A5084096978- Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
- Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques
- Early Childhood Education and Development
- Reading and Literacy Development
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Education Methods and Practices
- Mathematics Education and Pedagogy
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function
- Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
- Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Multisensory perception and integration
- Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
- Educational and Psychological Assessments
- Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
- Delphi Technique in Research
- Educational Practices and Challenges
- Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
Carleton University
2019-2025
University of Oxford
2014-2024
University of Wollongong
2024
University of the Witwatersrand
2024
South African Medical Research Council
2024
Carleton College
2023
Western University
2010-2020
Oxford Research Group
2016
Abstract It has become increasingly apparent that publishing research on child development from certain countries is especially challenging. These have been referred to collectively as the Majority World, Global South, non‐WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic), or low‐ middle‐income countries. The aim of this paper draw attention these persistent challenges, provide constructive recommendations contribute better representation children in research. In paper, we outline...
Abstract A vast body of work highlights executive functions (EFs) as robust correlates mathematics achievement over the primary and preschool years. Yet, despite such correlational evidence, there is limited evidence that EF interventions yield improvements in early years mathematics. As intervention studies are a powerful tool to move beyond correlation causality, failures transfer from are, we argue, highly problematic for both applied theoretical reasons. We review existing literature at...
Abstract This qualitative study explored caregivers' perceptions of factors influencing early childhood development in low‐income, urban South African settings, from a social ecological perspective. Individual interviews were conducted with 15 caregivers 3–5‐year‐old children; reflexive thematic analysis approach was adopted. In the family and home context, spoke about their role developing, nurturing, providing, protecting disciplining children. Risks included low socioeconomic status,...
Abstract Executive functions (EF) are crucial to regulating learning and predictors of emerging mathematics. However, interventions that leverage EF improve mathematics remain poorly understood. 193 four-year-olds (mean age = 3 years; 11 months pre-intervention; 111 female, 69% White) were assessed 5 apart, with 103 children randomised an integrated intervention. Our pre-registered hypotheses proposed the intervention would more than practice as usual. Multi-level modelling network analyses...
The cognitive mechanisms underpinning the well-established relationship between inhibitory control and early maths skills remain unclear. We hypothesized that a specific aspect of drives its association with distinct math in very young children: ability to ignore stimulus dimensions are conflict task-relevant representations. used an Animal Size Stroop task which 3- 6-year-olds were required physical size animal pictures compare their real-life dimensions. In Experiment 1 (N = 58),...
Research has shown that two different, though related, ways of representing magnitude play foundational roles in the development numerical and mathematical skills: a nonverbal approximate number system an exact symbolic system. While there have been numerous studies suggesting systems are important predictors math achievement, substantial debate regarding whether how these basic competencies may be developmentally interrelated. Specifically, causal direction their relation subject debate:...
Executive functions (EFs) in early childhood are predictors of later developmental outcomes and school readiness. Much the research on EFs their psychosocial correlates has been conducted high-income, minority world countries, which represent a small biased portion children globally. The aim this study is to examine among aged 3-5 years two African South Africa (SA) Gambia (GM), explore shared distinct these settings. SA sample (N = 243, 51.9% female) was recruited from low-income...
<p xmlns="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/JATS1">A child’s home environment has been shown to be related the development of early numeracy skills in some countries. However, significant relationships between learning and math achievement have not consistently found, likely vary across different cultural socio-political contexts. Here we explored 243 children (3-5 years), who were attending preschool programmes very low-income settings Cape Town, South Africa. Caregivers completed a questionnaire...
<title>Abstract</title> Executive functions (EF) are crucial to regulating learning and predictors of emerging mathematics. However, interventions that integrate improve mathematics remain poorly understood. 193 four-year-olds (mean age = 3 years:11 months pre-intervention; 111 female, 69% White) were assessed 5 apart, with 103 children randomized an integrated EF intervention. We hypothesized the intervention would scores more than practice-as-usual. Multi-level modelling network analyses...
The majority of the world's children live in low- and middle-income countries, yet early childhood cognitive research is done with a small proportion high-income countries. These findings cannot be assumed to apply across all contexts. It therefore necessary confront entrenched systems power privilege development as they relate researchers vulnerable communities. South Africa (SA) previously colonized, Majority World country history white supremacy racial segregation. Although growing field...
ABSTRACT Developmental cognitive neuroscience highlights the importance of interactions between children and their environment. As young spend increasing time in childcare, it is key to investigate impact “maths‐talk” maths provisions preschools. Qualitative insights from early educators indicate a greater bias toward counting activities than would be expected given Early Years curriculum. In addition, we quantified observed breadth preschool practitioners' language (e.g., place‐value...
Research Findings: School readiness is highly salient in South Africa (SA), a country with extreme and persistent inequities that undermine early childhood development. The aim of this short-term longitudinal study was to identify social ecological factors associated school young children from low-income settings Cape Town, SA. Participants were 152 3–5-year-old (55% female, not attending care education (ECCE) at recruitment) their primary adult caregiver settings. Linear regressions found...
A region in the posterior inferior temporal gyrus (pITG) is thought to be specialized for processing Arabic numerals, but fMRI studies that compared passive viewing of numerals other character types (e.g., letters and novel characters) have not found evidence numeral preference pITG. However, recent showed engagement pITG modulated by attention task contexts, suggesting paradigms may ill-suited examining specialization It possible, however, even if strengths responses different category are...
Numerical symbols are thought to be mapped onto preexisting nonsymbolic representations of number. A growing body evidence suggests that numerical processing is significantly influenced by the associated visual properties continuous quantity (e.g., surface area, density), but their role in acquisition novel unknown. Forty undergraduate students were trained associate abstract with magnitudes. Half arrays which total area and numerosity correlated (“congruent”), other was equated across...