Early childhood education (ECE) intervention programs nowadays are the core of the educational disadvantage policy in the Netherlands. They offer institutional compensatory activities to young children who lack educational stimulation in the home environment. Target groups mainly comprise children from deprived socioeconomic backgrounds and of…

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of elementary mathematics programs. 85 rigorous experimental studies evaluated 64 programs in grades K-5. Programs were organized in 6 categories. Particularly positive outcomes were found for tutoring programs. Positive outcomes were seen in studies focused on professional development for…

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based executive function (EF) training in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Ten children with SLI, ages 8 to 12 years, completed a 25-session training of visuospatial working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility over a 6-week period. Treatment outcome was…

Despite the large research base grounded in behavioral theory for strategies to increase appropriate behavior and prevent or decrease inappropriate behavior in the classroom, a systematic review of multi-component universal classroom management research is necessary to establish the effects of teachers' universal classroom management approaches.…

This meta-analysis examines the effects of family literacy programs on children's literacy development. It analyzes the results of 30 recent effect studies (1990-2010), covering 47 samples, and distinguishes between effects in two domains: comprehension-related skills and code-related skills. A small but significant mean effect emerged (d = 0.18).…

This article describes the effects of self-instruction training (SIT) in microcounseling skills compared to those of a traditional trainer-guided program (TT) in a pretest-posttest comparison group design. A sample of 193 undergraduate psychology students participated in this study: 97 students followed SIT and 96 students followed TT. We used…

Presents results of a meta-analysis of studies that compare drug prevention programs led by peers to the same program led by adults. Overall, peer-led programs were found to be somewhat more effective than adult-led programs. It is concluded that the effectiveness of a prevention program is determined by several characteristics of the program.…

A meta-analysis of 47 studies investigating the relationship between family-centered helpgiving practices and parent, family, and child behavior and functioning is reported. The studies included more than 11,000 participants from seven different countries. Data analysis was guided by a practice-based theory of family-centered helpgiving that…

Although it is generally believed that early intervention programmes are an effective means to stimulate children's cognitive development, many questions remain concerning programme design and delivery. This article reviews 19 studies into the effectiveness of early intervention programmes published from 1985 onward. The database comprised 85…