Status in Preschool Age 11.6 The Relationship Between Language and Sociometric Status in Preschool Age 11.7 Conclusions References 12 Parent–Child Relationships Input in Child Development 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Sample 12.3 Methods 12.3.1 Assessment of Preschoolers’ Executive Functions 12.3.2 Parent–Child Relationship Research 12.4 Results 12.4.1 Demographic Factors 12.4.2 Child’s Attachment to Mother 12.4.3 Parental Position 12.5 Discussion 12.5.1 Critique of Key Findings 12.5.2 Study Strengths and Limitations 12.5.3 Implications of Study Findings 12.5.4 Final Reflection References Annexures Annex 1: Executive Functions Tests Annex 2: Emotional Understanding Test Annex 3: “Growing Together” Main Results Are Reflected in the Following Publications Conclusion: Changes in a Child’s Life—Perspectives for Education