Ce travail de Thèse a consisté à étudier le développement cognitif pendant la période préscolaire à partir d'une cohorte longitudinale menée en France en population générale : la cohorte EDEN (N = 2002). Dans le cadre de l'épidémiologie cognitive, nous avons tenté de répondre à diverses questions de recherche dont le dénominateur commun est l'étude de la variabilité interindividuelle dans le développement cognitif. Tout d'abord, nous avons étudié les facteurs pré, péri et post-natals associés aux changements des performances linguistiques entre 2 et 3 ans. Puis, nous avons tenté d'identifier les facteurs environnementaux ayant un effet différentiel sur le développement verbal et non-verbal à 5-6 ans. Ensuite, nous avons exploré l'effet des performances linguistiques à 3 ans sur les symptômes de TDAH à 5-6 ans. Puis, nous avons cherché à déterminer si les enfants avec un haut niveau intellectuel présentaient davantage de difficultés émotionnelles, comportementales et relationnelles pendant la période préscolaire. Enfin, nous avons examiné l'intérêt des repères développementaux au cours des deux premières années de vie pour prédire le QI à 5-6 ans. Les résultats de ces études fournissent des données intéressantes pour les cliniciens ainsi que pour les décideurs de santé publique et contribuent à améliorer la compréhension du développement cognitif normal et pathologique. / In this Thesis, we studied the cognitive development of children during the preschool period in a French longitudinal cohort: the EDEN prospective mother-child cohort (N = 2002). In the framework of cognitive epidemiology, we attempted to answer a variety of issues whose common denominator is the study of the sources of inter-individual variability. First, we identified the factors that predict change in language skills in a large sample of children between 2 and 3 years of age. Secondly, we determined whether early predictors of cognitive development affect some cognitive functions more than others. Thirdly, we examined the relationships between children’s language skills and symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention between 3 and 5.5 years. Fourthly, we determined whether high intelligence is associated with emotional, behavioral and social difficulties during the preschool period. Finally, we determined whether the developmental milestones at 4, 8, 12 and months predict children’s IQ at 5.5 years.

The aim of graduation thesis are issues of hygienic habits of preschool children. In the theoretical part of thesis, there are dealt with specifics of preschool's age. The ensemble of hygienic habits were created including instructions when to use them , which aids to use and especially the way how to deal with them is described there. In this part, the most important deceases caused by low hygienic standard is discussed. The prevention of those issues is the main goal of this part. In the empiric part of the thesis, there was the aim to find out, which mistakes are made by children of preschool age in the hygienic habits. For this purpose, a collection of deliberately chosen 16 children were approached. The qualitative research was chosen for getting the data needed. 9 specific picture worksheets were created , each one concerned one issue of hygienic habits. Research took place in 9 days period of time. The result of the survey was finding out the mistakes made by children approximately in one half of issues. In each job, one half of respondents made a mistake. The second goal was to create an educational training aimed to correct performing of hygienic habits. Within this scope there was fulfilled another goal - creating of collection of educational fairy tails stories collection focused on separate hygienic area. This collection was used in practical part of training. It is connected closely with the third aim of the thesis- to carry out the mentioned training. The children completed one lesson of educational training every day in the morning, the lesson corresponded with an appropriate worksheet. Each lesson contained theoretical and practical part of training. The next goal of the thesis was finding out which changes were achieved in the branch of hygienic habits by children of preschool age. This survey took place every day in the afternoon. It was ascertained that less than a half of respondent made some mistakes and less than a half of the group made some mistakes. Results were measured and compared. In awareness of children in hygienic habits were seen positive changes. The next goal of the thesis was presentation of the survey to the parents of the children who have a child at this age at home and to find out if they were interested in carrying out of the similar training with their children. A collection of 120 deliberately chosen parents was approached ( except of the parents whose children participated in the training before). The quantitative methodology was used in a short questionnaire. In the questionnaire, there were used following questions: age category, education, amount of children in the family, their interest in completing of the training with their children. The results of the training before and after education were shown to the responding parents. They were shown the educational worksheets and fairy tails stories to get better overview about the training methods used. They Could have a look at the educational dolls, which were connected with the practical training. The survey showed that 93 respondents (81%) would be interested in performing of such a training with their children. They stressed the importance of including such education into the preschool training. In the contrary, 27 parents (19%) were not interested and the most mentioned reason was the attention to train the habits on their own in the family environment.

This thesis focuses on observation of the art expression development in children at the turn from preschool to elementary school. Its theoretical part describes general development of children at preschool and young school age with the emphasise put on the development of drawing. The practical part contains a detailed analysis of human figure drawings and house drawings obtained during two consequent sessions in relevant school institutions. The drawings were analysed using a set of predetermined criteria and by a follow-up assessment. The differences between the developmental progress in girls and boys are also examined.

This thesis focuses on the artistic production of the children in the preschool period. The theoretical part is devoted to the development of art expression of children with special reference to the pre-school period and the period of primary school age. On the basis of scholarly literature and avaiable research findings there is development characterized in other areas (cognitive, emotional, social, etc.). Research of my practical part analyzes the art expression of selected children from kindergarten to the first classes of primary school. It observes the development of visual rendering (particularly its formal aspects) in connection with the start of compulsory school attendance.

L’intérêt marqué et simultané de plusieurs champs de recherche pour le développement des fonctions exécutives (FE) a permis de mettre en lumière le rôle primordial de ces fonctions dans plusieurs sphères du développement de la petite enfance jusqu’à l’âge adulte. Les mécanismes développementaux associés aux différences individuelles restent par ailleurs encore peu étudiés. Les deux articles empiriques qui constituent la thèse visent à documenter le rôle des comportements maternels observés en bas âge dans la prédiction des FE mesurées à l’âge préscolaire. Les deux articles s’inscrivent dans la foulée des travaux qui, selon une approche écologique (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), considèrent les effets d’interaction entre différents facteurs explicatifs pour mieux comprendre les mécanismes impliqués dans le développement de l’enfant. En ce sens, le premier article examine les interactions possibles entre le statut socioéconomique (SSE) de la famille et différentes dimensions du concept de sensibilité maternelle, dans la prédiction de deux dimensions des FE, soit les FE-conflit et les FE-inhibition. Dans le cadre de cette étude, 114 dyades mères-enfants ont participé à trois visites à domicile. Le SSE a été mesuré par questionnaire dans le cadre d’une première visite dans la famille lorsque les enfants avaient six mois, la sensibilité maternelle a été évaluée à 12 mois à partir du Tri de cartes de comportements maternels (Pederson & Moran, 1995) et les FE à 36 mois à partir d’une batterie de tâches choisie sur la base des orientations proposées par Carlson (2005). Le deuxième article explore, en se basant sur postulats de la Théorie de la susceptibilité différentielle (TSD), les possibles interactions entre différentes dimensions du concept de sensibilité maternelle et le tempérament de l’enfant, et ce également dans la prédiction des FE. Pour ce faire, 72 dyades ont également participé à trois visites à domicile. La sensibilité maternelle a été évaluée à 12 mois à partir du Tri de cartes de comportements maternels (Pederson & Moran, 1995), le tempérament à 15 mois à l’aide d’un questionnaire rempli par la mère (ICQ; Bates, Freeland, & Lounsbury, 1979) et les FE à 36 mois à partir de la même batterie de tâche (Carlson, 2005). Les résultats du premier article révèlent des interactions significatives entre le statut socioéconomique et certaines dimensions de comportements maternels, de telle sorte que des comportements maternels de meilleure qualité sont prédicteurs d’une meilleure performance aux tâches de FE, mais seulement chez les enfants provenant de familles relativement désavantagées sur le plan socioéconomique et essentiellement en ce qui concerne les FE-inhibition. Quant aux résultats du deuxième article, ils confirment les hypothèses de la Théorie de la susceptibilité différentielle, en révélant que les enfants ayant un tempérament difficile sont plus affectés par des comportements maternels hostiles, de même que par l’absence de comportements positifs et bénéficient davantage de la présence de comportements positifs et de l’absence de comportements négatifs, et ceci également au regard des FE-inhibition. / The simultaneous and marked interest of many fields of research for the notion of executive functioning (EF) has allowed for the primordial role of these functions in many spheres of development to be identified. However, the developmental mechanisms associated with individual differences in EF are still under studied. The two empirical articles constituting this dissertation aim at documenting the role of maternal behaviors in the prediction of EF in the preschool period. Using an ecological approach (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), interaction effects between different explanatory factors are considered, with the goal of reaching a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying early EF development. To do so, the first article examines the interactions between family socioeconomic status (SES) and different dimensions of maternal behavior in the prediction of two specific components of EF, namely, conflict-EF and impulse control. 114 mother-child dyads participated in three home visits. SES was measured by a questionnaire filled by mothers during the first visit when their child was six months old and maternal behavior was observed in a second visit when the child was 12 months old, using the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (MBQS; Pederson & Moran, 1995). Finally, child EF was assessed at 3 years with a battery of tasks chosen based on Carlson’s (2005) measurement guidelines. The second article explores, based on Differential Susceptibility Theory (DST), the interactions between different dimensions of maternal behavior and child temperament in the prediction of child EF. Seventy-two mother-child dyads participated in three home visits. Maternal sensitivity was observed when children were 12 months old, using the MBQS, child temperament was assessed at 15 months using a maternal report (ICQ; Bates, Freeland, & Lounsbury, 1979), and child EF was assessed with the same battery of tasks as in the first article. The results of the first article showed significant interactions between family SES and the quality of maternal behaviors in the prediction EF, such that maternal behavior was related to EF only for children in the lower end of the SES spectrum and those relations were found especially for impulse control. The results of the second article confirmed the hypothesis put forward by DST, revealing that children with difficult temperaments were more affected by hostile maternal behavior and the absence of positive behavior, and that these same children benefit more than their easier peers from the presence of positive behaviors, but only in the prediction of impulse control.

L’intérêt marqué et simultané de plusieurs champs de recherche pour le développement des fonctions exécutives (FE) a permis de mettre en lumière le rôle primordial de ces fonctions dans plusieurs sphères du développement de la petite enfance jusqu’à l’âge adulte. Les mécanismes développementaux associés aux différences individuelles restent par ailleurs encore peu étudiés. Les deux articles empiriques qui constituent la thèse visent à documenter le rôle des comportements maternels observés en bas âge dans la prédiction des FE mesurées à l’âge préscolaire. Les deux articles s’inscrivent dans la foulée des travaux qui, selon une approche écologique (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), considèrent les effets d’interaction entre différents facteurs explicatifs pour mieux comprendre les mécanismes impliqués dans le développement de l’enfant. En ce sens, le premier article examine les interactions possibles entre le statut socioéconomique (SSE) de la famille et différentes dimensions du concept de sensibilité maternelle, dans la prédiction de deux dimensions des FE, soit les FE-conflit et les FE-inhibition. Dans le cadre de cette étude, 114 dyades mères-enfants ont participé à trois visites à domicile. Le SSE a été mesuré par questionnaire dans le cadre d’une première visite dans la famille lorsque les enfants avaient six mois, la sensibilité maternelle a été évaluée à 12 mois à partir du Tri de cartes de comportements maternels (Pederson & Moran, 1995) et les FE à 36 mois à partir d’une batterie de tâches choisie sur la base des orientations proposées par Carlson (2005). Le deuxième article explore, en se basant sur postulats de la Théorie de la susceptibilité différentielle (TSD), les possibles interactions entre différentes dimensions du concept de sensibilité maternelle et le tempérament de l’enfant, et ce également dans la prédiction des FE. Pour ce faire, 72 dyades ont également participé à trois visites à domicile. La sensibilité maternelle a été évaluée à 12 mois à partir du Tri de cartes de comportements maternels (Pederson & Moran, 1995), le tempérament à 15 mois à l’aide d’un questionnaire rempli par la mère (ICQ; Bates, Freeland, & Lounsbury, 1979) et les FE à 36 mois à partir de la même batterie de tâche (Carlson, 2005). Les résultats du premier article révèlent des interactions significatives entre le statut socioéconomique et certaines dimensions de comportements maternels, de telle sorte que des comportements maternels de meilleure qualité sont prédicteurs d’une meilleure performance aux tâches de FE, mais seulement chez les enfants provenant de familles relativement désavantagées sur le plan socioéconomique et essentiellement en ce qui concerne les FE-inhibition. Quant aux résultats du deuxième article, ils confirment les hypothèses de la Théorie de la susceptibilité différentielle, en révélant que les enfants ayant un tempérament difficile sont plus affectés par des comportements maternels hostiles, de même que par l’absence de comportements positifs et bénéficient davantage de la présence de comportements positifs et de l’absence de comportements négatifs, et ceci également au regard des FE-inhibition. / The simultaneous and marked interest of many fields of research for the notion of executive functioning (EF) has allowed for the primordial role of these functions in many spheres of development to be identified. However, the developmental mechanisms associated with individual differences in EF are still under studied. The two empirical articles constituting this dissertation aim at documenting the role of maternal behaviors in the prediction of EF in the preschool period. Using an ecological approach (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), interaction effects between different explanatory factors are considered, with the goal of reaching a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying early EF development. To do so, the first article examines the interactions between family socioeconomic status (SES) and different dimensions of maternal behavior in the prediction of two specific components of EF, namely, conflict-EF and impulse control. 114 mother-child dyads participated in three home visits. SES was measured by a questionnaire filled by mothers during the first visit when their child was six months old and maternal behavior was observed in a second visit when the child was 12 months old, using the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (MBQS; Pederson & Moran, 1995). Finally, child EF was assessed at 3 years with a battery of tasks chosen based on Carlson’s (2005) measurement guidelines. The second article explores, based on Differential Susceptibility Theory (DST), the interactions between different dimensions of maternal behavior and child temperament in the prediction of child EF. Seventy-two mother-child dyads participated in three home visits. Maternal sensitivity was observed when children were 12 months old, using the MBQS, child temperament was assessed at 15 months using a maternal report (ICQ; Bates, Freeland, & Lounsbury, 1979), and child EF was assessed with the same battery of tasks as in the first article. The results of the first article showed significant interactions between family SES and the quality of maternal behaviors in the prediction EF, such that maternal behavior was related to EF only for children in the lower end of the SES spectrum and those relations were found especially for impulse control. The results of the second article confirmed the hypothesis put forward by DST, revealing that children with difficult temperaments were more affected by hostile maternal behavior and the absence of positive behavior, and that these same children benefit more than their easier peers from the presence of positive behaviors, but only in the prediction of impulse control.

This thesis deals with diagnosing school readiness at enrollment for compulsory school attendance. The paper defines the terms of school readiness, school maturity, enrollment for compulsory school attendance, school attendance postponement and acceptance of the child younger than six years. Another part describes the enrolment process for compulsory education in primary schools in Českobudějovicko. Three goals have been set: how teachers of selected primary schools in Českobudějovicko diagnose school readiness during enrollment for compulsory school attendance, what is their experience with school start postponement and early school starts (before 6 years), and to see if elementary schools cooperate with kindergartens in enrollment for compulsory school attendance. To achieve the goals was used qualitative research, an interrogation method, semi-structured interview technique. Through interviews with selected teachers coming from nine primary schools these objectives have been met. Elementary schools use different methods for diagnosing school maturity, but in most cases they diagnose the child in the fields recommended by literature. They also cooperate with kindergartens in the enrolment process. Experience of their teachers with an additional postponement in enrolment, or with early enrolment...

Le traumatisme crânio-cérébral (TCC) pédiatrique représente l'une des causes principales de handicap chez les enfants à travers le monde. Parmi la gamme de conséquences documentées suite au TCC pédiatrique, les problèmes de comportement seraient très répandus et toucheraient particulièrement les enfants blessés à un jeune âge. En effet, le cerveau en plein développement pourrait s'avérer hautement vulnérable aux effets d'une atteinte cérébrale. Cependant, en ce qui concerne les formes plus légères de TCC (TCC léger; TCCL ou " commotion cérébrale "), les évidences restent mitigées. Alors que certaines études montrent peu, voire aucune manifestation comportementale du TCCL chez le jeune enfant, d'autres études révèlent des difficultés plus significatives et persistantes. L'objectif principal de la présente thèse était de caractériser les conséquences comportementales du TCCL chez l'enfant d'âge préscolaire (≤ 5 ans). La thèse est composée de trois articles empiriques. L'objectif du premier article était d'investiguer la présence de comportements internalisés et externalisés chez l'enfant six mois post-TCCL. Un deuxième objectif était d'identifier les caractéristiques préexistantes de l'enfant et de sa famille, ainsi que les variables liées à la blessure, susceptibles de prédire la présence de difficultés comportementales post-TCCL. L'échantillon comprenait 229 enfants âgés entre 18 et 60 mois, répartis en trois groupes : enfants ayant subi un TCCL (n = 86), enfants avec une blessure orthopédique (n = 62) et enfants contrôles en bonne santé (n = 81). Les résultats révèlent que les enfants d'âge préscolaire ayant subi un TCCL présentent davantage de comportements internalisés et externalisés que leurs pairs six mois après l'accident. En outre, la présence de difficultés comportementales pré-morbides, de même qu'un niveau plus élevé de détresse maternelle, prédisent davantage de difficultés comportementales six mois post-TCCL. Le deuxième article visait à caractériser les changements longitudinaux de ces comportements internalisés et externalisés observés à six mois post-TCCL. Les résultats indiquent que les difficultés comportementales observées à six mois post-TCCL persistent jusqu'à 30 mois après la blessure. Bien qu'à l'échelle du groupe, les résultats demeurent dans les limites des normes attendues pour l'âge, il existe un sous-groupe d'enfants ayant subi un TCCL qui présente des difficultés qui sont cliniquement significatives et qui persistent au long cours. Le troisième article visait à explorer l'association entre la présence d'un polymorphisme commun du gène BDNF (Val66Met), impliqué dans les mécanismes de plasticité cérébrale, et la présence de comportements internalisés et externalisés post-TCCL, au sein de cette même cohorte d'enfants d'âge préscolaire. Les résultats indiquent un effet protecteur du polymorphisme Val66Met sur les comportements internalisés observés six mois après l'accident, spécifique au groupe d'enfants ayant subi un TCCL. Les résultats issus de cette thèse permettent de mieux comprendre les conséquences comportementales du TCCL préscolaire, la trajectoire longitudinale des manifestations comportementales et la contribution de certains facteurs propres à l'enfant et à son environnement familial. Ultimement, cette thèse pourrait contribuer à préciser les orientations ministérielles concernant la prise en charge clinique du TCCL chez le jeune enfant et à mieux outiller les cliniciens œuvrant auprès de cette population vulnérable. / Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of long-term disability in children and adolescents worldwide. Amongst the wide array of consequences known to occur after pediatric TBI, behavioral impairments are among the most widespread and may particularly affect children who sustain injury early in the course of development (i.e., before the age of 6 years). Indeed, recent evidence suggest that the developing brain could be highly vulnerable to injury due to neurobiological and developmental particularities. When it comes to pediatric mild TBI (mTBI or "concussion"), which represents the vast majority of TBI cases in children, there is mixed evidence regarding the extent and chronicity of behavioral consequences. While some studies show little or no evidence of behavioral changes after mTBI sustained in the early years of life, others document persistent behavioral consequences. There is a paucity of studies focusing on early TBI, which likely contributes to the heterogeneity of findings. The overarching aim of this thesis was to characterize behavioral consequences of mTBI sustained in early childhood (i.e., between 18 and 60 months old). The thesis is composed of three empirical articles. The aim of the first article was to document the presence of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems six months after preschool mTBI. A second objective was to identify pre-existing child and family characteristics, as well as injury-related variables that could predict behavioral outcome. The sample consisted of 229 children recruited to one of three participant groups: mild TBI (mTBI; n = 86), orthopedic injury (OI; n = 62) and typically developing children (TDC; n = 81). The results indicate that children who sustain preschool mTBI exhibit more internalizing and externalizing problems than their peers six months post-injury. Results also show that pre-injury behavioral problems, as well as higher levels of maternal distress, predict poorer post-TBI behavioral functioning. The second article intended to characterize longitudinal changes in behavioral outcome over 30 months post-injury in the same cohort of preschoolers. Results indicate that the higher rates of internalizing and externalizing symptoms observed in the mTBI group at six months post-injury persist up to 30 months post-injury. Although at the group level, results remain within the expected age norms, there is evidence of a subgroup of children with mTBI who present clinically significant behavioral symptoms, even in the long-term. The third article aimed to explore the association between the presence of a common and naturally occurring polymorphism of the BDNF gene (Val66Met), known to be involved in neuroplasticity mechanisms, and behavioral problems after preschool mTBI. Results indicate a protective effect of the Val66Met polymorphism on internalizing symptoms observed at six months post-injury, specific to the mTBI group. Taken together, these findings further our understanding of the behavioral consequences of mTBI in early childhood, the trajectory of recovery and factors that are associated with behavioral difficulties after early TBI. Ultimately, this thesis could contribute to the development of ministerial guidelines for the clinical management of mTBI in young children and support the efforts of clinicians working with this vulnerable population.

This diploma thesis deals with the opinions of teachers on the inclusion of competitive games in the nursery environment. The aim of the thesis is to find and analyze the opinions of a selected sample of teachers on this issue. The work is divided into four main chapters. The introductory chapters are devoted to the concept of the game of various authors and authorities, to the place of preschool child play in the environment of the kindergarten and also to the separate problems of the competitive game. The main part of the thesis is the analysis and evaluation of the research carried out. The essence of the empirical part is qualitative research. The data acquisition method is a semi-structured interview, through which educators working at the tertiary level of education are asked to include competing games in nursery schools.