Utilizing a longitudinal sample of Finnish children (ages 6-10), two studies examined how early linguistic (spoken vs. written) and spatial skills predict later development of arithmetic, and whether counting sequence knowledge mediates these associations. In Study 1 (N = 1,880), letter knowledge and spatial visualization, measured in kindergarten, predicted the level of arithmetic in first grade, and later growth through third grade. Study 2 (n = 378) further showed that these associations were mediated by counting sequence knowledge measured in first grade. These studies add to the literature by demonstrating the importance of written language for arithmetic development. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that linguistic and spatial skills can improve arithmetic development by enhancing children's number-related knowledge.

Purpose Industry-based strategies for dissemination of an evidence-based occupational sun protection program, Go Sun Smart (GSS), were tested. Design Two dissemination strategies were compared in a randomized trial in 2004 – 2007. Setting The North American ski industry. Subjects Ski areas in the United States and Canada (n=69) and their senior managers (n=469). Intervention Employers received GSS through a Basic Dissemination Strategy (BDS) from the industry’s professional association which included conference presentations and free starter kits. Half of the areas also received the Enhanced Dissemination Strategy (EDS), in which project staff met face-to-face with managers and made ongoing contacts to support program use. Measures Observation of program materials in use and managers’ reports on communication about sun protection. Analysis The effects of two alternative dissemination strategies were compared on program use using PROC MIXED in SAS, adjusted for covariates using 1-tailed p-values. Results Ski areas receiving the EDS used more GSS materials (M=7.36) than those receiving the BDS (M=5.17; F=7.82, p<.01). Managers from more areas receiving the EDS reported communicating about sun protection in employee newsletters/flyers (M=0.97, p=.04), in guest email messages (M=0.75, p=.02), and on ski area websites (M=0.38, p=.02) than those receiving the BDS (M=0.84, 0.50, 0.15, respectively). Conclusion Industry professional associations play an important role in disseminating prevention programs; however, active personal communication may be essential to ensure increased implementation fidelity.

This study (N ϭ 196) examined the extent to which the frequency of parent-child math activities in preschool was associated with children's developmental trajectories of math skills from preschool to primary school. Parents reported the frequency of their involvement in a variety of math activities with their preschool children. Children were tested individually on their formal (i.e., math knowledge that involves verbal or written symbolism, such as rote counting and written computation) and informal (i.e., object-based numeration and operations, such as number line concepts and object-based calculation) math skills from preschool to first grade. The results showed that the frequency of parent-child formal math activities, including number skill and book activities, was not associated with children's formal or informal math trajectories. In contrast, the frequency of informal math activities, including number game and application activities, was associated with formal math skill levels in preschool. More important, parental involvement in application activities in preschool significantly predicted the rate of growth in formal math skills through first grade. This predictive relation persisted after controlling for the other three types of math activities and other child-and family-level variables. The findings underscore the importance of early parent-child application activities in engendering possible long-term effects on children's math skill development. Educational Impact and Implications StatementAmong a variety of activities that parents engage in to support their preschool children's math learning, this study identifies the frequency of application activities as a unique predictor of children's math trajectories from preschool to primary school. Additionally, the frequency of math game activities predicts children's math skills in preschool. These findings suggest that parent-child interactions around math games may have an immediate effect on preschool children's math skills, whereas interactions around math content that is related to children's real lives may have a long-lasting effect on their math development a few years later.

Based on 764 households with young children in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 pandemic started, this study investigated how household chaos during the pandemic was associated with the mental health problems of children and their caregivers. It also examined the familial correlates of household chaos. The results showed that household chaos was associated with caregiver-rated symptoms of anxiety/withdrawal, fearfulness and acting out exhibited by young children and the symptoms of anxiety and depression in their caregivers. Moreover, caregivers’ depression and anxiety mediated the relations between household chaos and caregiver-rated child mental health problems. Additionally, caregivers living in families with a single caregiver, a larger family size, poorer physical health, and more significant income loss reported greater levels of household chaos during the pandemic. These findings highlight the importance of reducing household chaos to promote the mental health of young children and their caregivers during the pandemic. They also underscore the need to identify families with high levels of chaos based on key background variables.

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