Objective: This study examined the mediating effects of child care teachers' self-esteem in the relationship between teachers' difficulties communicating with parents and teacher-child interactions. Methods: A total of 450 child care teachers answered questionnaires based on three research variables. Data were analyzed using SEM. Results: First, child care teachers' difficulties communicating with parents had a direct effect on teacher-child interactions. That is, child care teachers who experienced more difficulties communicating with parents showed more negative teacher-child interactions. Second, child care teachers' difficulties communicating with parents had an indirect effect on teacher-child interactions through teachers' self-esteem. In other words, when child care teachers experienced more difficulties communicating with parents, their self-esteem was lower, which led to increased negative teacher-child interactions. Conclusion/Implications: This study highlights the importance of effective communication between child care teachers and parents. In addition, these findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism by which child care teachers' difficulties communicating with parents influence teacher-child interactions.

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of early childhood teachers' current working conditions such as welfare and wages, working hours, ECEC center's environmental characteristics, and parental involvement and community engagement on the professionalism of teachers. Method: A total of 988 respondents participated in the nationwide online survey. The data were analyzed by correlation analysis and structual equation modeling. Results: First, there were no statistically significant direct effects of ECEC teachers' working conditions on teacher professionalism. Second, there were significant direct effects of teacher efficacy and well-being on teacher professionalism. Third, there were significant indirect effects of teachers' working conditions on their professionalism, via efficacy and well-being, linking the impact of working conditions and the professionalism of teachers. Conclusion/Implication: The results of this structural model imply that policy input for teacher welfare, wage increases, and the enhancement of teachers' well-being and efficacy are valid and significant for the professional development of ECEC teachers. These results provide the data-driven evidence for the importance of welfare and socio-cognitive approaches for teachers.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the Nuri-curriculum daycare programs for 3, 4, and 5-year-olds based on the Child Welfare Act. Methods: Data were analyzed according to the analysis criteria for 195 children's safety education programs in the Nuri-Program. The analyzed data used frequency and percentages. Results: First, life safety education was the most important element. And after looking at the contents category of the Child Welfare Act, the results in order are as follows: "raffic safety"; "Health and hygiene management, including the prevention of contagious diseases and drug abuse"; "Safety measures against disasters"; "Precaution and prevention of disappearance and abduction"; and "Prevention of sexual violence and child abuse." Second, there were many safety education activities in accordance to chronological age (3-to 5-years old). Health and safety by subject, season, and life tools were more frequent. By type of activity, conversation and language activity, fairy tales, and plays were the most common activities. Conclusion/Implications: This suggests the need to systematically plan safety education content through a program that links safety-related laws and elements related to the Nuri curriculum in child care centers.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of collaborative activities by utilizing picture books in order to improve the self-regulation and perspectivetaking abilities among four-year-olds. Methods: A total of 52 four-year-olds(control group 26, experimental group 26) attending two classes at D kindergarten located in B city participated in this study. Before and after the activities, all participants individually took a social perspective taking ability instrument and rated their self-regulation with a teacher. Data were analyzed by conducting ANCOVA in the way of setting pre-test scores as the covariate and post-test scores as the dependent variable. Results: First, the total and subarea of self-regulation in the experimental group was higher than the control group. Second, the cognitive and emotional perspective taking abilities in the experimental group were higher than the control group in all cares. Conclusion/Implications: The results of this study suggest that collaborative activities using picture books are effective in improving young children's selfregulation and perspective-taking abilities.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and apply the home connection program for promoting the mathematical interaction of parents of 3-year-olds. Methods: We surveyed questionnaires for 36 parents and interviewed 3 parents of 3-year-olds for the development of the program. Twenty-one 3-year-olds were selected as participants in the program. Quantitative data from a checklist for parent's mathematical interaction were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Qualitative data from self-evaluation of teachers and parents were categorized and analyzed in terms of meaning. Results: Based on the home connection program, the session were provided in the following order [educare center activities ${\rightarrow}$ home-linked activities ${\rightarrow}$ home+educare integrated activities] and in each session, the three-step course [sharing of thinking ${\rightarrow}$ gathering of thinking ${\rightarrow}$ broadening of thinking] was applied. Implementation of this program led to promoting parental mathematical interaction. Conclusion/Implications: This study will lead to follow-up studies that reveal positive effects of our program.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to develop a mathematics education program utilizing food to improve the mathematical abilities of 4-year-olds and to analyze the effects of this program on 4-years-olds' mathematical concepts (number and operation, algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis, and probability). Methods: The study selected 30 4-year-olds from two daycare centers located in K city. The experimental group (N=15) participated in the mathematics education program utilizing food, 10 times for five weeks, while the comparative group (N=15) participated in the seasonal mathematics education program based on the Nuri Curriculum. The activities of this intervention program were designed to cover all domains of Mathematical Exploratory areas in the Nuri Curriculum. For data processing and analysis, pre-test and post-test score differences between the two groups were analyzed through MANCOVA. Results: The experimental group had significantly higher scores on five mathematical concepts compared with the control group. A mathematics education program utilizing food had the positive effect of improving 4-year-olds' mathematical ability. Conclusion/Implications: Mathematic education programs utilizing food are recommended as necessary pedagogical data to develop the mathematical abilities of children in education centers, families, or relating to parenting education.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and examine the effects an of educational drama program for promoting a sense of community on young children's community life skills. Methods: The program organized activities to achieve a sense of community. Community life skill, a behavioral skill that is the basis for developing a sense of community, was naturally reflected in the activities. The program was designed to run a total of 15 sessions twice a week for 60 minutes each time. The participants were five-year-olds, 27 in the experimental group and 26 in the control group. In order to examine the effects of the program, a sense of community and community life skills were measured and the data were analyzed with T-test. Results: The results are summarized as follows: first, the program had positive effects on emotional consciousness and mutual public consciousness of sense of community; second, community life skills were improved through this program. Conclusion/Implications: Based on these results, the effectiveness of the educational drama program for promoting young children's sense of community and the ways to promote children's sense of community in early childhood education institutes were discussed.

Objective: The purpose of this study was two-fold: first to explore the effects of mother-child attachment and effortful control at age 1 on preschoolers' school readiness at age 6, and second, to determine the mediating effect of a child's effortful control on the relationship between mother-child attachment at age 1 in relation to school readiness at age 6. Methods: Participants in this study were 205 five-year-old toddlers(106 boys, 99 girls) recruited for the Korea Child Panel Study. Mother-child attachment was assessed using the Attachment Q-sort(Waters, 1989). Preschooler's effortful control was measured by the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire: ECBQ(Putnam, Gartstein & Rothbart, 2006). Preschooler's school readness was measured by the School Readiness Scale Murphey & Burns, 2002). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and the structural equation modeling analysis. Results: First, mother-child attachment at age 1 effected school readiness at age 6. Effortful control at age 1 effected school readiness at age 6. Second, effortful control at age 1 mediated the effect of mother-child attachment at age 1 in relation to school readiness at age 6. Conclusion/Implications: Mother-child attachment at age 1 affects school readiness at age 6, and toddlers' effortful control at age 1 mediates the relationship between mother-child attachment in relation to school readiness at age 6.

Objective: This study aims to develop and validate the musicality level of an individual child, based on the on performance tasks rubrics. Methods: The survey was conducted on 284 children(ages 3-5years old from kindergartens and day care centers), their parents, and their 51 teachers. The collected data were calculated and analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0. Results: Consisted of two components, two task types, 17 performance tasks, and 41 items in three dimensions. Rubrics were determined and based on the child's best performance, and categorized into five levels. Lastly, the item difficulty and item discriminating power were defined in order to comprehend the item quality analysis, which showed that average scores varied depending on the performance. Conclusion/Implications: The musicality rating scale for young children is significant in order to comprehend musicality levels through the performances of children aged three to five. This study has educational implications in that teachers can connect the results of the ratings to curriculum and promote the development of teaching and learning methodologies based on the musicality levels of individual children.