V.A. Jacobs (Vere)

During the period of five to seven years, children make the transition from kindergarten to primary schools. This is an important life transition, as children in school go from an informal to a more formal environment. During this transition, children experience shifts in their cognitive development, and experience a developmental spurt. Cognitively, their self-control and executive functioning enhance rapidly (Ramscar & Gitcho, 2007), both are predictive of reading and math development (e.g., ten Braak et al., 2018). This development is defined by within child-factors, such as SES, home language, or parental control, as well as across contexts, such as the home and school environment (see La Paro & Pianta, 2000; Mol & Bus, 2011). The objectives of this project are to gain insight into (1) how children’s digital media use in cross-contextual media landscapes affect children’s cognitive development; (2) how key persons can increase or decrease the impact of digital media on this development; (3) how children’s individual dispositions can increase or decrease the impact of digital media on their cognitive development.