The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two different teaching programs, one skill based, one mixed skill and content based with 7-8 year-old international school students (N=36). Group 1 (N=12) received a basic skills training in 2x40 mins sessions, Group 2 (N=12) received 1x40 mins basic skills training and 1x40 mins text comprehension instruction for a duration of twelve weeks. Group 3 (N=12) did not receive any additional training to their mainstream curriculum. The findings suggest that direct instruction of decoding appears to be effective, moreover appears to have indirect effect on sentence comprehension. Spelling results are somewhat ambiguous. Significant progress in text comprehension remained specific to the training. The study concludes that explicit, focused instruction of decoding, and text comprehension in a small group setting has real benefits.

The goals of the study were to examine the predictive power of general cognitive ability, working memory, and self-efficacy in first grade for academic functioning of children at risk for learning disabilities in second grade. The study involved 82 children (age 6-7 years) from five local public elementary schools in middle-class neighborhoods in Jerusalem, including 41 children at risk for specific learning disabilities and 41 typically developing peers. In the first stage of the study, (performed at the end of first grade), general cognitive ability and working memory were assessed using subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (the subtests consisted of:  Vocabulary and Block Design for general cognitive ability; Arithmetic and Digit Span for working memory). Academic self-efficacy was rated using a structural interview. At follow-up, academic functioning was assessed at the end of second grade. A serial-multiple mediation analysis revealed significant mediating roles for levels of performance in the Arithmetic subtest and for academic self-efficacy in predicting the academic functioning in second grade. The significance of the Arithmetic subtest, based on contemporary research on the structure of the intelligence was proposed. Educational implications call for sensitizing teachers to the unique role of academic self-efficacy in shaping trajectories of academic functioning development among children with RLD and in using effective strategies of promoting self-efficacy.

The issue of cybercrime and other anti-social activities is increasingly discussed today. The cause is an increasing number of individuals, companies or states exposed to these threats. This article deals with the issue of cyber aggression as one of the kinds of other anti-social activities. The article presents the results of researches in the Slovak Republic, but also the results of a survey at selected schools conducted by the Faculty of Safety Engineering of the University of Zilina. The main aim of the article is to point out the issue of cybercrime and other antisocial activities among adolescents and to point out the relationship between their education and vulnerability.

The majority of research on the relationship between phonological awareness and written language focuses on demonstrating the influence of the former on the latter. However, the aim of this study is to analyse the effects of an Early Years written language programme on phonological awareness. The sample comprises 56 Spanish children aged 5-7 who are at risk of developing learning disabilities. A mixed design was used, with four assessments and three intervention stages, two study variables (syllable and phoneme awareness) and two groups (instructed and uninstructed). The results show that instructed groups achieved better scores for phonological awareness in all the assessments. The findings corroborate the short and medium-term efficacy of systemic and structured intervention in reading and writing with regard to the acquisition of phonological awareness among young Spanish children at risk of developing learning disabilities.

At the beginning of primary school, young children need to adapt academically, socially, and emotionally to their new school environment. Enjoying going to school and becoming socially integrated are important preconditions for successful learning. However, children from disadvantaged families have fewer resources and receive less support, and such deficits can result in lower attainment, negative emotions, and lower well-being. In recent years, interest in emotions and well-being in school has grown in educational research. However, studies analyzing the affective characteristics of disadvantaged students, especially in primary school, are still scarce. In this study, we analyzed reciprocal relationships between school enjoyment, social integration, and achievement using cross-lagged structural equation modeling (Grades 1 and 2), while controlling for family background and sex. We used data from the National Educational Panel Study in Germany (NEPS; N = 4,986). Results showed positive effects of school enjoyment on achievement and social integration on school enjoyment. Additionally, a better home learning environment had positive effects on school enjoyment and social integration in Grade 1. Effects of socioeconomic and migration background on school enjoyment and social integration were not significant. Our results show no evidence that educationally disadvantaged students are additionally disadvantaged in their school enjoyment or social integration at the beginning of primary school.  

Television watching and video/computer playing are favorite leisure activities among children and adolescents. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have several special characteristics in relation to attention and impulsivity compared with non-ADHD individuals. This study investigates parental perceptions of electronic media use among children and adolescents with ADHD and a control group. A total of 54 participants with ADHD and 51 controls aged 7-15 years old took part in the study. A questionnaire was constructed to collect quantitative data from parents. ADHD children tend to spend more time per day on electronic devices compared to non-referred children. Age but not gender seemed to affect the frequency of children’s media play. Inattention, anxiousness and disorganization are more common in the ADHD group in activities such as reading, doing homework, doing sports or playing with toys in comparison to media activities. Parents of both groups worry a lot about their child’s habits of videogame playing. Finally, parents of ADHD children recognize some of the benefits of videogames in the areas of memory, attention and motivation but not in the academic area. In conclusion, the present study highlights important aspects of the topic of media use by children with ADHD as well as risk factors to take into account.  

Previous research focused on individuals’ background, contexts and cognitive performance in education, work, and life. Given the increasing number of people living alone temporarily, the question arises whether the frequent use of skills, including social skills, relates to individuals’ later positively self-evaluated skills and social lives. Based on an integrated framework, the current analysis aimed to disentangle these relationships with longitudinal data from Germany over three years. The target sample consisted of n = 3263 working adults. A Bayesian structural equation model included adults’ frequent use of skills, self-evaluated skills, household size, close friends, and seven covariates (e.g., numeracy and literacy test scores, weekly working hours. The results suggested positive relationships between adults’ frequent use of numeracy, literacy, and social skills and later self-evaluations (except literacy used on self-evaluated numeracy). Those who less frequently used social skills three years earlier were also less likely to have a larger household size than those who reporting frequently using their social skills. Adults who frequently used literacy skills three years earlier reported higher numbers of close friends than those who less frequently used literacy. The findings highlight the importance of adults’ social skills and frequently used skills for self-evaluated numeracy and literacy.

Dyslexia is traditionally regarded as a disability which has an impact on the learning process of reading, spelling and writing. This study attempts to explore the character strengths, flourishing, resilience, and perceptions of professional success and satisfaction of 477 Greek adults. The sample consisted of 30 adults with an official diagnosis of dyslexia, 103 adults who scored above the threshold limit in the Dyslexia Checklist, and 344 adults who did not report any leaning difficulty. The following instruments were employed in the study: the Brief Resilience Scale, the Flourishing Scale, and subscales of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths 120 (creativity, perseverance, social intelligence and teamwork). The results show that the dyslexic group scored higher in creativity and teamwork in comparison to the control group. No statistical differences were observed in professional success and satisfaction between the groups. Level of education seems to correlate with creativity. The prediction models showed a negative correlation of social intelligence with suspected dyslexia and a very low prediction of flourishing and resilience on the basis of dyslexia status. Positive traits of dyslexia are worth further study. Identifying strengths among people with dyslexia might be helpful for implementing new educational interventions and strategies.

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an online dynamic test in reading and writing, differentiating in typically developing children (n = 47) and children diagnosed with dyslexia (n = 30) aged between nine and twelve years. In doing so, it was analysed whether visual working memory, auditory working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and reading self-concept were related to the outcomes of the online dynamic test. The study followed a pretest-training-posttest design with two conditions: experimental (n = 41), who received training between the pretest and posttest, and control (n = 37), who received training after the posttest. Results showed that typically developing children and children diagnosed with dyslexia in both conditions could improve their reading and writing accuracy scores, while the training in prosodic awareness might have tapped into children's potential for learning. Moreover, results revealed that in children diagnosed with dyslexia, training in the domain of writing competence could compensate for cognitive flexibility. However, training was not found to compensate for reading self-concept in children diagnosed with dyslexia.

Acquiring mastery in reading is considered one of the primary academic skills during the early years of elementary school. Additionally, attaining proficiency in reading during the early grades of elementary school serves as a strong predictor for future academic achievements and overall success in life. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the effect of several linguistic and cognitive variables on decoding abilities in the Bosnian language. The sample consisted of 153 children in the 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. To assess decoding abilities, we employed tasks involving reading real words and non-words (pseudowords). The key predictors for both tasks included phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming of letters, working memory, and processing speed. Both models accounted for approximately 64% of the variance in the scores, signifying a substantial advancement compared to existing models of reading in the Bosnian language. The results of this study may contribute to the development of targeted and effective reading interventions in early elementary education.

This study used the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) Study to examine home learning and parent attitudes to education during Covid-19 in relation to demographic and household financial circumstances and parent educational aspirations. The findings showed that White, female, and degree-educated parents were more likely than their counterparts to report positive attitudes to home learning, support their 16-year-olds’ learning, and contact schools during the lockdowns. Parents who experienced food poverty and reported being financially worse off after the pandemic were less likely to support home learning or contact schools but reported largely positive attitudes to learning. Also, parents who reported lower educational aspirations were more likely to support their children’s learning, reflecting their educational needs. This study contributes to our understanding of home learning during the pandemic and has implications for public policy and action regarding supporting children’s learning during health crises and reducing education inequalities.

The mental well-being of individuals is as important as their physical health, contributing to their overall quality of life. It is, however, often neglected due to associated stigma, with people silently suffering from mental health challenges. In India, a large population is struggling with mental health concerns, especially teenagers and adolescents. With a population of around 1.4 billion, India faces an immense shortage of adequate mental health services, realizing the need for alternate strategies to fill the treatment gap. As teachers spend much time with students in school, they can contribute to their mental well-being if provided with capacity-building opportunities. This study aims to measure the impact of a teacher sensitization program in Indian government schools on mental health-related knowledge, beliefs, and the behaviours demonstrated by them in the classroom while interacting with children, creating a ripple effect towards students’ mental well-being. A total of 136 teachers who were teaching at government high schools in the district of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, were included in the study. The study used a pre- and post-design to investigate the impact of a teacher sensitization program on their understanding related to mental health. The results indicated notable improvements in teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward mental well-being, with significant improvements observed in areas such as behaviour, teachers' body language, relationships with students, and the use of effective teaching strategies. The findings highlight the importance of professional development initiatives to equip teachers with the skills to effectively support student well-being.

Addressing and managing the disruptive behavior of students is a major classroom management concern for teachers. These concerns become even more important when, in addition to normal classroom disruptions, teachers must also address the behaviors of students’ at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties. Although ample bodies of evidence-based instructional and behavior management practices exist, teachers have expressed difficulties implementing these practices into their daily classroom praxis. One method for supporting teachers’ practice implementation is through ongoing classroom observations that measure classroom practices and yield data to support direct implementation feedback to teachers. The current study investigated relations between observational assessment of instructional and behavior management practices and students’ emotional and behavior risk as part of a brief observation and feedback process. We also examined how brief teacher performance feedback may change the relationships between teacher practices and student emotional and behavioral risk. Participants included 31 Greek elementary school teachers who were observed with the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS) by their school administrators for three-30 minutes observations and received brief performance feedback following each observation period. Following the third observation period, teachers also completed the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) Teacher Form for 115 students. Multilevel analyses revealed that assessment of instructional and behavior management strategies were significantly associated with student risk for emotional and behavior difficulties prior to feedback, but nonsignificant findings were found following brief performance feedback. Results illustrate a shift in the relationships between observer ratings of teachers’ instructional and behavior management practices and teacher ratings of student emotional and behavioral risk following brief performance feedback. Implications for practice and research are discussed.