Now spring is here, and it is a time not only to enjoy warmer weather but to appreciate the flora and fauna right outside our doors.
This issue has several items of interest. They are: an introduction to the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), some KIT research findings, a brief profile of Assistant Professor Chih-Wen Wu at National Taiwan Normal University, and a book review of This Quiet Lady, a storybook written by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Anita Lobel about a little girl who observes the various stages of her mother's life through photographs.
The Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD)
The Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), following children’s development from 5 months to about 25 years of age, was conducted by Santé Québec (Health Québec), a division of Québec Institute of Statistics, in collaboration with a group of university researchers. The implementation of QLSCD consists of four phases with an aim of understanding the factors that can influence children’s development and well-being. The first phase gathering data from children born in Québec in 1997-1998 traced the participants from the age of 5 months to 4 years, which allows researchers to figure out how family, child care, and the broader social environment affect children. In phase two (2003-2010), QLSCD kept collecting data of participants from kindergarten to second grade to identify the contributing elements of academic success of children of this age. In phase three and four, young people were followed throughout high school (from age 13 to 17) and their early adulthood (from age 19 to 25). Various aspects of social and school adjustment in adolescence were monitored, so were the circumstances that influence their well-being when the participants have reached the age of maturity. Over the years, a great number of reports and journal articles using data from QLSCD have been published by researchers, students, and professionals. Please visit https://www.iamillbe.stat.gouv.qc.ca/default_an.htm for more information about QLSCD.
KIT Findings on Interactions Among Siblings
A child’s family is the first social group that he/she may interact with. Children initially develop their interpersonal skills by living together with their family members, including parents and siblings. However, different from parents who often guide children and teach them to manage their behavior, siblings form a child’s first peer group which provides him/her with opportunities to acquire cooperation skills and conflict resolution strategies.
The KIT survey responses from parents who have a 48-month-old child show how young children at this age interact with brothers and/or sisters:
I raise children who take care of each other and share things (e.g., sharing a toy or playing together).
🢡 Strongly agree: 23%, Agree: 68%, Disagree: 8%, Strongly disagree: 1%
There are often conflicts between/among the children I look after (e.g., fighting over a toy or complaining).
🢡 Strongly agree: 16%, Agree: 63%, Disagree: 18%, Strongly disagree: 3%
Interestingly, the survey results also indicate that children who tend to take care of their brothers/sisters and share things with each other are more inclined to have conflicts while interacting with siblings. It is better if parents handle these situations among children with a calm attitude because that is what usually happens when children are learning to get along with other people.
About Prof. Chih-Wen Wu
Prof. Chih-Wen Wu works at the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). His research interests are in Chinese indigenous psychology, family psychology, personality psychology, parent-child conflict and communication, and autonomy development during adolescence. As an expert with many research publications of high quality in the field of parent-child relationship, Prof. Wu gave professional advice on the design of KIT survey about family and parent-child interaction. Also, he supported the development of KIT questionnaire items related to learning environment, upbringing, parental involvement, and parent-child interaction.
Book Review
This Quiet Lady is a storybook about a little girl who wants to know who she is by looking at photographs of her mother at different ages. It is written by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Anita Lobel. Interested readers can find its English version at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0688175279 ), and its Chinese version is available at Books.com.tw (https://www.books.com.tw/products/0010343803). Click https://youtu.be/FiTxk_1EBqE to listen to it in Chinese