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Kids who attend playgroup do better at schoolNew research by The Kids Research Institute Australia has found children who attend playgroups achieve better early primary school outcomes.

News & Events
Child development census shows most kids are on trackThe national report released today from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) shows that in 2015, most children in Australia were on track.

News & Events
Building the best communities for early child developmentThe Kids Research Institute Australia's Australian Early Development Census has become the world's first proven and reliable measure of early childhood development.

News & Events
The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers share in State Government science grantsFour The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers are among those who have received funding in the WA State Government's Merit Award Program announced today.
Research
Impact of the Play Active policy intervention on early childhood educator's sedentary behaviour-related practices, psychosocial influences and meeting policy recommendationsHigh levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with poor child health outcomes such as obesity. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a key intervention setting. Most ECEC policy-based interventions focus on children's nutrition and physical activity with few aimed at children's sedentary behaviour.
Research
Influences of bilingual input on English vocabulary size and academic outcomes: a large-scale longitudinal study following children in Australia from five to ten yearsResearch from large population-based studies investigating the language and academic outcomes for bilingual children is rare. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of dual language exposure on (i) English vocabulary outcomes at 5 years (126 bilinguals, 1675 monolinguals), and 10 years (vocabulary: 92 bilinguals, 1413 monolinguals:), and (ii) academic outcomes at 10 years (107 bilinguals, 1746 monolinguals).
Research
Which emerging autism features at 12 months of age are associated with later parent-child interaction?Parent-child interactions (PCI) in infants with an elevated likelihood (EL) of autism start to diverge from other infants toward the end of the first year. This divergence is often attributed to emerging features of autism impacting infant social interactions in ways that become increasingly amplified. The aim was to identify which, if any, 12-month autism features were associated with later PCI qualities.
Research
Routine Emollient Therapy with Coconut Oil in Preterm Infants and Allergic Sensitization at 1-Year Corrected AgeSkin care for very and extremely preterm infant is an important and previously underappreciated topic. Coconut oil skin care for preterm infants is a promising option, but several important questions remain including the theoretical potential for allergic sensitization.
Research
Age-related differences in trust beliefs during middle childhood: Downward-extension and validation of the general trust scaleThere are conflicting suggestions concerning the developmental trend of trust beliefs during middle childhood. Across three studies, the current research developed a brief measure of child general trust beliefs, as well as child measures of trust in peers and online, and examined age-related differences in these beliefs.
Research
“Stop, pause and take a break”: a mixed methods study of the longer-term outcomes of digital emotional wellbeing training for perinatal womenMaternal psychological distress is related to poorer physical and mental health as well as child developmental problems. Interventions that optimise maternal mental health and wellbeing during the "first 1,000 days" of life should have wide-reaching benefits for the mother and her child.