Background: The use of mediated learning in cognitive training has been shown to be effective in enhancing students’ cognitive development. Nonetheless, its effects on language development are less explored. Aims: This study examined the effects of an early cognitive intervention (Think Bright program) in enhancing the cognitive and language development of Hong Kong preschoolers with developmental delay. Method: Sixty‐eight children (48 boys and 20 girls; mean age = 58 months) with developmental delay were recruited from preschool rehabilitation centres and randomized to two groups (Think Bright training vs. active control). Each child in the Think Bright group received 12 sessions of 1‐hr individual training on thinking skills over 6 months. The control group received the same amount of training based on the regular training regimen adopted at the rehabilitation centres. Results: After a 6‐month intervention, the Think Bright group significantly outperformed the control group in language, general cognition, analogical thinking, sequential thinking, and logical reasoning. The Think Bright teachers’ mediation skills significantly improved during the course of intervention and correlated moderately with the improvement in students’ language abilities. Conclusion: This study has shown promising results on the effectiveness of using mediated learning in early cognitive intervention in enhancing both the cognitive and language development of preschoolers with developmental delay. Copyright © 2022 Wiley.

Educators and policy makers have increasingly recognized the importance of computational thinking (CT). Despite the growing body of CT literature, how to cultivate CT is still underexplored and undertheorized in early childhood education. Informed by Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, this exploratory study was conducted with a focus on three CT skills: pattern recognition, sequencing, and algorithm design. The framework for the study was developed in two stages. First, we designed two sets of unplugged activities (relying on tangible materials), aiming to (1) provide students with more concrete experiences of CT and (2) equip them with the necessary vocabularies/instructions for the subsequent plugged activity (with a digital device). The theoretical foundation for such an unplugged and plugged design comprised Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development and Asher’s Total Physical Response. In the second stage, we offered our CT course in a kindergarten in Hong Kong, involving six teacher participants and a total of 11 students from K1 to K3 (aged 3 to 6). After 10 h of CT training, almost all students demonstrated their mastery of pattern recognition and sequencing. However, the K1 students could only partially complete the tasks of algorithm design while the others generally reached the target level of achievement. Strengthening preschoolers’ training on CT language and differentiated instruction are some possible strategies to improve the CT instructions. Copyright © 2019 De La Salle University.

Background: This paper aimed to evaluate the effects of an integrated physical fitness curriculum on the physical fitness of Hong Kong preschoolers aged 3-6 years over a period of three years.Methods: Three cross-sectional studies were conducted, one in each of the academic years from 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 on preschoolers’ physical fitness. The integrated physical fitness curriculum was implemented in the second term of the three years in all participating kindergartens, with the data collected in the first year as the baseline. The second data collection was done in 2016/2017 and the last one in 2017/2018. The outcome measures included the preschoolers’ body mass indices and their physical fitness parameters like sit and reach, standing long jump, bean bags throwing, balance beam walking, and continuous jump with both feet. Ethical approval was obtained from the Human Subjects Ethics Committee of The Education University of Hong Kong.Results: The study enrolled 11,181, 10,815, and 6,309 preschoolers in the academic years 2015/2016, 2016/20017, and 2017/2018 respectively. The participants aged 4, 5, and 6 demonstrated significant improvement in most physical fitness parameters in 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 as compared with those of the same age in 2015/2016. Those aged 3, who had never been exposed to any of the interventions, had poorer performance in most physical fitness parameters. Significant improvements in both body mass indices and their physical fitness parameters were evidenced after the interventions.Conclusion: An integrated physical fitness curriculum can enhance the physical fitness of Hong Kong preschoolers for better health. Copyright © 2019 International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research.

This study was to evaluate the impact of an early literacy intervention program for preschoolers at risk for SpLD. One hundred ten children were identified as at risk for SpLD. They were divided into 2 groups, the at-risk group (AR) and the control-risk group (CR). The at-risk group received a centre-based intervention program which contained 15 training sessions on the four domains: oral language, orthographic knowledge, morphological awareness and word recognition tailored for children poor in literacy skills. The control-risk group received some self-learning materials related to their school curriculum and finished the materials at home. A further group of 50 children (NAR) who were not at risk were selected to act as controls and were assigned equally to the two groups. Nine language and reading related-cognitive tests were administered. Results from the 9 tests before the intervention showed that both AR and CR had similar literacy achievement. Both groups performed worse than NAR particularly in the oral language, word recognition, orthographic awareness and phonological awareness. After the intervention, though AR and CR did not catch up with NAR, AR showed greater improvement in most tests than CR. The differences in improvement were found significantly in orthographic awareness and morphological awareness. This showed that children at risk for SpLD in the preschool years could achieve higher in literacy ability by receiving special intervention program. The results highlighted the important role that early literacy intervention played in the development of language and reading skills in preschoolers at risk for SpLD.

Preschoolers with autism face a number of challenges in integrating into different community activities owing to behavioural, communication and emotional concerns. Since the year 2009, the Hong Kong Heep Hong Society has developed a training programme for enhancing community participation among individuals with autism. The current project reports findings of a qualitative study of special education teachers' perceptions concerning a range of issues with regard to the programme. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted to gather information from eight teachers who used the community participation programme. The results indicated that teachers perceived the programme as a useful tool for promoting community participation among preschoolers with autism. However, participants pointed out a number of barriers to implementing the programme effectively. The participants suggested ways to improve the quality of community participation programmes. Implications for teachers and other professionals are discussed.
[Copyright of Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13632752.2012.695535]

The aim of the present study is to explore a causal model of academic achievement and learning-related personal variables by testing the nature of relationships between learned hopelessness, its risk factors and hopelessness deficits as proposed in major theories in this area. The model investigates affective-motivational characteristics of students such as prior academic failures, academic attributional style, self-efficacy, thoughts about intelligence, school values, learned hopelessness, self-esteem, learning strategy effectiveness and academic achievement, and the relationships among them. A sample of 741 Hong Kong secondary students completed a series of scales over a school year. As expected, prior achievement was the best predictor of subsequent achievement. The next best predictors were perceived learning difficulties and learned hopelessness. This in turn leads to disengagement from schooling and students taking on most responsibility for their failing. Recommendations for teachers and schools to ameliorate these beliefs may redress the move towards hopelessness.
[Copyright of Educational Psychology is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01443410903476400]