No studies to date examine the impact of arts-integrated preschool programming on the emotional functioning of low-income children at risk for school problems. The present study examines observed emotion expression and teacher-rated emotion regulation for low-income children attending Settlement Music School's Kaleidoscope Preschool Arts…

We examined children's growth in school-related learning and social skills over the pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) year in state-funded programs designed to prepare children for kindergarten. We expected that children's gains in academic and social skills could be attributed to variations in the structural and classroom process dimensions of program…

Reviews research on "critical periods" as an argument justifying initiatives to expand early childhood programs, and asserts that a critical periods argument is neither warranted nor necessary, since other justifiable arguments for early childhood initiatives exist. Points out the importance in a match between a child's experiences,…

Repetitive shared book experiences used with a rural, racially mixed 1983-84 kindergarten population (N=228) were found to enhance literacy awareness and competence, improve preparation for formal first grade, and broaden children's literacy interests when compared to a control group of the 1982-83 kindergarten population (N=269). (DR)

Evaluated, over a 2-year period, a new full-day kindergarten, including documentation of program processes and outcomes from multiple perspectives. Found that compared to half-day students, full-day students spent relatively more time in child-initiated activities and teacher-directed individual work. Parents and teachers cited benefits of…

This study examined effects of participation in a Head Start-based father involvement intervention program. Findings suggested a positive association between high level participation in the intervention and increased father involvement at post- treatment. Children in the high participation group showed higher mathematics readiness change scores.…

Compared the beliefs of preschool teachers, kindergarten teachers, and parents regarding children's school readiness in one mostly Hispanic and Black high-need urban school district. Found that parents held remarkably similar beliefs, regardless of ethnicity or education. Parents rated all classroom-related readiness resources such as…

One possible source of variation in children's mathematical abilities upon entry to school may be the social support of early number skills children receive in the home. In the present study, we explored parental support of preschoolers' counting in the context of an everyday activity and whether parental ability to provide aid is influenced by…