Background. Executive functions are actively developing in children of preschool age. Executive functions’ development is also influenced by the way children are using digital devices. Joint media engagement is one of the parameters of digital device usage that has been poorly studied so far, although this is of great importance from the point of view of cultural-historical psychology. Objective. Our research aimed to explore the association between young children’s development of executive functions over a year, and their joint media engagement with parents and siblings in preschool children. Design. Four hundred ninety (490) typically developing children (52% of them were boys) participated in the study. It was a longitudinal study: during the first stage, the children were 5-6 years old; the second stage followed one year later. The NEPSY-II subtests (Inhibition, Statue, Memory for Designs, Sentences Repetition) and the Dimensional Change Card Sort were used to assess executive functions. A questionnaire for mothers was used to get information about the children’s joint media engagement and screen time. Results. Children who watched video content and played video games together with their siblings developed more inhibitory control over the year than those children who did it alone. Co-viewing of video content with parents was associated with a decrease in cognitive flexibility over the year, as opposed to watching it alone. Conclusion. The obtained data allows us to conclude that joint media engagement is important for executive functions development, and that there are optimal formats of joint media engagement. Based on the limitations of this study, recommendations for future research were suggested.

As the use of electronic media device is becoming widespread in preschool children, there is an obvious need to explore this new social situation of development and to analyse the effects of digital environment on children’s personality and emotional development.The paper presents data from 65 studies conducted from 2010 to 2020 which were aimed at exploring the effects of screen time and electronic content on child development at preschool age.The results suggest that viewing of inappropriate content is associated with higher aggression levels and lower levels of social skills and prosocial behavior, whereas viewing of appropriate content is associated with higher prosocial behavior and social skills level.The amount of viewing (screen time) is related to higher levels of aggressive behavior and lower levels of prosocial behavior, social skills and cognitive aspects of personality and emotional development.

Background. During the lockdown for COVID-19, children were limited in a number of activities which are essential for the development of executive functions (play, social interaction, and organized sport). Earlier studies found an increase in executive function issues in children during the pandemic, based on caregivers’ reports. Objective. The present study was a pioneer in exploring the dynamics of children’s executive function development during the lockdown. Our purpose was to explore the effect of the lockdown on the growth of executive functions in children over a one-year period, as compared to their peers before the pandemic. Design. The sample consisted of two cohorts of children. All the children had been attending the same kindergartens but in different periods of time. The executive functions of both groups were assessed twice, with a year’s break in-between (the first group was assessed before the pandemic; the second, during the pandemic). These groups were comparable in gender composition, age, and family’s place of residence. Results. The results have confirmed concerns about the slower growth of executive functioning in children during the lockdown versus their peers before the pandemic, especially for cognitive flexibility and working memory. Inhibition was not significantly affected by the lockdown. Moderation analysis showed that the lockdown impacted girls differently than boys in terms of working memory. The negative effect of social restrictions on working memory was significantly higher in females. Conclusion. Our findings illuminate the negative effects the pandemic-related social restrictions had on the growth of children’s cognitive flexibility and working memory. For working memory, the effect of social isolation varied depending on the child’s gender.

Previous studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between attending music classes regularly and the development of executive functions. This paper discusses the results of a pilot study dedicated to determining the difference in the level of development of the components of executive functions (inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory), between 5–6-year-old children taking extra music classes, and children who participated only in general music and dance education in kindergarten. A total of 94 senior preschoolers from Moscow kindergartens took part in the study. Children were selected into an “extra music lessons” group and a “general preschool music and dance lessons” group based on the results of a questionnaire on supplementary education, which was filled in by parents prior to the research starting. The respondents from the “extra music and dance lessons” group attended music classes in art schools at least two times a week, both in individual and group formats. The current study revealed that children attending regular extra music classes had a higher level of inhibitory control, audio–verbal working memory, cognitive flexibility, and general coordination of the development of all executive functions. The obtained results support the value of regular extra music classes at preschool age. Moreover, this pilot study allows us to articulate the recommendations for further research in this direction.

Executive functions have been shown to develop through various extra classes in preschool age. But the optimal for executive functions development system of such classes has not yet been explored. The present exploratory study aimed to examine the difference in the executive functions development within a year between children attending the system of extra classes (music, choreography, art, foreign language, literacy, math, computer science, and science) twice a week for 4 h in a preschool education center and children who did not take no extra classes. There were 60 children who attended extra classes and 64 children who did not take extra classes. In each group, approximately 17% were boys. The first assessment of executive functions was performed in the penultimate year of kindergarten, when the children were 5–6 years old. The second was performed 1 year later. The executive function level was assessed using NEPSY-II subtests “Inhibition,” “Statue,” “Memory for Designs,” “Sentences Repetition,” and “Dimensional Change Card Sort.” Mothers also reported about their children’s attendance in extra classes, their children’s screen time, the level of maternal education, and the level of family income. The study revealed that children attending the system of the extra classes showed a higher verbal working memory development within a year than the children taking no extra classes. The obtained data plays an important role for the design of further research of the topic and for the practical recommendations for parents and teachers.

Motor competence and executive function skills develop actively at preschool age. Both are important for socialization, school achievements, and well-being. However, the association between motor competence and executive functions has not yet been fully investigated in preschool children. This study aimed to explore which executive function skills may be predictors of motor competence and its components. Two hundred seventy-two typically developing 5- to 6-year-old children (46% girls) participated in this study. The motor competence assessment tool 'Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2' was used on the Russian sample for the first time. The study revealed that higher motor inhibition, working memory, and age were significant predictors of higher motor competence, manual dexterity, and balance skills. Higher aiming and catching skills were predicted only by higher motor inhibition and age. The study also revealed that girls had higher manual dexterity and balance skills than boys. And boys had higher than girls aiming and catching skills. The obtained result with the largest effect size allows us to assume that training in motor inhibition could probably help improve movement difficulties, especially in manual dexterity skills. Not applicable.