In the context of a quasi-experimental research design, literacy data obtained on students were examined to assess relationships between kindergarten program model (fullvs. half-day) and student literacy outcomes. Application of multilevel modeling techniques to the time series data collected from kindergarteners in economically disadvantaged school contexts in a large southwestern school distr...

Two hundred and nine children receiving early childhood special education services for developmental disabilities or delays who also had behavioral, social, or attentional difficulties were included in a study of an intervention to increase school readiness, including early literacy skills. Results showed that the intervention had a significant positive effect on children's literacy skills from...

PURPOSE Although a global picture exists of teachers' voice demands in general, few studies have compared specific groups of teachers to determine whether some are more at risk than others. This study compared the vocal loadings of kindergarten and elementary school teachers; professional and nonprofessional vocal load were determined for both groups. METHOD Twelve kindergarten and 20 elementar...

OBJECTIVES We examined whether kindergarten teachers' ratings of children's prosocial skills, an indicator of noncognitive ability at school entry, predict key adolescent and adult outcomes. Our goal was to determine unique associations over and above other important child, family, and contextual characteristics. METHODS Data came from the Fast Track study of low-socioeconomic status neighbor...

Fearful temperament is associated with risk for the development of social anxiety disorder in childhood; however, not all fearful children become anxious. Identifying maladaptive trajectories is thus important for clarifying which fearful children are at risk. In an unselected sample of 111 two-year-olds (55% male, 95% Caucasian), Buss ( 2011 ) identified a pattern of fearful behavior, dysregul...

Minority language and low socioeconomic status (SES) students are at high risk for language and learning disabilities. In an attempt to 'catch them before they fall', an early reading project was initiated in four kindergarten classes, in a low-SES bilingual school (English/French as a second language), where minority language children form a majority. The project included: (1) teaching reading...

This study examined the first-grade reading progress of children who participated in an intensive beginning reading intervention in kindergarten. Specifically, the study investigated whether kindergarten intervention could prevent first-grade reading difficulties, or produce an "inoculation" effect, for some children under certain instructional conditions. Participants included children at risk...

We have read this thesis and recommend that it be approved. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my parents and my husband. Without your unwavering love and support I would not be where I am today. Thank you for everything. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank Dr. Shannon Pruden for her constant advice and guidance through out this entire process. Her enthusiasm regarding research has fueled my...

BACKGROUND Children use all of their senses when exploring new foods, and sensory-based food education provides new possibilities for promoting healthy dietary habits. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of sensory-based food education activities on children's willingness to eat test samples of selected vegetables and berries. DESIGN Two kindergartens in Hanko, Finland, participated in the stu...