The current study sought to increase our understanding of the factors involved in the early vocabulary development of Australian Indigenous children. Data from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children were available for 573 Indigenous children (291 boys) who spoke English (<svg     style="vertical-align:-0.1638pt;width:65.25px;" id="M1" height="11.375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 65.25 11.375" width="65.25"  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	
		
			<g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><path id="x1D440" d="M998 650l-8 -28q-71 -4 -86 -16t-22 -69l-50 -397q-3 -28 -4.5 -44t2 -29t6.5 -18.5t17 -10.5t24.5 -6.5t37.5 -3.5l-8 -28h-271l7 28q63 6 78 22t25 90l60 415h-2l-353 -552h-23l-130 536h-2l-70 -254q-44 -158 -47 -188q-5 -38 9 -51t71 -18l-6 -28h-241l8 28&#xA;q45 4 67 18.5t35 45.5q16 38 74 233l52 173q24 79 11.5 98t-89.5 26l6 28h177l136 -508l337 508h172z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,22.127,11.112)"><path id="x3D" d="M535 323h-483v50h483v-50zM535 138h-483v50h483v-50z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,36.831,11.112)"><path id="x33" d="M285 378v-2q65 -13 102 -54.5t37 -97.5q0 -57 -30.5 -104.5t-74 -75t-85.5 -42t-72 -14.5q-31 0 -59.5 11t-40.5 23q-19 18 -16 36q1 16 23 33q13 10 24 0q58 -51 124 -51q55 0 88 40t33 112q0 64 -39 96.5t-88 32.5q-29 0 -64 -11l-6 29q77 25 118 57.5t41 84.5&#xA;q0 45 -26.5 69.5t-68.5 24.5q-67 0 -120 -79l-20 20l43 63q51 56 127 56h1q66 0 107 -37t41 -95q0 -42 -31 -71q-22 -23 -68 -54z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,44.99,11.112)"><path id="x37" d="M447 623l8 -12l-283 -613l-74 -10l-7 11q174 283 297 551h-216q-48 0 -62.5 -12t-33.5 -63h-29q10 60 18 148h382z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,53.15,11.112)"><path id="x2E" d="M113 -12q-24 0 -39.5 16t-15.5 42q0 24 16 40.5t40 16.5t40 -16.5t16 -40.5q0 -26 -16 -42t-41 -16z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,57.025,11.112)"><path id="x30" d="M241 635q53 0 94 -28.5t63.5 -76t33.5 -102.5t11 -116q0 -58 -11 -112.5t-34 -103.5t-63.5 -78.5t-94.5 -29.5t-95 28t-64.5 75t-34.5 102.5t-11 118.5q0 58 11.5 112.5t34.5 103t64.5 78t95.5 29.5zM238 602q-32 0 -55.5 -25t-35.5 -68t-17.5 -91t-5.5 -105&#xA;q0 -76 10 -138.5t37 -107.5t69 -45q32 0 55.5 25t35.5 68.5t17.5 91.5t5.5 105t-5.5 105.5t-18 92t-36 68t-56.5 24.5z" /></g>

		
	
</svg> months, <svg     style="vertical-align:-0.23206pt;width:61.549999px;" id="M2" height="11.75" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 61.549999 11.75" width="61.549999"  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	
		
			<g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.4)"><path id="x1D446" d="M457 488l-30 -3q-17 148 -131 148q-53 0 -84.5 -34.5t-31.5 -82.5q0 -42 25.5 -72t74.5 -62l33 -22q63 -42 95 -85t32 -102q0 -84 -67 -137t-163 -53q-58 0 -113 22t-70 43l-4 152l27 4q4 -32 15 -62.5t31 -59.5t53.5 -47t76.5 -18q56 0 92 35t36 96q0 39 -25 70t-78 68&#xA;l-31 22q-32 23 -53.5 41.5t-45 57t-23.5 77.5q0 82 58 132.5t156 50.5q46 0 101 -17l18.5 -6t17 -6t8.5 -3q-4 -55 0 -147z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,8.222,11.4)"><path id="x1D437" d="M780 372q0 -191 -178 -297q-128 -75 -335 -75h-250l7 27q61 7 77 22t28 76l77 398q11 62 0 76.5t-77 22.5l6 28h292q164 0 258.5 -67.5t94.5 -210.5zM678 375q0 119 -73 180.5t-201 61.5q-62 0 -82 -13q-17 -7 -25 -53l-80 -427q-8 -47 -4 -62t26 -20q24 -6 80 -6&#xA;q166 0 262.5 95t96.5 244z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,26.581,11.4)"><use xlink:href="#x3D"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,41.284,11.4)"><path id="x35" d="M153 550l-26 -186q79 31 111 31q90 0 141.5 -51t51.5 -119q0 -93 -89 -166q-85 -69 -173 -71q-32 0 -61.5 11.5t-41.5 23.5q-18 17 -17 34q2 16 22 33q14 9 26 -1q61 -50 124 -50q60 0 93 43.5t33 104.5q0 69 -41.5 110t-121.5 41q-53 0 -102 -20l38 305h286l6 -8&#xA;l-26 -65h-233z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,49.444,11.4)"><use xlink:href="#x2E"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,53.32,11.4)"><path id="x34" d="M456 178h-96v-72q0 -51 12.5 -62.5t72.5 -16.5v-27h-256v27q65 5 78 17t13 62v72h-260v28q182 271 300 426h40v-407h96v-47zM280 225v295h-2q-107 -148 -196 -295h198z" /></g>

		
	
</svg> months, at wave 3). Data were also available for 86 children (51 boys) who spoke an Indigenous language (<svg     style="vertical-align:-0.1638pt;width:65.25px;" id="M3" height="11.375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 65.25 11.375" width="65.25"  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	
		
			<g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D440"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,22.127,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x3D"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,36.831,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x33"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,44.99,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x37"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,53.15,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x2E"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,57.025,11.112)"><path id="x31" d="M384 0h-275v27q67 5 81.5 18.5t14.5 68.5v385q0 38 -7.5 47.5t-40.5 10.5l-48 2v24q85 15 178 52v-521q0 -55 14.5 -68.5t82.5 -18.5v-27z" /></g>

		
	
</svg> months, <svg     style="vertical-align:-0.23206pt;width:61.549999px;" id="M4" height="11.75" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 61.549999 11.75" width="61.549999"  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	
		
			<g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.4)"><use xlink:href="#x1D446"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,8.222,11.4)"><use xlink:href="#x1D437"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,26.581,11.4)"><use xlink:href="#x3D"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,41.284,11.4)"><path id="x36" d="M137 343l67 33q37 17 63 17q79 0 129.5 -53t50.5 -131q0 -92 -58 -156.5t-147 -64.5t-147 68t-58 182q0 63 17 119t43 95.5t61.5 72t69 52t67.5 31.5q62 22 128 33l6 -32q-56 -11 -108 -35q-149 -71 -184 -231zM227 337q-47 0 -95 -27q-6 -23 -6 -70q0 -93 36 -155.5&#xA;t96 -62.5q53 0 78 45.5t25 105.5q0 68 -35 116t-99 48z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,49.444,11.4)"><use xlink:href="#x2E"/></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,53.32,11.4)"><use xlink:href="#x30"/></g>

		
	
</svg> months, at wave 3). As hypothesised, higher levels of parent-child book reading and having more children&#x2019;s books in the home were associated with better English vocabulary development. Oral storytelling in Indigenous language was a significant predictor of the size of children&#x2019;s Indigenous vocabulary.

Brad M. Farrant

Carrington C. J. Shepherd

Roz D. Walker

Glenn C. Pearson

Early Vocabulary Development of Australian Indigenous Children: Identifying Strengths

For young children, storybooks may serve as especially valuable sources of new knowledge. While most research focuses on how extratextual comments influence knowledge acquisition, we propose that children&#x2019;s learning may also be supported by the specific features of storybooks. More specifically, we propose that texts that invoke children&#x2019;s knowledge of familiar taxonomic categories may support learning by providing a conceptual framework through which prior knowledge and new knowledge can be readily integrated. In this study, 60 5-year olds were read a storybook that either invoked their knowledge of a familiar taxonomic category (taxonomic storybook) or focused on a common thematic grouping (traditional storybook). Following the book-reading, children&#x2019;s vocabulary acquisition, literal comprehension, and inferential comprehension were assessed. Children who were read the taxonomic storybook demonstrated greater acquisition of target vocabulary and comprehension of factual content than children who were read the traditional storybook. Inferential comprehension, however, did not differ across the two conditions. We argue for the importance of careful consideration of book features and storybook selection in order to provide children with every opportunity to gain the knowledge foundational for successful literacy development.

Ashley M. Pinkham

Tanya Kaefer

Susan B. Neuman

Taxonomies Support Preschoolers&#x2019; Knowledge Acquisition from Storybooks

Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic disorder characterised by significant intellectual disability. Initial studies indicate that children with WS have a profound bias for information in the top left of visual arrays. Study 1, using a visuospatial memory test for items presented in a <svg     style="vertical-align:-0.1638pt;width:33.974998px;" id="M1" height="11.125" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 33.974998 11.125" width="33.974998"  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
    
        
            <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,10.862)"><path id="x33" d="M285 378v-2q65 -13 102 -54.5t37 -97.5q0 -57 -30.5 -104.5t-74 -75t-85.5 -42t-72 -14.5q-31 0 -59.5 11t-40.5 23q-19 18 -16 36q1 16 23 33q13 10 24 0q58 -51 124 -51q55 0 88 40t33 112q0 64 -39 96.5t-88 32.5q-29 0 -64 -11l-6 29q77 25 118 57.5t41 84.5&#xA;q0 45 -26.5 69.5t-68.5 24.5q-67 0 -120 -79l-20 20l43 63q51 56 127 56h1q66 0 107 -37t41 -95q0 -42 -31 -71q-22 -23 -68 -54z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,11.996,10.862)"><path id="xD7" d="M528 54l-36 -38l-198 201l-198 -201l-36 38l197 200l-197 201l36 38l198 -202l198 202l36 -38l-197 -201z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,25.748,10.862)"><use xlink:href="#x33"/></g>

        
    
</svg> matrix, found a significant top left bias in WS children relative to controls. Study 2 used a probe-based memory test with arrays in which items appeared with equal probability in each position. Relative to controls, WS children showed a significant top and left bias. In Study 3, the same children engaged in a visual search task and again, a top and left bias was found in the WS group. It is concluded that children with WS display atypical laterality, which might be explained by abnormal saccadic movements, by abnormalities involving development of the dorsal stream or by uneven cortical development.

Antonios Chasouris

Peter Mayer

Ian Stuart-Hamilton

Martin Graff

Lance Workman

Abnormalities in Pattern of Lateralization in Relation to Visuospatial Short Term Memory in Children with Williams Syndrome

Classic developmental studies have established that children&#x2019;s number conservation is often biased by misleading intuitions. However, the precise nature of these conservation errors is not clear. A key question is whether children detect that their erroneous conservation judgment is unwarranted. The present study focuses on this critical error sensitivity issue. Preschool children were given a classic version of a number conservation task in which an intuitively cued response conflicted with the correct conservation response and a control version in which this conflict was not present. After solving each version children were asked to indicate their response confidence. Results showed that in contrast with children who gave a correct conservation response, preschoolers who erred showed a sharp confidence decrease after solving the classic conflict problem. This suggests that nonconserving preschoolers detect that their response is questionable and are less ignorant about conservation than their well-documented errors might have previously suggested.

Wim De Neys

Am&#xe9;lie Lubin

Olivier Houd&#xe9;

The Smart Nonconserver: Preschoolers Detect Their Number Conservation Errors

Findings from cross-cultural theory-of-mind studies highlight potential measurement effects and both general (e.g., East-West) and specific (e.g., pedagogical experiences) cultural contrasts. We compared theory-of-mind scores for children from UK and Italy (two Western countries that differ in age of school entry) and Japan (a Far-Eastern country in which children, like their Italian counterparts, start school later than British children). Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to data from 268 age-gender- and verbal ability-matched 5- to 6-year olds. Key findings were that (i) all 8 indicators loaded onto a single latent factor; and (ii) this latent factor explained significant variance in each group, with just one indicator showing differential item functioning. Supporting the importance of pedagogical experiences, British children outperformed both their Italian and Japanese counterparts.

Claire Hughes

Rory T. Devine

Rosie Ensor

Masuo Koyasu

Ai Mizokawa

Serena Lecce

Lost in Translation? Comparing British, Japanese, and Italian Children&#x2019;s Theory-of-Mind Performance

This study uses a large and representative sample of adolescents to test the theoretically informed hypotheses comparing adolescent singletons with those who have siblings. The results found that, for academic related outcomes (educational expectations, time spent on homework, and self-reported grades), there are no differences between singletons and firstborns who have any number of younger siblings. Singletons are also not different from laterborns from two-child families. In contrast, singletons are more advantageous compared to laterborns who have two or more siblings on educational expectations and grades. Singletons also spend more time on homework than laterborns who have three or more siblings. For psychosocial outcomes (psychological distress, susceptibility to negative peer pressure, and problem behaviors), singletons are not different from both firstborns and laterborns with any number of siblings. The findings suggest that singletons are not at any disadvantage compared to their peers who have siblings and they enjoy some advantages over laterborns from medium to large families on academic related outcomes.

Zeng-yin Chen

Ruth X. Liu

Comparing Adolescent Only Children with Those Who Have Siblings on Academic Related Outcomes and Psychosocial Adjustment

The present study analyzed the concurrent and longitudinal relations among cognitive flexibility, theory of mind, and hyperactivity/inattention in a sample of 70 typically developing children (<svg     style="vertical-align:-0.0pt;width:17.475px;" id="M1" height="11.175" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.475 11.175" width="17.475"  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	
		
			<g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.113)"><path id="x1D440" d="M998 650l-8 -28q-71 -4 -86 -16t-22 -69l-50 -397q-3 -28 -4.5 -44t2 -29t6.5 -18.5t17 -10.5t24.5 -6.5t37.5 -3.5l-8 -28h-271l7 28q63 6 78 22t25 90l60 415h-2l-353 -552h-23l-130 536h-2l-70 -254q-44 -158 -47 -188q-5 -38 9 -51t71 -18l-6 -28h-241l8 28&#xA;q45 4 67 18.5t35 45.5q16 38 74 233l52 173q24 79 11.5 98t-89.5 26l6 28h177l136 -508l337 508h172z" /></g>

		
	
</svg> age = 61.4 months, <i  >SD</i> = 8.3 months). Mothers and teachers reported on children&#x2019;s hyperactivity/inattention using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), cognitive flexibility was measured using the dimension change card sort task (Zelazo, 2006), and theory of mind was assessed using a battery of tasks. Cognitive flexibility and theory of mind scores were found to be significantly negatively correlated with the level of hyperactivity/inattention at both time points. Furthermore, year 1 cognitive flexibility score was found to be a significant predictor of year 2 hyperactivity/inattention score after controlling for child age, gender, and year 1 hyperactivity/inattention score. Directions for future research include training studies which would further our understanding of these relationships and allow more effective interventions.

Janet Fletcher

Murray T. Maybery

Cognitive Flexibility, Theory of Mind, and Hyperactivity/Inattention

About this journal

<p><em>Child Development Research</em> publishes original research articles as well as review articles in all areas of child development research.</p>


Journal profile

Meet the editorial board

<p><em>Child Development Research</em> maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.</p>


Editor spotlight

Submit your proposal

Do you think there is an emerging area of research that really needs to be highlighted? Or an existing research area that has been overlooked or would benefit from deeper investigation? Raise the profile of a research area by leading a Special Issue.

Special Issues

Author guidelines

Editorial board

Databases and indexing

Child Development Research - Table of contents 2014

title

Child Development Research ceased publication in 2019 and is no longer accepting submissions.

description

Child Development Research publishes original research articles as well as review articles in all areas of child development research.

Child Development Research