The quality of mother–child shared reading: its relations to child’s storytelling and home literacy environment

In the present study, we analysed the relations among the quality of mother–child shared reading, child’s storytelling and family literacy environment. The sample included 20 mother–child dyads, with 5-year-old children, who were recorded during shared reading. The quality of shared reading was assessed with the Scale for Observing Shared Reading while children’s storytelling was assessed with the textless book Frog Goes to Dinner. We found that the quality of mother–child shared reading was related to the coherence of children’s stories and to the factors of home literacy environment. Child’s age when parents started reading to him, the number of all books and children’s books in child’s home together explained 43.1% of the variance in the quality of shared reading. The findings give an insight into the process of the quality of the interactive reading between a child and an adult and emphasize the importance of shared reading for child’s storytelling.     

Evaluation of a Us School-Based Media Literacy Violence Prevention Curriculum on Changes in Knowledge and Critical Thinking Among Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Beyond Blame: Challenging Violence in the Media, at increasing students' knowledge about the effects of media violence and the core concepts of media literacy. During the 2007–2008 academic year, 1,693 sixth–eighth grade students from school districts around southern California participated in the study. Students were assigned to one of three treatment conditions: trained teacher, untrained teacher or control. Compared with controls, students in both intervention groups were more likely to agree that media violence may cause aggression, fear, desensitization and an appetite for more media violence at the post-test. Students in the trained group were also more likely than controls to understand the five core concepts/key questions of media literacy post-intervention.     

Educator mental health literacy: a programme evaluation of the teacher training education on the mental health & high school curriculum guide

Mental disorders make up close to one-third of the global burden of disease experienced during adolescence. Schools can play an important role in the promotion of positive mental health as well as an integral role in the pathways into mental health care for adolescents. In order for schools to effectively address the mental health problems of their students, educators must improve their mental health literacy. The current study examines the impact of an educator training programme designed to support educators in the delivery of a high school mental health curriculum within their classrooms, such as health class. Specifically, a paired-samples t test was used to examine the change in educators' knowledge and attitudes regarding mental health following their participation in this educator training. Eighty-three educators participated in the training, and survey data from 79 were included in the final analysis. Structured feedback on the training was obtained. Significant increases in both knowledge and attitudes scores were demonstrated. The training sessions were highly rated. Findings from this report demonstrate the potential value of mental health literacy training to improve the mental health knowledge and attitudes of educators. Improved educator knowledge and attitudes may be necessary in order for schools to provide effective mental health promotion and prevention programming.     

Examining the accuracy of caregivers' assessments of young children's oral health status

BackgroundCaregivers' perceptions of their young children's oral health status (OHS) are a strong determinant of whether the children visit a dentist. Our aims were to quantify the correlation between caregivers' assessments and their children's clinically determined restorative treatment needs, while investigating factors related to this association.MethodsOne hundred eight caregivers assessed their children's OHS by answering a question on the self-reported National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III instrument. Children underwent clinical oral examinations at one of two study sites of the Carolina Oral Health Literacy Project: a dental school–based clinic and a community-based health clinic. Examiners recorded the children's clinical treatment needs by using a modification of the caries severity index. The authors quantified concordance between the two measures with use of the Spearman rank correlation (ρ) and Kendall τ rank correlation, whereas they assessed differences in sociodemographic factors and oral health literacy (OHL) levels by using a homogeneity χ² test (P < .2 criterion).ResultsThe concordance between caregivers' assessments and clinically determined OHS was lower for younger children (< 2 years, ρ = 0.29 versus = 2 years, ρ = 0.63 [homogeneity P = .03]), a pattern that was evident in the community clinic but not in the university clinic. Caregivers' age, education and OHL did not influence the accuracy of self-reports.ConclusionsFor children younger than 2 years, caregivers' assessments correlated poorly with clinical needs, which routinely were underestimated.Practice ImplicationsThese findings underscore the importance of preventive dental visits at a young age and the early establishment of a dental home.     

Oral language supports early literacy: A pilot cluster randomized trial in disadvantaged schools

Abstract

This study examined the impact of teacher professional development aimed at improving the capacity of primary teachers in disadvantaged schools to strengthen children's expressive and receptive oral language skills and early literacy success in the first 2 years of school. Fourteen low-SES schools in Victoria, Australia were randomly allocated to a research (n = 8) or control arm (n = 6), resulting in an initial sample of 1254 students, (n = 602 in research arm and n = 652 in control arm). The intervention comprised 6 days of teacher and principal professional development (delivered by language and literacy experts), school-based continuing contact with the research team and completion by one staff member of each research school of a postgraduate unit on early language and literacy. Schools in the control arm received standard teaching according to state auspiced curriculum guidelines. Full data were available on 979 students at follow-up (time 2). Students in the research arm performed significantly better on Test of Language Development: Primary (Fourth Edition) sub-tests (p ≤ .002) and the Reading Progress Test (F = 10.4(1); p = .001) than students in the control arm at time 2. Narrative scores were not significantly different at time 2, although students in research schools showed greater gains. Findings provide “proof of concept” for this approach, and are discussed with respect to implications for teacher professional development and pre-service education concerning the psycholinguistic competencies that underpin the transition to literacy.     

A quasi-cluster randomized controlled trial of a classroom-based mental health literacy educational intervention to promote knowledge and help-seeking/helping behavior in adolescents

IntroductionSchool-based education is a potentially effective approach for improving mental health literacy (MHL) in adolescents. This study evaluated the effects of the “Short MHL Program (SMHLP)”, a brief (50 min), school teacher-led program, on MHL in adolescents in a quasi-cluster randomized controlled trial.MethodsA total of 975 high school first graders (age 15–16) in Japan were allocated to classes such that gender and academic achievement ratios were almost equivalent at the time of admission to the high school. They were assigned at the class level to the SMHLP (n = 364 from 10 classes) or a control group (n = 611 from 17 classes). The program consisted of a 50-minute session and was delivered by a school teacher. The students completed a self-report questionnaire at 3 time points: pre-, (immediately) post- and 2-month follow-up. Outcomes included “Knowledge about mental health/illnesses”, “Recognition of the necessity to seek help”, “Intention to seek help”, and “Intention of helping peers”. Mixed effects modeling was employed for analyses.ResultsScores of all outcomes were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group post-intervention (p < .001). These improvements were maintained at 2-months follow-up for all outcomes (p < .001–.05). Questionnaire scores did not differ between groups at baseline.ConclusionsThe effect of the SMHLP was confirmed in grade 10 students. Brief, yet effective programs can be a viable option to promote understanding of mental health problems and have the potential to be incorporated into regular school curriculum. "     

“知-信-行”一体化健康教育对高原涉核官兵健康素养的影响

目的:探讨"知-信-行"一体化健康教育对高原涉核官兵健康素养的影响;方法:方便抽样选取165名高原涉核官兵为研究对象,对其进行为期15天的"知-信-行"一体化健康教育,包括健康知识技能教授(健康教育评估、健康知识讲座、健康技能培训、健康资料宣传、健康知识查询机使用等)、健康信念支持、健康行为指导等定期和随机即时的健康教育,并应用高原涉核官兵健康素养调查问卷在教育前后对涉核官兵进行健康素养调查,观察教育前后官兵健康素养各维度得分及具备健康素养的人数和百分数的变化情况,以评价健康教育效果。结果:(1)"知-信-行"一体化健康教育后官兵在健康知识、健康技能、健康信念、健康行为4个维度得分均显著高于健康教育前(t=22.7814,21.7027,10.7039,10.9213;P0.01),差异有统计学意义;(2)"知-信-行"一体化健康教育后,165名官兵中具备健康素养的人数由之前的50人上升为122人,占比由30.30%升至73.94%,差异有统计学意义(t=65.3500,P0.01)。结论:"知-信-行"一体化健康教育可有效提高高原涉核官兵的健康素养;建议对高原涉核官兵进行长期的"知-信-行"一体化健康教育随访与指导。