The existing literature has established the effects of emotional labor on teachers’ wellbeing indicators and teaching efficacy, leaving its impact on students’ outcomes unexplored. Following Grandey’s integrative model of emotional labor and social-emotional learning (SEL) framework, this study explored the relationship between teachers’ emotional labor, teaching efficacy, and young children’s social-emotional development and learning in early childhood settings. Thirteen preschools were recruited through stratified random sampling in Shenzhen, China. Altogether, 49 classrooms were involved, and three teachers and six children were sampled from each classroom, resulting in a sample of 124 teachers and 241 children. Teachers’ emotional labor strategy, sense of efficacy, and children’s social-emotional development and learning were surveyed. Structural equation modeling has confirmed that teachers’ natural and surface acting predicted their teaching efficacy. Bootstrapped mediation analysis revealed that the mediation paths from teachers’ emotional labor to children’s learning approaches and social-emotional development varied significantly for teachers in different positions. The study implies that different guidelines and training are needed for teachers in different positions to help them cope with varied emotional labor at work and promote their teaching efficacy for young children’s better development.

This study aims to examine the impact of heavy use of tablets on preschoolers’ executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether, 38 Chinese preschoolers (M_age = 5.0 years, SD = 0.69 years, 17 girls) completed the tasks before the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight children never used tablets, while 16 children were diagnosed as the ‘heavy-user’. The results indicated that: (1) the ‘non-user’ outperformed the ‘heavy-user’ with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task; (2) the two groups differed significantly in the activation of the prefrontal cortex (BA 9): the ‘non-user’ pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the ‘heavy-user’ pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.

Research Findings: Since 2011, China has started to loosen its tight on the One-child Policy (OCP), which has impacted parent’s child-rearing beliefs and the provision of home learning environment that constitutes family environment. Utilizing parent-reported data on 4,364 zero- to eight-year-olds from the China Family Panel Study (CFPS, wave 2014) nationwide survey, we examined the relations among family structure, family environment, and child social competence. Analysis indicated that there were significant differences between only- and non-only-child families in terms of their age, urbanicity, family income, and family environment. The three-step latent profile approach revealed two family environment profiles: Modern Family Environment (12.4%) and Traditional Family Environment (86.6%), and that child singleton status was a significant predictor of profile membership. Bootstrap mediation analysis revealed that family environment profile fully mediated the relation between family structure and child social competence. Practice or Policy: The results highlighted the importance of providing a stimulating and supportive family environment, especially in families with multiple children. It also informed policymakers and practitioners of possible pathways to support young children’s development by enhancing the quality of the family environment.

The present study aims to examine: (1) the relationship between young children’s bilingualism and their performance in the Dimensional Card Change Sort (DCCS) task; and (2) whether prefrontal activation was associated with children’s bilingualism and executive function. Children performed three sessions of the DCCS and their brain activity during the task was measured using functional nearinfrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). A sample of bilingual children (N = 49) was recruited from a preschool with an English immersion program. We examined whether children’s performance in the DCCS was related to their bilingualism and whether the changes in oxygenated hemoglobin in the prefrontal regions were related to their bilingualism and performance in the DCCS. Results showed that children’s English ability was significantly correlated with their behavioral performance in DCCS, and predicted children’s group membership (pass or perseverate). Furthermore, children in the pass group significantly activated the prefrontal cortex than those in the perseverate group, and activation in the prefrontal region was significantly correlated with children’s English ability. The current study first examined the effect of children’s bilingualism on their executive function and prefrontal activation.

Digital devices play a critical role in preschoolers’ learning and development. Despite the evidence that digital devices use may facilitate preschoolers’ learning and development, their overuse/problematic use has become a global concern as the popularity and widespread use of digital devices. This scoping review aims to synthesize the empirical evidence to identify the status quo, influential factors, developmental outcomes, and models of overuse/problematic use in preschoolers. This search has identified 36 studies published in international peer-reviewed journals during 2001–2021, converging into four common topics: the current situation, the influential factors, the consequences, and the models. First, the average percentages of overuse and problematic use across the studies collected in this research were 48.34%, and 26.83%, separately. Second, two influential factors were identified: (1) children’s characteristics and (2) parental and family factors. Third, early digital overuse/problematic use was found to have a negative impact on the following domains: (1) physical health, (2) psychosocial health, (3) problematic behaviors, and (4) cognitive development; Fourth, most relevant studies adopted general linear models, while few of them adopted experimental designs. Finally, the implications for future studies and practical improvements are also addressed.