Implementing toddler interventions at scale: The case of “We learn together”

Abstract

The first years of life are characterized by rapid learning in several school readiness domains, including language, math, and social-emotional skills, all of which are important for later childhood outcomes and academic achievement in school. In this research, we investigate the effects of an early-stage evidence-based school readiness intervention and add-on elements to support teachers’ implementation under real-life circumstances to explore the readiness of this intervention for scaling up. We replicated the findings of a prior trial of this intervention, and demonstrated that a 20-week curriculum with instructional content and supportive tools for teachers to be more explicit and intentional in their interactions with children can be implemented successfully under real-life circumstances and result in positive effects on targeted language and math skills.