School Readiness Intervention Research Articles

Effects of an Infant/Toddler Intervention at 1-Year Follow-Up: Sustained Impacts to Preschool Entry

We Learn Together is a 20-week, low-cost infant/toddler school-readiness intervention developed to provide instructional content and supportive tools for teachers to be more explicit and intentional in interactions with children to support early development. Short-term effects were established in a previously published real-world effectiveness randomized controlled trial. In the present quasi-experimental study, we examined the extent to which the effects remained approximately 1 year after the intervention. Because the original control group eventually also got the intervention, we compared mandatory municipal language assessment outcomes of 2,327 children in the treatment group to matched nontreatment children. The intervention effect was maintained at similar magnitudes at the 1-year follow-up for oral language skills (effect sizes = 0.09–0.14), and spillover effects were found for rhyming skills (effect size = 0.12).

Educational Values of Latino Families Participating in a School Readiness Intervention: Hopes and Implications for Pediatrics.

To explore Latino parents' educational values and hopes for their preschool-aged children after a clinic school readiness (SR) intervention. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews of Latino parents regarding their perceptions of a novel SR coaching intervention (2016-2017). Parents who received the intervention were approached for interview (n = 74); 59 postintervention interviews were completed in English or Spanish, audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Iterative team-based coding and inductive thematic analysis of 47 interviews were conducted by 3 team members using Dedoose. Children were on average 4.5 years old, with the majority speaking Spanish at home (57%), and having preschool experience (81%). Mothers mostly had no paid employment (53%) and limited formal education. Four domains emerged: 1) education is valued and seen as a pathway to a successful life for children, and 2) while structural and cultural barriers exist, 3) Latino families are motivated and 4) trust providers to offer SR support. Parents suggested pediatricians could provide more SR knowledge to families and offer programs within primary care. Integration of findings are summarized in a framework for clinical practice. Latino parents' trust in their pediatric providers, combined with their strong educational aspirations for their children, offers the pediatric clinic an opportunity to partner with families to reduce systemic SR barriers. Pediatric providers can support Latino parents in preparing their children for school through culturally responsive, strengths-based approaches that build on their educational aspirations, value existing SR efforts, offer SR knowledge around early literacy and math, and build connections to early childhood programs.

Evidence-Based Program Implementation Variability in New Contexts: The Head Start REDI Program

AbstractThis study involved a pilot implementation of an evidence based school readiness intervention in new community contexts. The Head Start Research Based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) program was implemented in preschools on and near a Native American reservation with both indigenous and non-indigenous students and teachers. The REDI curriculum involved 5 subcomponents targeting children’s literacy skills and social-emotional development. Teachers were provided with inperson and on-line training and in-person implementation support from a REDI coach. Implementation fidelity included ratings of of curriculum dosage and child engagement, as well as coach ratings of teaching quality using a modified version of the Classroom Assessment Scoring Scale (CLASS). Teachers indicated which adaptations they made to the curriculum and the reasons for these adaptations. Teachers also completed qualitative, post-implementation interviews to obtain their impressions of REDI and the need for planned modifications in their context. Analyses included measures of implementation fidelity and qualitative evaluation of adaptations. Results indicated that teachers found the REDI program both feasible and helpful for their students. Suggestions for planned adaptations included more STEM activities and the freedom to choose the dialogic reading books. Many spontaneous adaptations were noted. Teachers indicated that pragmatic issues, such as lack of time, were the main reasons for adapting the program, and deletions and substitutions of curricular activities were the most common types of changes. Implementation of program subcomponents improved gradually over the course of the school year. Some subcomponents were more likely to be adapted than others.

Examining the effects of an infant-toddler school readiness intervention in center- and family-based programs: Are results generalizable?

Infants and toddlers frequently participate in either center- or family-based childcare programs. However, little is known about the efficacy of early learning interventions introduced in these two types of programs, in particular family-based programs. The present work builds upon findings of a recent experimental trial demonstrating that a 20-week infant-toddler intervention supporting center- and family-based teachers to be more explicit and intentional in their interactions had a significantly positive effect on targeted child outcomes. In this follow-up paper, we conducted secondary analyses exploring effects of the intervention across the two contexts, center- and family-based programs. Analyses showed that the social validity of the intervention was generally high in both settings, but even higher in family-based than center-based programs. Findings also showed that teachers in both types of programs implemented the intervention at a satisfactory level, but family-based teachers tended to implement more small-group activities and had more conversations with individual children. There were no differential impacts on child outcomes across the two contexts, except for an overall significant spill-over effect on the outcome of empathy within center-based care. Finally, we found that the intervention had positive effects on teachers’ use of counting and math activities in both types of programs.

Centre‐based early education interventions for improving school readiness: A systematic review

Centre‐based early education interventions for improving school readiness: A systematic review

Examining the Efficacy of Online Administration of a Time-Limited School Readiness Intervention in the Face of COVID-19

Although the efficacy of online administration of behavioral parent training (BPT) programs is well-established, such programs address a single risk factor (behavioral functioning) for school readiness difficulties (comprised of academics, cognitive skills, and social, emotional, and behavioral functioning). The current study aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a telemedicine delivery of the School Readiness Parenting Program (SRPP), an integrative adaptation of PCIT designed to address the behavioral and academic domains of school readiness. The present study takes the first step towards validating an online administration of the SRPP as a treatment for early childhood disruptive behavior. Data were collected for 64 children ages 2–6 years (Mage = 4.63, SD = 0.86; 78.1% Hispanic/Latinx) and their families, who received either in-person administration of time-limited PCIT (PCIT-TL; n=30) or online administration of SRPP (n=34). A series of repeated measures ANOVAS were conducted to examine within and between group effects. Results revealed that both SRPP and PCIT-TL significantly reduced inattention (d’s = −0.54 to −0.88), aggression (d’s = −0.55 to −1.06), and behavioral symptomology (d’s = −0.55 to −0.85) and produced significant gains in parental skills (d’s = −1.47 to 2.99). Notably, online SRPP demonstrated greater improvement in positive parental verbalization, whereas PCIT-TL demonstrated greater reductions in parental stress. Overall, findings support the utility of online SRPP for addressing behavioral school readiness concerns.

The effects of a large-scale school readiness intervention on Danish preschool children’s emergent mathematics skills

ABSTRACT Children’s emergent mathematics skills are important predictors of their later achievements. We analyze and present the effects of a large-scale school readiness intervention in preschools in Denmark. We thereby provide evidence on the effects of a broadly based professional development program (with supporting materials) implemented in a universal childcare system. Estimates of the effects were obtained from a cluster-randomized controlled trial on a large sample of more than 5000 children. The children’s emergent mathematics skills were assessed using a formal validated test (Tools for Early Assessment in Math) before and after the intervention. The results showed that the intervention on average had significantly positive effects for the participating children. Only children of non-Western origin benefitted more than other children from the intervention. In addition, the effects were moderated by exposure and by child-staff-ratio; stronger effects were associated with higher exposure and with lower child-staff-ratio.

Working memory and school readiness in preschool children with sickle cell disease compared to demographically matched controls.

Children diagnosed with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk of the development of neurobehavioural problems early in life. Specific impairments in executive function skills, including working memory, have been documented in school-aged children with SCD. These executive skills are known to strongly contribute to early academic skills and preparedness for entering kindergarten. This study examined working memory and school readiness in preschool children with SCD compared to a healthy control group matched for race, sex and parent education. A total of 84 patients diagnosed with SCD (61.9% haemoglobin [Hb]SS/HbSβ0 -thalassaemia) and 168 controls completed testing. The mean (SD) ages of patients and controls at testing were 4.53(0.38) and 4.44(0.65)years respectively. The SCD group performed worse than controls on measures of executive function, working memory and school readiness (p < 0.01; Cohen's D range: 0.32-0.39). Measures of working memory were associated with school readiness after accounting for early adaptive development. Multiple linear regression models among patients diagnosed with SCD revealed that college education of the primary caregiver was positively associated with school readiness (p < 0.001) after controlling for sex, genotype, age and early adaptive development. These results highlight the need to implement school readiness interventions in young children diagnosed with SCD emphasising executive function skills.

Riesgo Y Resiliencia: Exploring the Role of Parenting Stress and Self-efficacy on Young Latino Children’s Well-being and Home Learning Experiences during COVID-19

ABSTRACT The current study explored the associations between parenting stress and p\\arental self-efficacy on children’s social-emotional functioning and home learning practices among Latino families. Families were recruited as part of a pilot study of a parent-focused school readiness intervention that was conducted via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample was comprised of children (Mage = 3.02 years; 64% male) enrolled in Early Head Start, and their parents (97% biological mothers). At baseline, parents reported on family demography, parenting stress, involvement in home learning activities (i.e., literacy and math), their self-efficacy in managing a range of situations related to raising young children, and children’s social-emotional functioning. Study findings indicated that parenting stress was negatively associated with parent’s home literacy involvement, but not with home math involvement. Results also indicated that parental self-efficacy moderated the relationship between parenting stress and children’s social-emotional functioning, specifically externalizing and internalizing problems. Lastly, results indicated a positive association between parenting stress and children’s adaptive skills. Findings from the current study help elucidate our understanding of the psychological well-being of young Latino children and families during COVID-19, and will potentially inform future efforts aimed at supporting Latino parents’ well-being and children’s early learning experiences during a global health crisis.

Promoting EF With Preschool Interventions: Lessons Learned From 15 Years of Conducting Large-Scale Studies

In the past two decades, a growing number of early childhood interventions that aim to improve school readiness have also targeted children's executive function (EF), building on the theory that promoting EF skills in preschool may play a key role in reducing the substantial gaps in school readiness and later achievement associated with family income. Despite the expansion of school readiness interventions across preschool, research evidence is mixed regarding what works to promote EF development and the impact of these interventions on children's EF skills, and subsequently, their academic and behavioral outcomes. This paper reviews four intervention approaches designed to support school readiness that may also improve children's EF skills by: (a) encouraging adaptive classroom behaviors, (b) improving social-emotional learning, (c) promoting play and direct training of EF skills, and (d) improving cognitive skills related to EF. We describe program effects from rigorous trials testing these approaches, including summarizing the takeaways from four large-scale intervention research studies conducted by the authors, involving over 5,000 children. We conclude by exploring open questions for the field and future directions for research and intervention program development and refinement.

Replication of combined school readiness interventions for teachers and parents of head start pre-kindergarteners using remote delivery

This replication study examined remote delivery of 2 evidence-based prekindergarten (pre-k) interventions to evaluate whether the combination of interventions, one in Head Start classrooms (online The Early Education Model, eTEEM) and one in the home (online Play and Learning Strategies, ePALS) resulted in enhanced effects on at-risk 3- to 5-year-old children's school readiness skills when compared to either of these interventions alone. The aligned interventions trained adults – teachers and parents – to use responsiveness and guided learning approaches within routine activities with the aim of increasing children's social-behavioral and academic skills. Both the original in-person study (Landry et al., 2017) and the present remote study used a four-group factorial design. The present study first randomized classrooms to eTEEM (n = 36) or control (n = 33). Next, within classrooms, parent-child dyads were randomized to ePALS or No ePALS, resulting in four conditions: n = 186 eTEEM/ePALS; n = 151 eTEEM/No ePALS; n = 160 No eTEEM/ePALS; and n = 133 No eTEEM/No ePALS control. The original study found small to moderate effects on parent and teacher behaviors ( d = 0.18 to 0.55). In this remote study, there were generally larger parent and teacher effects for responsiveness (g = 0.63 to 0.70) and for guided learning ( g = 0.37 to 1.05), behaviors targeted by the interventions. Results of the original study showed few effects on children's academic outcomes and the strongest effect on children's social-behavioral skills for the parent intervention ( d = 0.15 to 0.19). The present study produced similar patterns of results for child outcomes with larger social-behavioral effects ( g = 0.19 to 0.27) than academic ( g = -0.23 to 0.30). We discuss the importance of these replication findings when delivering interventions remotely to improve scalability.

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

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.

Implementing a School Readiness Intervention in Community-Based Childcare Centers: Director and Teacher Perceptions

ABSTRACT In the U.S., one-third of preschool children attend programs run by childcare centers. Childcare centers are generally isolated and under-resourced businesses, often challenged by high rates of teacher turnover and inconsistent financial support. Correspondingly, childcare centers often struggle to provide high-quality educational experiences for preschool children. This study introduced an evidence-based curriculum (REDI) to improve the educational experiences of preschool children in childcare centers and used a novel professional development (PD) model in which center directors were trained to serve as local coaches. Open-ended interviews with 45 teachers and 31 center directors evaluated the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of the REDI intervention and coaching model. Participants also described their workplace and rated their intentions regarding future program use. Participants described multiple challenges in the workplace but generally positive perceptions of the REDI intervention. Perceptions regarding the feasibility of the coaching model were mixed. Workplace descriptions were associated with intervention experiences which, in turn, predicted intentions for future program use. Findings validate the importance of addressing the unique workplace challenges faced by childcare staff when designing classroom interventions and PD supports. Attending to program acceptability, feasibility, and perceived effectiveness in these settings may be critical to support sustained use.

Effects of a school readiness intervention on electrophysiological indices of external response monitoring in children in foster care.

This study examined the impact of a school readiness intervention on external response monitoring in children in foster care. Behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) data were collected during a flanker task from children who received the Kids In Transition to School (KITS) Program (n = 26) and children who received services as usual (n = 19) before and after the intervention. While there were no significant group differences on the behavioral data, the ERP data for the two groups of children significantly differed. Specifically, in contrast to the children who received services as usual, the children who received the KITS Program displayed greater amplitude differences between positive and negative performance feedback over time for the N1, which reflects early attention processes, and feedback-related negativity, which reflects evaluation processes. In addition, although the two groups did not differ on amplitude differences between positive and negative performance feedback for these ERP components before the intervention, the children who received the KITS Program displayed greater amplitude differences than the children who received services as usual after the intervention. These results suggest that the KITS Program had an effect on responsivity to external performance feedback, which may be beneficial during the transition into kindergarten.

Sustained effects of a school readiness intervention: 5th grade outcomes of the Head Start REDI program

This study examined the sustained effects of the Head Start Research-based Developmentally Informed (REDI) program, which enriched preschools with evidence-based programming targeting social-emotional and language/emergent literacy skills. 44 Head Start classrooms were randomly assigned to intervention or a usual practice control group, and 356 4-year-olds (25% African American, 17% Latino, 54% female) were followed through the end of 5th grade. Growth curve analyses revealed that significant intervention effects on teacher-rated social adjustment, academic engagement, and parent involvement identified at the end of the Head Start year were sustained throughout elementary school. These findings demonstrate that evidence-based curricula combined with professional development support can enhance preschool programming and promote the elementary school adjustment of children living in poverty.

Effects of a school readiness intervention on family engagement during the kindergarten transition

Children are more likely to succeed academically, socially, and behaviorally when families are engaged in partnerships with schools and teachers throughout the educational process. Researchers and policy leaders have identified the kindergarten transition as a key time for fostering family educational engagement. This study reports findings from the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) Program designed to promote school readiness and support family engagement with schools. The KITS Program helps caregivers build confidence and advocacy skills that can support successful partnerships with their children’s teachers and schools. Prior KITS research has primarily focused on child outcomes, while caregiving outcomes such as family engagement have received less attention. This study adds to family engagement literature by examining the effectiveness of the KITS Program in improving engagement during the transition to kindergarten, as well as examining differences in intervention effects for diverse families, who may encounter cultural, linguistic, and other barriers to engaging with teachers and schools. Results indicated that the KITS Program improved caregiver-teacher relationship quality, caregiver’s feelings of positivity towards the school, and support for children’s learning at home. In addition, results indicated that the KITS Program was equally effective for Latinx and non-Latinx families. However, Latinx families rated their relationships with teachers and their endorsement of their schools lower than non-Latinx families. Findings from this work support the KITS Program as a promising intervention to improve family engagement during the transition to kindergarten. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.

Extending School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) with Emotional Support Systems: A Non-Randomized Study Testing the Effectiveness of a School-Wide Health Care Policy TIME-IN in Special Education

Children’s readiness for school is often threatened by the occurrence of both externalising (EP) and internalising (IP) problems. In search for solutions, research has shown that School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is particularly effective for fostering children’s behavioural skills and reducing EP. However, whether SWPBS can enhance children’s emotional skills and reduce IP is less clear. Therefore, TIME-IN was developed, which extends SWPBS by also including emotional support systems. It will be tested whether TIME-IN is effective for (a) improving emotion regulation (ER) and (b) reducing depressive symptoms. Furthermore, it will be tentatively explored whether TIME-IN is accompanied by more than natural fluctuations in both children’s EP and IP. The effectiveness of TIME-IN will be evaluated in a non-randomized study, in which an intervention group will be compared with a matched control group. Both research questions will be addressed in a sample consisting of children between 8 and 12 years of age with special educational needs (SEN), who have been argued to benefit most from school readiness interventions. Questionnaires for teachers, children, and their parents will be administered at the beginning (T0) and the end of the school year (T1) using multi-informant assessment. Practical implications, strengths, and limitations were discussed. ISCRTN registry 54456609.Registered on 28 March 2017. Ethical requirements were fulfilled.

Supporting parent engagement in a school readiness program: Experimental evidence applying insights from behavioral economics

Early childhood interventions aimed at reducing socioeconomic disparities hinge on parent engagement. However, sparking parents' engagement and sustaining it throughout the course of interventions has historically been challenging. We designed program enhancements informed by the interdisciplinary field of behavioral economics to support parent engagement in Getting Ready for School, a school readiness intervention for Head Start preschoolers. The behavioral economics enhancements are hypothesized to address psychological factors that might interfere with parents' decision-making, including attention, misestimation, and related parent biases about children's learning. Results from a randomized control design in four Head Start centers show that, compared with families that received the typical curriculum, those that received behavioral economics–enhanced strategies, such as personalized invitations, child-friendly activity planners, text-message reminders, and commitment reinforcement, had higher parent attendance and follow-through for GRS activities and spent more time with children on educational activities outside of the classroom.

Reconstructing readiness: Young children’s priorities for their early school adjustment

Young children in communities facing socioeconomic disadvantage are increasingly targeted by school readiness interventions. Interventions are stronger if they address stakeholders’ priorities, yet children’s priorities for early school adjustment are rarely accounted for in intervention design including selection of outcome measures. The Children’s Thoughts about School Study (CTSS) examined young children’s accounts of their early school experiences, and their descriptions of what a new school starter would need to know. Mixed-method interviews were conducted with 42 kindergarten children in a socioeconomically deprived suburb of Dublin, Ireland. First, inductive thematic analysis identified 25 priorities across four domains: feeling able and enthusiastic for school; navigating friendships and victimisation; supportive environments with opportunities to play; bridging school and family life. Second, deductive analysis compared children’s priorities at item level against a school readiness outcome battery. Children’s priorities were assigned to three groups: (1) assessed by outcome measures (core academic competencies, aspects of self-regulation); (2) partially assessed (self-efficacy, social skills for friendship formation and avoiding victimisation, creative thinking, play); and (3) not assessed by outcome measures (school liking, school environment, family-school involvement). This analysis derived from children’s own perspectives suggests that readiness interventions aiming to support early school adjustment would benefit from considering factors children consider salient. It offers recommendations for advancing conceptual frameworks, improving assessment, and identifying new targets for supporting children and schools. In doing so we provide a platform for children’s priorities to be integrated into the policies and practices that shape their early lives.

Competency Based Approach to Community Health (COACH): The methods of a family-centered, community-based, individually adaptive obesity randomized trial for pre-school child-parent pairs

Competency-Based Approaches to Community Health (COACH) is a randomized controlled trial of a family-centered, community-based, and individually-tailored behavioral intervention for childhood obesity among Latino pre-school children. COACH focuses on improving personal agency for health behavior change by tailoring content to overcome contextual barriers. The intervention focuses on diet, physical activity, sleep, media use, and engaged parenting. The content is individually adapted based on routine assessments of competency in specific health behaviors using a mobile health platform and novel measurement tools developed by our team. In response to these regular assessments, health coaches provide tailored health behavior change strategies to help families focus on the areas where they decide to improve the most. The intervention consists of a 15-week group-based intensive phase, with weekly sessions delivered by health coaches in community centers. Following weekly sessions, a 3-month maintenance phase of the intervention consists of twice monthly coaching calls for participants to focus on individual health goals for their families.The primary outcome of the trial is child body mass index trajectory over 1 year. Secondary outcomes include parent body mass index change, child waist circumference, child diet, child physical activity, and other psychosocial mediators of child health behavior change. The control arm consists of a school readiness intervention, delivered by the Nashville Public Library.By applying a personalized approach to child behavior change, in the setting of both family and community, COACH aims to develop sustainable solutions for childhood obesity by supporting healthy childhood growth in low-income, minority preschool children.