Persisters and nonpersisters: Identifying the characteristics of who stays and who leaves from adult literacy interventions

Adult literacy programs are characterized by high attrition rates. Rigorous exploration of student persistence in adult reading classes is lacking. This study was an attempt to understand the profiles of adults who completed reading classes compared to a group of adults who made it to the midpoint and a group of adults who did not make it to the midpoint. Students were offered 100 h of instruction. Of the 395 students who attended the first day of class, only 198 completed the program. Results indicated that English language status, age, some reading related skills, class assignment, avoidance of reading, previous adult education experience, and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefit receipt variables significantly predicted persistence. The significance of some of these predictors varied based on analyzing midpoint completion or full completion. To further explore the characteristics of the sample, the most representative participants were selected from the group that did not make it to midpoint and from the group that completed the program. Results indicated that the most representative members of these two groups differed in English language status, gender, age, some reading related skills, and information access.     

Longitudinal predictors of developmental status and social interaction in premature and full-term infants at age two

This investigation involved the longitudinal assessment of 30 mother-preterm and 40 mother-full-term dyads from birth to 2 years of age. Measures of maternal attitudes, maternal perception of the infant, and parental functioning were obtained at 1 and 8 months of infant age. Mother-infant interactions were observed at 4, 8, 12, and 24 months. Infant cognitive, motor, and language development was assessed at 4, 12, and 24 months. Results indicated that by age 2 years, no group differences were apparent on any child development, mother-child interaction, or maternal attitudinal measures; the lone exception was that preterms were significantly poorer in motor skills. This similarity in functioning at age 2 years was in marked contrast to earlier findings of major group differences at 12 months. Correlational and regression analyses indicated that the developmental and social interaction outcomes were predicted by different factors in the two groups; moreover, whereas 40%-60% of the variance in preterm infants' social and cognitive outcomes could be accounted for, only 15%-30% was accounted for in the full-term group. These results are discussed in terms of compensatory mechanisms that may characterize the parenting of high-risk infants, and of the applicability of transactional models of development.     

Learning Language in Early Intervention Programs

Investigators of early language development have noted that teachers tend to select specific language objectives and teach them didactically, whereas parents are more likely to adopt open-ended objectives and teach them opportunistically. The authors have called the former approach directive, because of its reliance on teacher-controlled precision teaching, and the latter nondirective, because of its reliance on child-centered supportive techniques. This article explores the relative emphasis given these two approaches in early intervention by examining language objectives on Individual Educational Programs (IEPs) drawn from 20 programs in 10 states. It also analyzes the directive versus nondirective nature of language items on eight major developmental inventories that are used both to assess children's language and as the source of language objectives. The primary finding—a preponderant directive orientation on both IEPs and inventories—is discussed in terms of the literature on language development in normal and handicapped preschoolers.     

Augmenting the Simple View of Reading for Struggling Adult Readers: A Unique Role for Background Knowledge

This study explored the background knowledge (BK) and reading comprehension (RC) relationship for struggling adult readers. Using confirmatory factor analyses, a single-factor BK model exhibited better fit than a two-factor model separating academic knowledge and general information, which indicates that BK represents a unidimensional construct for this population. In addition, one measure of oral vocabulary loaded with a latent factor of BK, which was separable from a latent factor of two additional oral vocabulary subtests. Using structural equation modeling, we found that BK exhibited a direct effect on RC after controlling for participants’ grade level, decoding, listening comprehension, and oral vocabulary.     

Promoting Academic and Social‐Emotional School Readiness: The Head Start REDI Program

Forty‐four Head Start classrooms were randomly assigned to enriched intervention (Head Start REDI—Research‐based, Developmentally Informed) or “usual practice” conditions. The intervention involved brief lessons, “hands‐on” extension activities, and specific teaching strategies linked empirically with the promotion of: (a) social‐emotional competencies and (b) language development and emergent literacy skills. Take‐home materials were provided to parents to enhance skill development at home. Multimethod assessments of three hundred and fifty‐six 4‐year‐old children tracked their progress over the course of the 1‐year program. Results revealed significant differences favoring children in the enriched intervention classrooms on measures of vocabulary, emergent literacy, emotional understanding, social problem solving, social behavior, and learning engagement. Implications are discussed for developmental models of school readiness and for early educational programs and policies.     

Visual complexity in infancy: contour or numerosity?

To examine the relationship between visual attention in infancy and the stimulus variables of contour and numerosity, 2- and 4-month-old infants were placed in 3 experimental conditions. In the first condition, the patterns shown to the infants varied in amount of contour but had an equal number of elements; in the second, they varied in numerosity but had an equal amount of contour; and in the third, the patterns varied in both numerosity and contour. The results showed that contour and numerosity acting in tandem are responsible for the age-complexity shift observed in previous investigations of infant attention.     

A qualitative investigation of a mindfulness-based yoga program for educators: How program attendance relates to outcomes

Contemplative professional development interventions seek to help educators manage stress and improve emotion regulation, yet the mechanisms of action revealing how they result in positive psychological and physical outcomes remain unclear. Using focus groups based on levels of attendance, this qualitative study examined how educators with different levels of attendance perceived their experiences in Community Approach to Learning Mindfully (CALM), a mindfulness-based yoga program. Using theory-driven and data-driven codes, two researchers adopted a thematic analytical approach to independently code interviews. Results suggest that individuals across all groups indicated participation in CALM stimulated awareness of some kind—somatic, emotional, or awareness of thought patterns. However, participants who attended more frequently were more likely to practice mindfulness informally during routine activities. This increased skill integration was associated with improved outcomes. Program acceptability was high across attendance groups although those with low attendance felt stressed making time to attend the program. Collegiality emerged as an important benefit and catalyst for reinforcing practices. Implications for professional development are discussed, including the role of collegiality and the importance of program readiness.     

One versus two years: Does length of exposure to an enhanced preschool program impact the academic functioning of disadvantaged children in kindergarten?

Research on the effects of preschool dosage on children's early academic functioning has been limited despite the substantial policy implications of such work. The present study adds to a growing literature on this topic by examining how the number of years enrolled in an enhanced preschool program impacts the school readiness of primarily low-income children at kindergarten. Multi-level modeling was used to account for nesting of children within classrooms. To control for potential selection bias since children were not randomly assigned to receive one or two years of preschool, propensity score one-to-one matching was used to create the two participant groups. Receiving a second year of preschool led to significant improvements in children's early literacy and numeracy skills. Implications of these results for preschool interventions are discussed.     

The soaps: What's on and who cares?

This two‐pronged study analyzed soap opera content, centering on demographics, problems, conversations and sex behaviors, and surveyed soap viewers to determine viewing motives, involvement, and possible effects of soap viewing.