The purpose of this study was to fill this gap by examining the relationship between phonological memory in preschool children and their passive (watching TV) and active screen time with using of Smart Screen Technologies such as tablets and phones with a touch screen interface. Study was conducted in two stages: in Time 1, the association between children’s phonological memory, passive and active screen time and family factors was examined; in Time 2 (1 year later) the impact of passive and active screen time on a child’s individual progress in phonological memory development was evaluated. The study enrolled 122 preschool children aged 5–6 years (M= 5.72, SD = 0.33); boys (54.9%). Information on each child’s average daily passive and active screen time was obtained from a survey with the mother. The survey provided information on how much time each child spent on a typical day with passive (“traditional”) and active (interactive) use of digital devices. For family factors, we included maternal highest educational qualification, family’s financial situation. For children’s characteristics, age, gender and non-verbal fluid intelligence were included. The results indicate that time spent passively with digital devices (watching TV) is negatively related to a child’s ability to process verbal information. In contrast, the interactive time the child spent with Smart Screen Technologies is not significant and does not pose a threat to the development of phonological memory in preschool age. The study also showed that passive and active use of digital devices has no long-term impact on children’s phonological memory development progress over a year. The implications are that use of Smart Screen Technologies, which implies a higher degree of interactivity, is not associated with either short- or long-term negative effects on phonological memory development in preschool age, contrary to passive screen time exposure. The results can be applied in the elaboration of principles and programs on the use of digital devices for the entertainment and education of preschool children.

This study examined the relationship between working memory capacity and narrative abilities in 5–6-year-old children. 269 children were assessed on their visual and verbal working memory and performed in a story retelling and a story creation (based on a single picture and on a series of pictures) tasks. The stories were evaluated on their macrostructure and microstructure. The results revealed a significant relationship between both components (verbal and visual) of working memory and the global indicators of a story’s macrostructure—such as semantic completeness, semantic adequacy, programming and narrative structure—and with the indicators of a story’s microstructure, such as grammatical accuracy and number of syntagmas. Yet, this relationship was systematically stronger for verbal working memory, as compared to visual working memory, suggesting that a well-developed verbal working memory leads to lexically and grammatically more accurate language production in preschool children.

In this study we aimed to compare the contribution of each play type to the development of different EFs components: shifting, working memory (visuospatial and auditory) and inhibition (two aspects of cognitive inhibition and physical inhibition). Following a preliminary examination of EFs was the intervention, which consisted of 14 play sessions for 20–30 min twice a week. Participants (n = 199, 46.7% females), aged from 52 to 69 months (M = 60.79; SD = 4.10) were assigned to one of five experimental groups: three types of role play (free role play; adult-directed play; child-directed play), digital games, games with rules (board games). All the measured EFs significantly increased following the digital games’ intervention. In ‘Games with rules’ and ‘Adult-directed play’ intervention groups, significant changes were registered in 5 (out of 6) measures of EFs. In the ‘Free play’ and ‘Child-directed play’, significant changes were found in 4 measures of EFs. Differential effect of play on EFs components is discussed. These results demonstrate the importance of play for EFs development and given the differential effect of play types, those can be applied based on the children’s needs.

Considering the current agreement on the significance of executive functions, there is growing interest in determining factors that contribute to the development of these skills, especially during the preschool period. Although multiple studies have been focusing on links between physical activity, physical fitness and executive functions, this topic was more investigated in schoolchildren and adults than in preschoolers. The aim of the current study was to identify different levels of physical fitness among pre-schoolers, followed by an analysis of differences in their executive functions. Participants were 261 5–6-years old children. Inhibitory control and working memory were positively linked with physical fitness. Cognitive flexibility was not associated with physical fitness. The research findings are considered from neuropsychological grounds, Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and the cultural-historical approach.

This review article deals with the methods for measurement of subjective well-being in children and adolescents. The first part of the review presents an outlook of several psychometric instruments that demonstrate various approaches to measuring subjective well-being: multidimensional and one-dimensional multiple-item scales as well as single item scales. The examples of techniques for establishing validity of developing instruments are provided. The experience of adaptation of psychometric instruments for measuring well-being to use them in younger samples is discussed. The article also highlights the discrepancies between parents’ and children’s own evaluations of children’s well-being that are documented with the use of several instruments. The second part of the review deals with the issues of subjective well-being dynamics that should be captured by psychometric instruments. The hypotheses of stability of subjective well-being levels (the notions of “homeostatically protected mood” and “well-being set point”) are discussed and contrasted to the results of empirical research of changes in normative levels of subjective well-being from preschool age to adolescence.