Parenting beliefs and practices as precursors to academic outcomes in Chinese children.

Due to the rapid sociocultural changes in China, Chinese parents' childrearing beliefs and practices have undergone dramatic transformations. Against this context, this study examined whether Chinese parents' endorsement of progressive and traditional childrearing beliefs would predict children's academic achievement, as well as whether parenting practices would mediate this association. This study utilized a longitudinal design and followed 206 Chinese families for 2 years from the end of preschool to Grade 2. Parents showed greater endorsement of progressive than traditional childrearing beliefs, as well as higher use of authoritative than authoritarian parenting practices. Parents' childrearing beliefs in preschool predicted children's math achievement in Grade 2 via authoritative parenting. However, parenting beliefs were unrelated to authoritarian parenting, and authoritarian parenting did not predict any of the child academic outcomes in Grade 2. The findings suggest Chinese parents' orientations toward progressive parenting beliefs and authoritative parenting practices. They also highlight the utility of parenting beliefs in explaining disparities in early academic achievement. The nonsignificant findings pertinent to authoritarian parenting call for re-examination of the cultural meaning and effects of authoritarian parenting in Chinese society.

The role of microbial metabolites in diabetic kidney disease.

Background: Growing evidence suggests a complex bidirectional interaction between gut microbes, gut-derived microbial metabolites, and diabetic kidney disease (DKD), known as the "gut-kidney axis" theory. The present study aimed to characterize the role of microbial metabolites in DKD. Methods: Six-week-old db/db and littermate db/m mice were raised to 20 weeks old. The serum, urine, feces, liver, perinephric fat, and kidney were analyzed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolomic analyses. Results: The db/db mice showed obvious pathological changes and worse renal functions than db/m mice. Indoleacetaldehyde (IAld) and 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan (5-HTP) in kidney samples, and serotonin (5-HT) in fecal samples were increased in the db/db group. Phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidate (PA), and 1-acylglycerophosphocholine (lysoPC) were decreased in liver and serum samples of the db/db group, while PC and lysoPC were decreased in kidney and perinephric fat samples. Suggested metabolomic homeostasis was disrupted in DKD mice, especially glycerophospholipid and tryptophan metabolism, which are closely related to the gut microbiome. Conclusions: Our findings reveal the perturbation of gut microbial metabolism in db/db mice with DKD, which may be useful for building a bridge between the gut microbiota and the progression of DKD and provide a theoretical basis for the intestinal treatment of DKD.

Influence of parental play on Taiwanese 3-year-olds' executive function: Through the path of motor skills.

Parenting is known to impact children's executive function (EF) skills. However, nearly all the evidence comes from analyses of mother-child interaction. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care Database in Taiwan, the relations between both mother-child and father-child interaction and 3-year-olds' EF were investigated in 2,164 families. The results showed that mothers interacted with their children differently from fathers in terms of time distribution. Mothers were more equally involved in all aspects of parental involvement, whereas fathers spent more time in play. In addition, both mother-child and father-child play contributed to children's EF; however, the mediating effect of child motor skills was more prominent for father-child play. This study not only suggests a potential distinct and complementary role of fathers in young children's EF development but also indicates a unique mediating effect of motor skills in the path from parent-child play to child EF. Implications for parent education are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Distinct patterns of organized activity participation and their associations with school readiness among Chinese preschoolers.

Organized extracurricular activities (EAs) constitute an important part of many young children's lives. However, the role of EAs in children's development during early childhood is poorly understood. The current study examined the associations between EA participation and a range of school readiness outcomes in a sample of 345 urban Chinese preschoolers. Using three waves of data collected on EA participation and applying growth mixture modeling, we discovered two distinct trajectory classes with respect to the breadth of EA participation as well as two classes for EA attendance intensity. With a series of covariates controlled for, children's greater initial levels of or rates of increase in EA breadth were related to better early math skills. Greater probabilities of belonging to the higher-intensity class were also associated with better early math skills in children. However, EA participation did not predict other aspects of children's school readiness, including Chinese reading, receptive vocabulary, expressive language, social skills, and problem behaviors. This study extends existing EA literature, which has primarily focused on school-aged populations in Western contexts, by demonstrating substantial individual variations in Chinese preschoolers' trajectories of EA participation. Our findings suggest that EAs seem to have little unique contribution to children's school readiness except for early math skills.

Disentangling the Relations Between Different Components of Family Socioeconomic Status and Chinese Preschoolers' School Readiness.

Family socioeconomic status (SES) has been frequently linked to children's early development. Treating SES as an aggregated variable has many issues, as different components of SES may relate to child outcomes through divergent mechanisms. The purpose of the study was to examine whether parents' engagement in home learning activities and children's participation in extracurricular activities (EAs) would function as pathways through which individual SES components related to children's school readiness. A total of 588 families with preschool-aged children were recruited from Guangdong province in China. Children's receptive vocabulary, Chinese reading, and early math skills were individually assessed at three time points, and children's social skills were rated by parents. Parents reported their engagement in home learning activities with children and their children's participation in EAs. The results showed that all three components of family SES were related to multiple aspects of children's school readiness, but through different pathways. Parental income was related to children's school readiness through EA participation only; parental education and occupational status were associated with school readiness via both parental engagement and child EA participation. The findings suggest that considering SES components separately will produce a more nuanced understanding of the divergent pathways through which family SES may relate to children's school readiness. Chinese government may provide parent education programs focused on cognitive stimulation for low-SES families to promote children's school readiness. Furthermore, the government needs to ensure children's equal access to EAs to prevent increasing the developmental gap among children from discrepant socioeconomic backgrounds.

El nivel socioeconómico familiar se ha asociado frecuentemente con el desarrollo de la primera infancia. Tratar el nivel socioeconómico familiar como una variable agregada tiene muchos problemas, ya que los diferentes componentes del nivel socioeconómico familiar pueden relacionarse con los resultados de los niños mediante diferentes mecanismos. El propósito del estudio fue analizar si la participación de los padres en actividades de aprendizaje en el hogar y la participación de los niños en actividades extracurriculares funcionan como vías por las cuales los componentes individuales del nivel socioeconómico se relacionan con la madurez de los niños para la escolaridad. Se convocó a un total de 588 familias con niños en edad preescolar de la provincia de Cantón en China. Se evaluaron individualmente el vocabulario receptivo de los niños, la lectura en chino y las habilidades matemáticas iniciales en tres intervalos de tiempo, y los padres calificaron las habilidades sociales de los niños. Los padres informaron su participación en actividades de aprendizaje en el hogar con los niños y la participación de sus hijos en actividades extracurriculares. Los resultados demostraron que los tres componentes del nivel socioeconómico familiar estuvieron relacionados con varios aspectos de la madurez de los niños para la escolaridad, pero mediante diferentes vías. Los ingresos de los padres estuvieron relacionados con la madurez de los niños para la escolaridad mediante la participación en actividades extracurriculares solamente; la educación de los padres y la situación ocupacional estuvieron asociadas con la madurez para la escolaridad mediante la participación de los padres y la participación de los niños en actividades extracurriculares. Los resultados sugieren que tener en cuenta los componentes del nivel socioeconómico por separado producirá una comprensión más sutil de las diversas vías mediante las cuales el nivel socioeconómico de la familia puede relacionarse con la madurez de los niños para la escolaridad. El gobierno chino puede proporcionar programas de capacitación para padres centrados en la estimulación cognitiva para familias de bajo nivel socioeconómico a fin de promover la madurez de los niños para la escolaridad. Además, el gobierno necesita garantizar el acceso equitativo de los niños a las actividades extracurriculares para evitar el aumento de la brecha en el desarrollo entre niños de diferentes orígenes socioeconómicos.

Family socioeconomic status and Chinese preschoolers' social skills: Examining underlying family processes.

Using a longitudinal sample of 508 Chinese preschool children, this study examined how family socioeconomic status (SES) was related to preschool children's social skills development through family processes using multilevel latent growth curve modeling. After controlling for the effects of personal characteristics, a significant indirect effect of family SES on initial levels of children's social skills and growth was observed and mediated through maternal depressive symptoms, marital relationships, and parenting practices. Maternal depressive symptoms from family SES was linked to poorer marital relationships and parenting practices, which were linked to children's social skills. Authoritative parenting was related to increased growth in children's social skills. In addition, authoritative parenting mediated the effects of marital relationship quality on both initial levels and growth in social skills. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A Ratiometric and Colorimetric Hemicyanine Fluorescent Probe for Detection of SO2 Derivatives and Its Applications in Bioimaging.

Based upon the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe EB was developed to detect SO32-/HSO3-. The probe displayed both colorimetric and ratiometric responses toward SO32-/HSO3-. It displayed a quick response (within 60 s), good selectivity and high sensitivity (a detection limit of 28 nM) towards SO32-/HSO3-. The SO32-/HSO3- sensing mechanism was confirmed as the Michael addition reaction by ESI-MS. Moreover, the probe could be applied to measure the level of sulfite in real samples, like sugar and chrysanthemum, and it could also be used to detect SO32-/HSO3- in HepG2 cells through confocal fluorescence microscopy, which proved its practical application in clinical diagnosis.

The Relative Importance of Sleep Duration and Bedtime Routines for the Social-Emotional Functioning of Chinese Children.

OBJECTIVE: Although the importance of sleep has been widely supported by empirical research, researchers have only recently linked sleep to children's social-emotional development. This study aimed to investigate 2 aspects of sleep-namely, sleep duration and bedtime routines-in relation to the social skills and problem behavior in a group of Chinese school-aged children. METHOD: This study involved 228 Chinese children (mean age = 8.32 years). Parents reported their child's sleep duration, the consistency of bedtime routines, and social-emotional functioning. RESULTS: Both sleep duration and the consistency of bedtime routines had unique contributions to children's social-emotional functioning. Sex differences were found regarding the sleep-child adjustment link. Sleep duration was negatively associated with child problem behavior for both boys and girls. However, the relationship between bedtime routines and social skills was more pronounced for boys, while the relation between sleep duration and social skills was more evident for girls. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of consistent bedtime routines and adequate sleep for the social-emotional development of Chinese school-aged children.

Young Chinese Children's Academic Skill Development: Identifying Child-, Family-, and School-Level Factors.

This chapter addresses how child-, family-, and school-level characteristics are associated with Chinese children's academic skill development during their preschool years. Academic skills are defined in terms of young children's emergent competencies in academic domains including literacy, mathematics, and science. First, we review the relations of young Chinese children's cognition (language, visuospatial, and executive functioning), behavior (social behavior and behavioral regulation), and affect (interest and attitude) to their performance in these academic domains. Second, we review the roles of familial variables, including family socioeconomic status and broad and specific aspects of parenting practices and parental involvement. Third, we review school- and classroom-level factors, with a special emphasis on preschool and classroom quality that is particularly relevant to young Chinese children's academic skills. We discuss the educational implications of these study findings and identify methodological limitations that may threaten their internal and external validity. Our aim is to bring attention to the growing body of research on young Chinese children's academic skill development and to highlight several areas that need further research.

Sources of individual differences in young Chinese children's reading and mathematics skill: A longitudinal study.

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between four key elements of school readiness-receptive vocabulary, socioemotional behavior, behavioral self-regulation, and approaches to learning-and individual differences in young children's reading and mathematics trajectories. Chinese children (N = 588) were tested three times between the ages of five and six on their Chinese reading and mathematics skills, and their receptive vocabulary, problem behavior, behavioral self-regulation, and approaches to learning (competence motivation, learning strategy, and attention/persistence) were assessed at five years of age. Latent growth modeling revealed that receptive vocabulary and behavioral self-regulation played unique roles in predicting the levels of Chinese reading (vocabulary: ß = 0.15, p = .023; self-regulation: ß = 0.16, p = .001) and mathematics skills (vocabulary: ß = 0.25, p < .001; self-regulation: ß = 0.36, p < .001). Problem behavior and competence motivation were associated with the levels of mathematics skills (problem behavior: ß = -0.06, p = .046; competence motivation: ß = 0.16, p < .001) but not those of reading skills. Moreover, competence motivation predicted the growth rate of Chinese reading skills (ß = 0.18, p = .015). The findings extend the current literature by explicating the independent contributions made by early school readiness skills to individual differences in young Chinese children's acquisition of reading and mathematics skills.

The role of early language abilities on math skills among Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: The present study investigated the role of early language abilities in the development of math skills among Chinese K-3 students. About 2000 children in China, who were on average aged 6 years, were assessed for both informal math (e.g., basic number concepts such as counting objects) and formal math (calculations including addition and subtraction) skills, language abilities and nonverbal intelligence. METHODOLOGY: Correlation analysis showed that language abilities were more strongly associated with informal than formal math skills, and regression analyses revealed that children's language abilities could uniquely predict both informal and formal math skills with age, gender, and nonverbal intelligence controlled. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the relationship between children's language abilities and formal math skills was partially mediated by informal math skills. RESULTS: The current findings indicate 1) Children's language abilities are of strong predictive values for both informal and formal math skills; 2) Language abilities impacts formal math skills partially through the mediation of informal math skills.