Mübeccel Gönen

Creative Thinking in Five- and Six-Year-Old Kindergarten Children.

Abstract This study was carried out to investigate the effect of age and sex on the creativity of 5 to 6‐year‐old kindergarten children. The total points scored by the 6‐year‐old boys and girls included in this study were found to be higher than those scored by the 5‐y ear‐olds. No significant difference was found between the points scored by the girls and boys. However, the girls did better in flexibility, originality and elaboration and the boys in fluency criterion of creativity. Children should be helped at home and school to develop their creative power. To achieve this, art, story‐telling, music and drama activities should be an integral part of the school curriculums. During such activities children should be allowed to take their time, and any despotic attitude on the part of the teacher should be avoided. In addition, children should be given a chance with unstructured play materials. Activities should be followed by a discussion with children, who should be taught that things can be done in more...

Öz Düzenleme Becerilerinin Öğretmen Çocuk Etkileşiminin Niteliğine Göre İncelenmesi

Aim of this research is to examine children’s self-regulation skills according to teacher-child interaction quality. For this purpose; 30 classes, which were determined randomly from central districts of Ankara, were assessed with Classroom Assessment Scoring System. 4 classes were selected according to quality level of teacher-child interaction (2 high, 2 low). Children’s self-regulation skills were assessed with Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment tasks in these 4 classrooms. Results of the study show that teacher-child interaction quality level had a significant difference on children’s executive functioning scores that is a part of self-regulation. But it had no significant difference on children’s social competence and inhibitory control skills.

The book reading habits of teacher and families to their hearing and hearing impaired kindergarten children

SUMMARY The study was carried out to investigate the book reading habits of families and teachers to hearing impaired and normal hearing kindergarten children. The sample of research was taken from 2 kindergartens. Eleven kindergarten teachers and 36 hearing impaired children and families formed one of the groups. The other group consisted of 11 kindergarten teachers and 40 normal hearing children and families. The questionnaire applied to teachers and families included questions about book choosing and reading habits. The results of this research shows that there is no significant difference in the book reading habits of the 2 groups to their children. But the hearing-impaired children families are more careful in book choosing and reading to their children.

Examining the Association Between Executive Functions and Developmental Domains of Low-Income Children in the United States and Turkey

This study examined the relations between executive functions and developmental domains of preschool children from low-income families through an intercultural perspective in the U.S. and Turkey. A total of 471 children and their primary caregivers participated in the Turkey part of the study, while 286 children and their parents engaged in U.S. sample. Regression analyses revealed that fine motor, problem solving, and executive functions of children between two contexts were significantly different from each other. In the U.S., executive functions predicted communication, problem solving, and fine motor development, whereas in the Turkish sample, executive functions did not predict domain scores. Child gender predicted four of five developmental outcomes in the U.S., whereas maternal education predicted two of five outcomes in Turkey. In addition, invariance testing demonstrated that predictors to outcomes were not significantly different between the two countries. Country differences from the first set of outcomes were explained in the context of the research sites, children’s socialization, and cultural expectations surrounding child development. This study raises questions about relations between executive functions and developmental domains for future research.