One year of preschool intervention or two: Does it matter?

This study investigated the effects of the federally funded Child Parent Center preschool program on several cognitive and social outcomes through sixth grade. Seven hundred fifty-seven low-income Black children in the inner city enrolled in 1 or 2 years of a Head Start-type program at age 3 or 4. One hundred thirty Black children from similar neighborhoods entered the centers in kindergarten and served as a no-preschool comparison group. Results indicated that while 2-year participants began and ended kindergarten more academically competent than 1-year participants, through the elementary grades these children did not significantly or meaningfully differ from one another in reading comprehension, mathematics achievement, teacher ratings of social adjustment, rates of grade retention and special education placement, and teacher-rated parental school involvement. The overall effect size for Grades 1 to 6 was .15 standard deviations and values consistently favored the 2-year group. Both 1- and 2-year preschool participants were consistently and significantly better adjusted than no-preschool participants. The mean effect size of 1 or 2 years of preschool participation from Grades 1 to 6 across all outcomes was .34 standard deviations. Given limited enrollment and funding, findings lend support to enrolling as many children as possible in 1 year of quality Head Start-type programs. If the level of funding is not a major consideration or if the main criterion of success is school readiness at kindergarten entry, 2 years is preferable to 1 year.     

Are two years better than one year? A propensity score analysis of the impact of Head Start program duration on children's school performance in kindergarten

Using data from a nationally representative sample, this study examined Head Start children's school outcome differences by the end of Kindergarten between children who attended Head Start program for two years and the ones who attended for one year. Propensity scores were used to match children who experienced different durations of the program on a series of demographic characteristics in order to achieve a precise estimation of the effects of program duration. The results showed that in comparison to a demographically comparable group of children who attended the Head Start program for one year, the children who experienced two years of intervention services had statistically significantly higher performance on all six academic and social outcome measures by the end of Kindergarten, which included PPVT, Woodcock–Johnson Reading Skills, Woodcock–Johnson Math Reasoning Skills, teacher-reported composite academic skills, preschool learning behaviors, and social skills. Policy and practice implications are discussed.     

Effect of lead exposure on the immune function of lymphocytes and erythrocytes in preschool children

INTRODUCTION Over the past few years, systematic studies onthe effect of lead exposure on the human body haveled to an understanding that lead is neurotoxic andhas adverse effect on the immune system. So far,however, research on the immunotoxic effects oflead has been limited to animal experiments andpeople with occupational exposure to lead (Shen etal., 1996; Mishra et al., 2003; Liu et al., 2000).Presently, there are no reports on the influence oflead exposure on lymphocyte and …     

Can an early mathematical intervention boost the progress of children in kindergarten? A field experiment

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to be associated with children’s arithmetic knowledge as early as kindergarten, which is an important...     

One year of preschool or two: Is it important for adult outcomes?

Until recently, public funding for preschool education had been growing rapidly over a decade with most state programs providing one year of preschool for four year olds. Fewer three year olds are enrolled in preschool. To investigate the importance of enrollment duration, this study is the first to estimate long-term dosage effects of years of preschool. We use data from a cohort of 1500 students in the Chicago Longitudinal Study who enrolled in the Chicago Public Schools in the mid-1980s. Many of these students participated in a high-quality preschool program called Child-Parent Centers (CPC) for one or two years. To address selection with multiple treatments, we employ inverse propensity score weighting. Relative to children who attended one year of CPC preschool, the two-year group is significantly less likely to receive special education or be abused or neglected or to commit crimes. The findings provide support for the long-term benefits of greater exposure to preschool.     

Does learning the alphabet in kindergarten give children a head start in the first year of school? A comparison of children’s reading progress in two first grade classes in state and Montessori schools in Switzerland

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine whether the age at which children start to learn to read affects their later progress. The study was conducted in Zürich, Switzerland, and compared a first grade class in a local school with two first grade classes in a Montessori school. It was found that although the Montessori children had an advantage over the local children in alphabet knowledge at entry to Grade 1, this was not translated into a significant advantage at the end of Grade 1 in either phonemic awareness or reading ability. Further analysis revealed that pretest alphabet knowledge for the whole group was significantly related to progress. In addition, scatterplots showed that some children started school with high levels of alphabet knowledge but did not make progress, indicating that alphabet knowledge is necessary for literacy progress but not sufficient.     

Playful reflection: an investigation into the kindergarten project ‘Play in physiotherapy with children’

This article investigates adult learning in an action research (AR) project called ‘Play in physiotherapy with children’, conducted in Tromsoe Municipality, Norway, in 2010–2011. The project's objective was to explore how a play-based intervention approach would affect professional collaboration and child development. It was designed as a small-scale project, organized around two children with motor delay and their professional teams of teachers, physiotherapists and special pedagogue in two different kindergartens. It was situated in the kindergartens, and lasted for 16 weeks. The professional participants were invited into a process of action–reflection cycles as co-researchers. Video was a core tool in the design. Treatment sessions with the children were filmed during the action phases, and were the focus of attention in the reflection meetings. The two professional teams evaluated the video-reflection meetings as crucial to their learning and change. The focus in the article is on the learning in the reflection meetings during the AR process. We discuss two aspects of the space of reflection that was created during the project. First, we look into the role of video in reflection, and discuss how this can be understood with the help of concepts from Bourdieu's ‘theory of practice’. Second, we reflect on the role of play and playfulness in reflection and change among grown-ups. To do this, we use perspectives from phenomenological theory on play and playfulness from Buytendijk and Gadamer. We conclude that the use of video-reflection is a potent tool in AR processes. Concepts from Bourdieu's ‘theory of practice’ illuminate why, and also contribute to the understanding of the experienced change. Further, we argue that theory on play can help AR practitioners to understand the mechanisms of engagement and involvement that are crucial in AR processes.     

Perceived parental stress in face of kindergarten children’s academic setback: roles of parents’ goals and education

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Previous research studies have demonstrated the link between parents’ education and parental stress level. However, these studies have not taken...     

Does academic apprenticeship increase networking ties among participants? A case study of an energy efficiency training program

In order to address the requirements of future education in different fields of academic professional activity, a model called Academic Apprenticeship Education was initiated in Finland in 2009. The aim of this article is to analyse the development of expert networks in the context of a 1-year Academic Apprenticeship Education model in the field of energy efficiency, which is a new and rapidly developing knowledge-intensive field. We examined the creation of networking ties among all course participants, the process of networking in small groups, and individual participants’ networking activity. Data was collected by administering a social networking questionnaire in the beginning and at the end of the training to all course participants (n = 87) and analysed using social network analysis and repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with organizers of the training to examine how the operational practices of the training supported networking. The results indicated that there was little change in the networking ties among all course participants. However, those small groups that were able to communicate appeared to create internal linkages. At the individual level, more new ties emerged for private sector actors than for public sector actors. In conclusion, we propose that a consolidated educational model should be created for the Academic Apprenticeship Education model in general. The quality of education might be better assured if the current ad hoc networks were not the only way to organise knowledge exchange among participants.     

School absenteeism and academic achievement: Does the timing of the absence matter?

A large body of research demonstrates that school absenteeism is detrimental to learning, academic achievement and educational outcomes. However, questions remain whether this relationship varies according to the timing and reasons of absenteeism. Using time-stamped administrative school attendance data among 62,841 students enrolled in secondary education, this study examined whether the association between school absenteeism and student's examination results at the end of the school year varies with the timing and reasons of absenteeism. The findings show that unexcused absenteeism, sickness absenteeism and school exclusion all have a negative impact on student's academic achievement. In addition, the findings suggested that unexcused absenteeism is more harmful at the beginning of the school year and at the end of the school year. Sickness absenteeism seems also more harmful at the end of the school year. In the discussion I elaborate on the implications of these findings for policy and practice.     

The academic achievement of students in a New Zealand university: Does it pay to work?

There is growing concern about the detrimental effect of term-time employment on university students’ academic success. We report results from an online survey of 1837 students of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, whose responses were later matched to their academic records for a semester. The majority of employed students reported working out of financial necessity. There was no difference in grades between employed and non-employed students, but hours worked had a direct negative linear effect on the grades of employed students. Subsequent analysis suggested that employed students might have had significantly higher grades than the non-employed subsample if they had not worked. Mediating and moderating effects on the relationship between hours worked and academic performance were identified, and a model of the work–achievement relationship developed. Universities could do more to accommodate the reality of part-time work by their students.     

Explicit versus implicit understanding of teaching: Does knowing what teaching is help children to learn from it?

One hundred and sixteen Korean 3- to 5-year-olds were individually taught animal names through a game, either in a direct condition in which the instructional goal was stated or an indirect condition in which it was not. How much they learned and how well they understood the intentionality of teaching were also measured. Korean children seemed to have relatively rapid development in understanding of the intentionality of teaching, and this understanding was correlated with their identification of the goal of the game. The direct condition produced better learning for the children who had higher understanding of the intentionality of teaching.     

Different types of focus: Caregiver–child interaction and changes in preschool children’s attention in two cultures

Social contexts shape the development of attention; however, little is known about joint attention beyond infancy. This study employed behavioral and eye-tracking measurements to investigate cultural variations in how caregivers direct 3- to 4-year-old children's attention and subsequent changes in children's attention to objects and contextual backgrounds in the United States (predominantly non-Hispanic Whites) and Japan (N = 60 mother-child dyads, 29 girls, 31 boys). The findings revealed that caregivers directed children's attention to culturally sensitive information, and significant cross-cultural differences in attention emerged after caregiver–child interaction, with Japanese children shifting their attention to the backgrounds. Results provide new insights into the role of social interaction and cultural diversity in the development of attention.     

Adding two school age children: Does it change quality in family child care?

One hundred randomly selected family child care homes were observed prior to their intention to enroll two additional school age children. The average environmental rating score (FDCERS) was 3.81, indicating minimal quality. Custodial rather than developmentally appropriate activities were predominant. Six months after the first visit, only 28 providers had enrolled additional school age children; 10 more providers had enrolled additional children sporadically over the previous 6 months but did not have the additional children currently enrolled. The 28 providers with enrolled children were revisited. Providers were similar in environmental quality scores before and after adding the two additional school age children but were rated as less sensitive on the post-enrollment visit than on the pre-enrollment visit. Provider and children's activities were similar on the two visits.     

Teachers’ beliefs about the impact of games on the academic and social experiences of diverse and at-risk children in schools: a Deleuzian perspective

This paper explores teachers’ beliefs about the ways in which the use of digital games in schooling contexts impacted upon students who they believed to be in some way at risk of educational or social alienation or failure. Drawing upon the theoretical resources provided by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, the paper explores opportunities games-based learning created for students who had previously been positioned in narrow, limiting, or marginalized relationships to academic achievement or social acceptance. In describing teachers’ beliefs about the various lines of flight that games-based learning was able to spark, the paper argues the importance of continuing to explore how at-risk learners might benefit from particular uses of games in schools.     

Producing the ‘international’ child: negotiations of language in an international preschool in Japan

This article provides an ethnographic account of an ‘international preschool’ in Japan, describing how ideologies of ‘English’ and ‘internationalism’ are produced and consumed among the parents, teachers and directors, in their common goal of socialising an ‘international’ child.     

Dose–response relations between preschool teachers’ exposure to components of professional development and increases in quality of their interactions with children

The present study examined the pattern of associations over time between the quality of observed interactions and exposure to features of an effective coaching model for 170 preschool teachers enrolled in a study investigating professional development impacts. Using a treatment-on-the-treated approach, teachers exposed to a greater number of cycles of coaching showed more improvement in classroom interactions over the year. More specifically, of the two components of treatment examined, video exemplars and individual coaching prompts, exposure to prompts was associated with growth from baseline in instructionally supportive interactions while watching video exemplars was associated with growth in emotionally supportive behaviors in analysis of linear effects. Watching emotional support video exemplars was negatively associated with growth in classroom organization behaviors. The non-linear pattern of these associations suggested that the initial dosage of prompts created observable effects on instructional support, but after a certain point additional dosage was not effective. Conversely, initial dosage did not create observable effects on emotional support, but improvement was observed after exposure to a certain minimum dosage of time watching video exemplars. The results have implications for the design, delivery, and focus of professional development for early childhood educators.     

Invented spelling: what is the best way to improve literacy skills in kindergarten?

Abstract

We examined the progress made by 132 six-year-old French-speaking children in their preliteracy skills during four kinds of interventions. Three of these interventions concerned invented spelling, where the children tried to spell words. In the first condition, they were encouraged to reflect on conventional spellings. In the second condition, they reflected on spellings that were slightly more complex than theirs, while in the third condition, they reflected on increasingly complex spellings that eventually led to the conventional spellings. The fourth condition (control) consisted of phonological training. We assessed the children’s phonological awareness, letter knowledge, spelling, and decoding skills, controlling for vocabulary and nonverbal cognitive ability. Posttest results indicated progress in each condition. The greatest progress was observed in the second condition for decoding, spelling, letter-name knowledge and syllable awareness, and in the control condition for phoneme awareness. Overall, results showed that all kinds of interventions led to very similar levels of progress, but that improvements were greater for interventions that focused on the children’s initial invented spellings - in other words, when they adopted a Vygotskian perspective.