Preschool-Based Programs for Externalizing Problems
2/16/17
Externalizing problems in young children can prove to set classroom-wide obstacles in creating an effective learning environment for all children. Externalizing behaviors can be described as any act of disruptive behavior that associates with difficulties in a child’s life such as family abuse, crime, and psychiatric disturbance. In this study, programs aimed to reduce externalizing behavior in classrooms were utilized. Tackling these externalizing behaviors seeks to improve a child’s receptivity for learning and in turn eliminates the exacerbation of these behaviors into children’s adult lives.
Namely, two programs were used to tackle these externalizing behaviors. In the first, an program called The Incredible Years had children watc short videos in which social situations are modeled. The students then discuss how they would have acted in such a situation and practice these actions with a teacher and parent. Between these sessions, children would work on homework regarding the themes of appropriate prosocial reactions. The second program, which focuses on academic improvement, was Dialogic Reading. In Dialogic Reading, students (3-5 at a time) and teachers read a picture book together. Students would also read individual with their parents at their own homes.
Results from these intervention programs showed promise, with over 85% of parents satisfied with the outcomes of the programs. Specifically, The Incredible Years saw improved circle time, which allowed for more time on planned academic activities and less time focused on gathering the children’s attention. In addition, Dialogic Reading had broad positive effects on adult-student interactions.
No research study is perfect, but considering the challenges placed by this experiment allows for better improvement of future experiments. For example, the workshop which debriefed the skills needed by teachers for these programs was offered for only one day. Thus, improvement of carrying out these programs would best improve if more time were given to train these teachers. In addition, participation in the programs was limited to the competing demands that families face every day. It helps that food and child care were offered, but future directions could look at what could make access to participating in the study even easier. Finally, the concern of extrinsic motivation arose in some of the parents, worrying that their children would not want to work on their externalizing behavior for the sake of bettering themselves, but rather to earn a reward. This facet of the program eventually decreased after some time.
With this, these programs of addressing externalizing behavior show promise in addressing exacerbating classroom problems, leading to more effective learning within preschools.
Arnold, D. H., Brown, S. A., Meagher, S., Baker, C. N., Dobbs, J., & Doctoroff, G. L. (2006). Preschool-based programs for externalizing problems. Education and Treatment of Children, 29, 311-339. pdf
Externalizing problems in young children can prove to set classroom-wide obstacles in creating an effective learning environment for all children. Externalizing behaviors can be described as any act of disruptive behavior that associates with difficulties in a child’s life such as family abuse, crime, and psychiatric disturbance. In this study, programs aimed to reduce externalizing behavior in classrooms were utilized. Tackling these externalizing behaviors seeks to improve a child’s receptivity for learning and in turn eliminates the exacerbation of these behaviors into children’s adult lives.
Namely, two programs were used to tackle these externalizing behaviors. In the first, an program called The Incredible Years had children watc short videos in which social situations are modeled. The students then discuss how they would have acted in such a situation and practice these actions with a teacher and parent. Between these sessions, children would work on homework regarding the themes of appropriate prosocial reactions. The second program, which focuses on academic improvement, was Dialogic Reading. In Dialogic Reading, students (3-5 at a time) and teachers read a picture book together. Students would also read individual with their parents at their own homes.
Results from these intervention programs showed promise, with over 85% of parents satisfied with the outcomes of the programs. Specifically, The Incredible Years saw improved circle time, which allowed for more time on planned academic activities and less time focused on gathering the children’s attention. In addition, Dialogic Reading had broad positive effects on adult-student interactions.
No research study is perfect, but considering the challenges placed by this experiment allows for better improvement of future experiments. For example, the workshop which debriefed the skills needed by teachers for these programs was offered for only one day. Thus, improvement of carrying out these programs would best improve if more time were given to train these teachers. In addition, participation in the programs was limited to the competing demands that families face every day. It helps that food and child care were offered, but future directions could look at what could make access to participating in the study even easier. Finally, the concern of extrinsic motivation arose in some of the parents, worrying that their children would not want to work on their externalizing behavior for the sake of bettering themselves, but rather to earn a reward. This facet of the program eventually decreased after some time.
With this, these programs of addressing externalizing behavior show promise in addressing exacerbating classroom problems, leading to more effective learning within preschools.
Arnold, D. H., Brown, S. A., Meagher, S., Baker, C. N., Dobbs, J., & Doctoroff, G. L. (2006). Preschool-based programs for externalizing problems. Education and Treatment of Children, 29, 311-339. pdf
Parental Child-Rearing Strategies Influence Self-Regulation, Socio-Emotional Adjustment, and Psychopathology in Early Adulthood: Evidence from a Retrospective Cohort Study
10/26/14
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Parental child-rearing strategies have significant implications for children’s personality development, even into early adult life. A child’s personal strengths, socio-emotional adjustment, and mental health are all affected by parental warmth (e.g., “my parents praised me”), rejection (e.g., “my parents criticized me and told me how lazy and useless I was in front of others”), and overcontrol (e.g., “I felt that my parents interfered with everything I did”). In this study, the EMBU was used to examine the relationship between self-reported parental child-rearing techniques and self-regulation and socio-emotional adjustment across five domains: eating behaviors, physical pleasures, social interactions, financial management, and achievement. Some examples include maintaining a healthy diet, minimizing substance abuse, engaging in prosocial behaviors, keeping a budget, and pursuing educational activities. Further, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) was given to a subset of participants to measure psychopathology.
The participants of this study were 286 young adults, ages 18-35, from a large Midwestern university. All of the participants completed the EMBU online. Fifty-six of the participants completed the MMPI-2-RF in a group laboratory session. Along with studying the effects of parental warmth, rejection, and control on young adult functioning, this study also looked at how self-regulation mediated the relationship between parental child-rearing and interpersonal difficulties as well as internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.
This study found that parental warmth was related to better intrapersonal and interpersonal adjustment in early adulthood. Parental warmth was specifically linked to self-regulation, interpersonal adjustment, and academic adjustment. Parental rejection and overcontrol, on the other hand, were associated with worse adjustment. Specifically, parental rejection was most closely related to internalizing clinical symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and somatization. Overcontrol was most closely related to hypomanic activation and psychoticism. Self-regulation was found to mediate the relationship between parental child-rearing and interpersonal difficulties as well as internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.
Parental child-rearing techniques experienced by children have important relationships with adjustment in adulthood. In particular, parental child-rearing approaches may differentially teach children self-regulation skills, thus either protecting children or putting them at risk for poor outcomes. Given that parenting skills are malleable, future research should focus understanding the implications of these findings for clinical interventions.
Baker, C. N., & Hoerger, M. (2012). Parental child rearing strategies: Implications for self-regulation, socio-emotional adjustment, and psychopathology in early adulthood. Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 800-805. pdf
The participants of this study were 286 young adults, ages 18-35, from a large Midwestern university. All of the participants completed the EMBU online. Fifty-six of the participants completed the MMPI-2-RF in a group laboratory session. Along with studying the effects of parental warmth, rejection, and control on young adult functioning, this study also looked at how self-regulation mediated the relationship between parental child-rearing and interpersonal difficulties as well as internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.
This study found that parental warmth was related to better intrapersonal and interpersonal adjustment in early adulthood. Parental warmth was specifically linked to self-regulation, interpersonal adjustment, and academic adjustment. Parental rejection and overcontrol, on the other hand, were associated with worse adjustment. Specifically, parental rejection was most closely related to internalizing clinical symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and somatization. Overcontrol was most closely related to hypomanic activation and psychoticism. Self-regulation was found to mediate the relationship between parental child-rearing and interpersonal difficulties as well as internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.
Parental child-rearing techniques experienced by children have important relationships with adjustment in adulthood. In particular, parental child-rearing approaches may differentially teach children self-regulation skills, thus either protecting children or putting them at risk for poor outcomes. Given that parenting skills are malleable, future research should focus understanding the implications of these findings for clinical interventions.
Baker, C. N., & Hoerger, M. (2012). Parental child rearing strategies: Implications for self-regulation, socio-emotional adjustment, and psychopathology in early adulthood. Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 800-805. pdf
Enrollment and Attendance in a Parent Training Prevention Program for Conduct Problems
6/17/14
Many studies support the use of parent training programs as the best treatment method for conduct problems in children and, more recently, as a prevention tool for families with at-risk children. However, one major concern for researchers and clinicians using a parent training model is the low levels of enrollment and attendance in the programs. Despite its importance, there is limited research on the topic.
This study aims to distinguish between enrollment and attendance and further describes predictors of a behavioral parent training program intended to prevent conduct problems in preschoolers. Researchers collected data from 106 preschoolers, as well as their parents and teachers. Family socioeconomic status, single parent status, ethnicity, child externalizing behaviors, parent depressive symptoms, and parent social support were looked at as possible predictors for enrollment and attendance.
Despite providing informed consent and filling out the demographic questionnaires, only 48% of the families enrolled in the parent training program. Results found that parents with lower incomes and less social support were less likely to enroll in the program. Furthermore, Caucasian families were more likely to enroll than both African-American and Puerto Rican families. It seems that having enough resources to participate in a program like this was critical to getting parents involved in the first place.
Overall, of those parents who enrolled by coming at least one time, parents attended an average of 61% of the sessions. It was found that families with two-parent households or that had children with externalizing behaviors (the target of the program) attended more parent training sessions. It was also found that attendance was greatest at the beginning of the intervention period and gradually decreased as time passed. This indicates that it is not just resources that matters for parents’ ongoing participation. Instead, clinicians must make sure that prevention programs like this one meet the needs of the family, from beginning to end.
This study is of particular importance to clinicians. The results have practical implications for increasing retention in intervention programs. The results suggest that clinicians need to begin focusing on retention at the first session, since there tends to be greatest attendance at this point. Overall, low socioeconomic status and limited social support are risk factors for not attending parent training or not enrolling in the first place, and clinicians need to be aware of these factors when working in the community setting.
Baker, C. N., Arnold, D. H., & Meagher, S. (2011). Enrollment and attendance in a parent training prevention program for conduct problems. Prevention Science, 12, 126-138. pdf
This study aims to distinguish between enrollment and attendance and further describes predictors of a behavioral parent training program intended to prevent conduct problems in preschoolers. Researchers collected data from 106 preschoolers, as well as their parents and teachers. Family socioeconomic status, single parent status, ethnicity, child externalizing behaviors, parent depressive symptoms, and parent social support were looked at as possible predictors for enrollment and attendance.
Despite providing informed consent and filling out the demographic questionnaires, only 48% of the families enrolled in the parent training program. Results found that parents with lower incomes and less social support were less likely to enroll in the program. Furthermore, Caucasian families were more likely to enroll than both African-American and Puerto Rican families. It seems that having enough resources to participate in a program like this was critical to getting parents involved in the first place.
Overall, of those parents who enrolled by coming at least one time, parents attended an average of 61% of the sessions. It was found that families with two-parent households or that had children with externalizing behaviors (the target of the program) attended more parent training sessions. It was also found that attendance was greatest at the beginning of the intervention period and gradually decreased as time passed. This indicates that it is not just resources that matters for parents’ ongoing participation. Instead, clinicians must make sure that prevention programs like this one meet the needs of the family, from beginning to end.
This study is of particular importance to clinicians. The results have practical implications for increasing retention in intervention programs. The results suggest that clinicians need to begin focusing on retention at the first session, since there tends to be greatest attendance at this point. Overall, low socioeconomic status and limited social support are risk factors for not attending parent training or not enrolling in the first place, and clinicians need to be aware of these factors when working in the community setting.
Baker, C. N., Arnold, D. H., & Meagher, S. (2011). Enrollment and attendance in a parent training prevention program for conduct problems. Prevention Science, 12, 126-138. pdf
Risking Connection Trauma Training: A Pathway Toward Trauma-Informed Care in Child Congregate Care Settings
6/9/14
The prevalence of psychological trauma across the realms of mental health, education, and criminal justice professions and its effects on the individuals who experience it has been increasingly studied in recent years. However, despite this recognition that trauma affects a wide population in a number of ways, there is still a remarkable lack of formal training on trauma for the workers who regularly interact with traumatized children and adults. To remedy this dearth, agencies who are looking to train their staff should implement trauma-informed care (TIC), a term which describes services that attempt to lessen the negative impacts of trauma while recognizing its biological, psychological, and social effects. The current study examines the impact of Risking Connection (RC) – a curriculum-based trauma training program aimed at professionals who serve traumatized individuals – on staff trainees at child congregate care agencies.
A total of 261 trainees participated in 12 different RC training groups from five different agencies (Agencies A through E), most of which were residential treatment agencies for youth with serious emotional and psychiatric problems. Because of the grassroots nature of RC, procedures for intervention and data collection varied across sites. Some agencies received only the RC Basic training, while others received this and the train-the-trainer (TTT) program. For some sites, these programs were agency-wide, but for other large agencies, only a select number of trainees were selected and trained. Some agencies also received consultation and additional training. The trainees were assessed on their knowledge of RC concepts, beliefs about TIC, and behaviors indicative of TIC. For a subset of agencies, measures were collected at four different time points
Results showed a consistent increase in knowledge about the core concepts of the RC training across groups, a significant increase in beliefs favorable to TIC over time, and an increase in self-reported staff behavior favorable to TIC. In addition, these findings suggest that the train-the-trainer (TTT) model of dissemination central to RC is effective at increasing beliefs favorable to TIC.
In sum, the study demonstrated that RC training shows promise as a strategy for implementing trauma-informed care in child congregate care settings. While the trainings favorably impacted the knowledge of, beliefs about, and behavior indicative of TIC, other influences like broader organizational factors play important roles in the pace, sustainability, and success of TIC and should be taken account by agencies looking to effectively train their staff.
Brown, S. M., Baker, C. N., & Wilcox, P. (2012). Risking Connection trauma training: A pathway toward trauma-informed care in child congregate care settings. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4, 507-514. pdf
A total of 261 trainees participated in 12 different RC training groups from five different agencies (Agencies A through E), most of which were residential treatment agencies for youth with serious emotional and psychiatric problems. Because of the grassroots nature of RC, procedures for intervention and data collection varied across sites. Some agencies received only the RC Basic training, while others received this and the train-the-trainer (TTT) program. For some sites, these programs were agency-wide, but for other large agencies, only a select number of trainees were selected and trained. Some agencies also received consultation and additional training. The trainees were assessed on their knowledge of RC concepts, beliefs about TIC, and behaviors indicative of TIC. For a subset of agencies, measures were collected at four different time points
Results showed a consistent increase in knowledge about the core concepts of the RC training across groups, a significant increase in beliefs favorable to TIC over time, and an increase in self-reported staff behavior favorable to TIC. In addition, these findings suggest that the train-the-trainer (TTT) model of dissemination central to RC is effective at increasing beliefs favorable to TIC.
In sum, the study demonstrated that RC training shows promise as a strategy for implementing trauma-informed care in child congregate care settings. While the trainings favorably impacted the knowledge of, beliefs about, and behavior indicative of TIC, other influences like broader organizational factors play important roles in the pace, sustainability, and success of TIC and should be taken account by agencies looking to effectively train their staff.
Brown, S. M., Baker, C. N., & Wilcox, P. (2012). Risking Connection trauma training: A pathway toward trauma-informed care in child congregate care settings. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4, 507-514. pdf
A Pilot Study of Effects of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program on Phonemic Awareness and Basic Reading Skills
4/18/14
Though the U.S. Department of Education considers children’s literacy to be the most critical issue in American education, many young children continue to fall short of the basic levels of reading achievement. Previous research has identified phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension as critical skills necessary for literacy achievement. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program reading curriculum among kindergarten students – a program which focuses on the development of phonemic awareness skills.
Thirty-eight children from two kindergarten classrooms were recruited from public elementary schools in New York. One classroom received the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program from their trained teacher while the other classroom continued to implement the school’s existing reading program, Houghton Mifflin Reading. Prior to the intervention, children were given five tests to measure their phonemic awareness and reading ability. During the intervention period, the teacher implemented the program for approximately 20-30 minutes daily. Parents were also able to attend parent workshops provided by the founder of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Institute, providing them with materials and literacy games to play at home with their children. Children were tested again after the intervention in December.
Results provided mixed support for the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program. Analyses indicated that children in the intervention group tended to exhibit a greater improvement in Basic Reading scores. However, children receiving the Magic Penny program did not tend to show greater improvement in Phonemic Awareness. To further understand the results, researchers investigated whether child age and gender influenced scores on Basic Reading and Phonemic Awareness, but neither of these variables was found to have a significant effect, with one exception: it was found that younger children tended to have higher scores on Basic Reading than older children.
In sum, this pilot study suggests that the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program may have a positive effect on children’s Basic Reading scores, but not on children’s Phonemic Awareness. However, this pilot study was limited in scope and lacked random assignment, so larger-scale research is needed to determine whether or not the program is effective as a whole.
Casey, C. M., Cook-Cottone, C., & Baker, C. N. (2012). A pilot study of effects of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program on phonemic awareness and basic reading skills. The New School Psychology Bulletin, 9, 74-84. pdf
Thirty-eight children from two kindergarten classrooms were recruited from public elementary schools in New York. One classroom received the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program from their trained teacher while the other classroom continued to implement the school’s existing reading program, Houghton Mifflin Reading. Prior to the intervention, children were given five tests to measure their phonemic awareness and reading ability. During the intervention period, the teacher implemented the program for approximately 20-30 minutes daily. Parents were also able to attend parent workshops provided by the founder of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Institute, providing them with materials and literacy games to play at home with their children. Children were tested again after the intervention in December.
Results provided mixed support for the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program. Analyses indicated that children in the intervention group tended to exhibit a greater improvement in Basic Reading scores. However, children receiving the Magic Penny program did not tend to show greater improvement in Phonemic Awareness. To further understand the results, researchers investigated whether child age and gender influenced scores on Basic Reading and Phonemic Awareness, but neither of these variables was found to have a significant effect, with one exception: it was found that younger children tended to have higher scores on Basic Reading than older children.
In sum, this pilot study suggests that the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program may have a positive effect on children’s Basic Reading scores, but not on children’s Phonemic Awareness. However, this pilot study was limited in scope and lacked random assignment, so larger-scale research is needed to determine whether or not the program is effective as a whole.
Casey, C. M., Cook-Cottone, C., & Baker, C. N. (2012). A pilot study of effects of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program on phonemic awareness and basic reading skills. The New School Psychology Bulletin, 9, 74-84. pdf
The Relationship Between Maternal Beliefs and Behavior During Shared Reading
3/27/14
Much evidence has shown that parents and their beliefs play an important role in children’s academic development, and some studies with older children have also suggested that these parent beliefs can affect children of different genders in different ways. Furthermore, studies on parent-child shared reading (the practice of reading a book to a child while also attempting to teach the child about the process of reading) have shown that this process positively affects children’s vocabulary, literacy skills, and motivation for reading. However, while there is much research regarding parental beliefs, gender, and shared reading individually, few studies have examined all three. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether mother's beliefs were associated with their own and their child's beliefs during shared reading and to determine if there was a difference in this behavior between mother-son and mother-daughter pairs.
Fifty children and their mothers were recruited for this study. The pairs came from a variety of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and the kids were, on average, 5.8 years old. To determine any effects, researchers visited the homes of the subjects and observed mothers and children participating in shared reading, in addition to giving mothers questionnaires regarding their beliefs about their children's future grades and their thoughts on the importance of fun, learning, and correctness during shared reading.
Results showed that mothers who believed that shared reading should involve learning showed more learning-focused behaviors. Moreover, mothers who believed that shared reading should be fun showed more positive interactions with their child during shared reading. Gender did indeed have an effect in some cases. Mothers who expected their children to achieve higher grades in school exhibited better scaffolding practices (e.g., structured support around the academic tasks of learning and reading) for daughters, but not for sons. In general, girls were more engaged than boys in the reading practice. However, mothers with stronger beliefs that reading should be fun had sons, but not daughters, who were more engaged in the shared reading.
In sum, it's important for parents to remember that their beliefs about their children's education and the learning practices they use do have effects on their children's learning! Furthermore, these beliefs, and the behaviors that stem from these beliefs, may differ depending on whether the child is a girl or a boy.
Meagher, S., Arnold, D. H., Doctoroff, G. L., & Baker, C. N. (2008). The relationship between maternal beliefs and behavior during shared reading. Early Education and Development, 19, 138-160. pdf
Fifty children and their mothers were recruited for this study. The pairs came from a variety of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and the kids were, on average, 5.8 years old. To determine any effects, researchers visited the homes of the subjects and observed mothers and children participating in shared reading, in addition to giving mothers questionnaires regarding their beliefs about their children's future grades and their thoughts on the importance of fun, learning, and correctness during shared reading.
Results showed that mothers who believed that shared reading should involve learning showed more learning-focused behaviors. Moreover, mothers who believed that shared reading should be fun showed more positive interactions with their child during shared reading. Gender did indeed have an effect in some cases. Mothers who expected their children to achieve higher grades in school exhibited better scaffolding practices (e.g., structured support around the academic tasks of learning and reading) for daughters, but not for sons. In general, girls were more engaged than boys in the reading practice. However, mothers with stronger beliefs that reading should be fun had sons, but not daughters, who were more engaged in the shared reading.
In sum, it's important for parents to remember that their beliefs about their children's education and the learning practices they use do have effects on their children's learning! Furthermore, these beliefs, and the behaviors that stem from these beliefs, may differ depending on whether the child is a girl or a boy.
Meagher, S., Arnold, D. H., Doctoroff, G. L., & Baker, C. N. (2008). The relationship between maternal beliefs and behavior during shared reading. Early Education and Development, 19, 138-160. pdf
Preschool Based Programs for Externalizing Problems
3/25/14
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Hey there, readers! We're going to begin rolling out our research summaries this week, beginning with our team’s publications (which are listed on the Project DIRECT website) and eventually including newly published articles relevant to early childhood development, care, and education. We'll be posting brief blurbs with information about each study's goals and findings, as well as any relevant introductory information. Enjoy!
A growing body of research suggests that preschool-based programs that specifically target externalizing behavior (which encompasses behaviors like acting out, talking back, or physical aggression) could help prevent the later development of conduct disorders in these children. A separate literature suggests that pre-academic interventions focused on language and literacy can be similarly helpful in preschool, to get children off to the best start in these important areas of learning. Despite the current interest in these types of early childhood interventions, few initiatives for young children have made use of these existing, well-tested, classroom-based programs. In order to explore this idea, the authors of this article decided to implement and test two programs of this kind.
In the study, an ethnically-diverse sample of 193 children total were assigned to one of four groups: those receiving both an externalizing and academic program, those receiving only the externalizing program, those receiving only the academic program, and those receiving no program. The externalizing program used was Webster-Stratton's Incredible Years program, and the academic program was Whitehurst's Dialogic Reading program. The children, teachers, and parents who participated in this study came from a number of preschools of different types, including Head Start, public, and private centers.
Though this paper doesn't detail the child outcomes of the study, it discusses the implementation of these programs and any challenges faced. Some of these challenges included difficulties with engaging individuals at all levels of the participating organizations (program directors, teachers, etc.), teachers' initial disinterest in the programs, low participation rates from parents, contrasting philosophies of the programs and the centers on childcare and disciplinary methods (like time-outs and rewards), and language barriers between Spanish and English speakers. In sum, the paper concludes that, in order for programs to be effective, they should address multiple areas of child development, build on strengths while addressing difficulties, and allow for broad participation.
Arnold, D. H., Brown, S. A., Meagher, S., Baker, C. N., Dobbs, J., & Doctoroff, G. L. (2006). Preschool-based programs for externalizing problems. Education and Treatment of Children, 29, 311-339. pdf
A growing body of research suggests that preschool-based programs that specifically target externalizing behavior (which encompasses behaviors like acting out, talking back, or physical aggression) could help prevent the later development of conduct disorders in these children. A separate literature suggests that pre-academic interventions focused on language and literacy can be similarly helpful in preschool, to get children off to the best start in these important areas of learning. Despite the current interest in these types of early childhood interventions, few initiatives for young children have made use of these existing, well-tested, classroom-based programs. In order to explore this idea, the authors of this article decided to implement and test two programs of this kind.
In the study, an ethnically-diverse sample of 193 children total were assigned to one of four groups: those receiving both an externalizing and academic program, those receiving only the externalizing program, those receiving only the academic program, and those receiving no program. The externalizing program used was Webster-Stratton's Incredible Years program, and the academic program was Whitehurst's Dialogic Reading program. The children, teachers, and parents who participated in this study came from a number of preschools of different types, including Head Start, public, and private centers.
Though this paper doesn't detail the child outcomes of the study, it discusses the implementation of these programs and any challenges faced. Some of these challenges included difficulties with engaging individuals at all levels of the participating organizations (program directors, teachers, etc.), teachers' initial disinterest in the programs, low participation rates from parents, contrasting philosophies of the programs and the centers on childcare and disciplinary methods (like time-outs and rewards), and language barriers between Spanish and English speakers. In sum, the paper concludes that, in order for programs to be effective, they should address multiple areas of child development, build on strengths while addressing difficulties, and allow for broad participation.
Arnold, D. H., Brown, S. A., Meagher, S., Baker, C. N., Dobbs, J., & Doctoroff, G. L. (2006). Preschool-based programs for externalizing problems. Education and Treatment of Children, 29, 311-339. pdf