Links between socio-emotional skills, behavior, mathematics and literacy performance of preschool children in Serbia

Abstract

Young children's socio-emotional skills are important for understanding their own and other's behaviours and interactions. No study in Serbia has investigated this before. In this study we explored the links between early socio-emotional skills, behaviour, and mathematics and literacy performance of preschool children in Serbia over time. Children (N = 159) aged 5-8 were rated by the teachers on their socio-emotional skills and behaviour, and their literacy and mathematics assessed at three-time points over 14 months, twice in preschool and once at entry to school. At Time 3, when children entered school, their socio-emotional skills and behaviour were associated with gender, mathematics at Time 1 and their socio-emotional and behaviour ratings at Time 2, controlling for maternal education and literacy at Time 1. Mathematics at Time 3 was associated with mathematics at Time 2, controlling for gender, maternal education, literacy and behaviour at Time 1. No socio-emotional skills or specific behaviour were significant for mathematics. Literacy at Time 3 was associated with mathematics and social skills at Time 1, and literacy at Time 2, controlling for gender and maternal education. At all three times, girls were rated more positively than boys in socioemotional skills and behaviour, except for adjustment to school setting where there were no differences. This study offers the first insight into the links between socio-emotional skills, behaviour and mathematics and literacy performance of preschool children in Serbia which will inform the development and evaluation of interventions. Attrition of the sample limits the findings.

The relationship between cognitive development, behavior indicators, and Personal, Social, and Emotional Development in Pre-school

“…The model that included the indicator for PSED for language skills was the best adjusted (R²) and had an effect size larger than the coefficients of behavior indicators and variables widely studied and discussed within the educational field, such as the SES of the family unit. This difference shows the importance of social and emotional skills, as increasingly reported in the literature (ALEKSIC, 2019;ALMLUND et al, 2011;(HECKMAN;STIXRUD;URZUA, 2006). Once again, what is noteworthy in the results presented is the age bracket studied (children enrolled in pre-school) and the consistency of the results when compared with other findings in national and international studies that reinforce an association between social and emotional skills and cognitive development (CASEL, 2015;PRIMI, 2014).…”

“…A longitudinal study performed in Serbia using PIPS methodology with 159 children aged between 5 and 8, found that the social skills section of PSED, measured at 5 years of age, could be a predictor of literacy skills at the age of 8 (B = 0.29), while controlling for gender and maternal Education (ALEKSIC et al, 2019).…”

Home language and literacy environments at the age of four: determinants and their relation to reading comprehension up to age nine (Ambientes de lenguaje y alfabetización inicial en el hogar a los cuatro años: determinantes y relación con comprensión lectora hasta los nueve años)

“…Estas incluyen ayudar, compartir y colaborar. La relación encontrada entre ALAIH y prosocialidad a los tres años de edad (Wirth et al, 2020), sugiere la relevancia de las conductas prosociales para la generación de actividades conjuntas con adultos con potencial de aprendizaje (Aleksić et al, 2019).…”

“…They include helping, sharing and collaborating. The relation detected between HLLE and prosociality at the age of three (Wirth et al, 2020) suggests the importance of prosocial behaviours in generating joint activities with adults with the potential for learning (Aleksić et al, 2019).…”

Mídias imersivas no reforço e mudança comportamental: uma revisão sistemática

“…O processo de aprendizado em algumas áreas da educação como a educação financeira (Peeters et al, 2018) (Compen et al, 2019), matemática (Aleksic et al, 2018) e educação alimentar (Ronto et al, 2016) tem demonstrado certas fragilidades e resultados educacionais aquém do esperado. Isso provavelmente ocorre pelo fato de que boa parte das intervenções focam quase que exclusivamente no ensino de conhecimento, com distanciamento do que ocorre na realidade.…”