Karen L. Bierman|Janet A. Welsh|Brenda S. Heinrichs|Robert L. Nix
Effect of Preschool Home Visiting on School Readiness and Need for Services in Elementary School
Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University|University of Wisconsin–Madison
home visiting programs targeting school readiness preschool children age range 45 years show promise shortterm quasiexperimental studies rarely evaluated rigorous designs followup assessmentsto examine sustained effects preschool home visiting program child family competencies child need services 4 years laterin randomized clinical trial individual families preschool children assigned receive researchbased developmentally informedparent home visiting program redip intervention group math home learning games mail control group followup assessments occurred third grade families recruited 24 head start centers 3 pennsylvania counties serving rural urban areas fouryearold children 200 lowincome families participated families recruited fall 2008 fall 2009 followup data used collected spring 2013 spring 2014 analyses conducted 2016 2017redip visits followed wellspecified curriculum 10 home visits preschool 6 booster visits kindergarten parents received coaching enhance parentchild relationships home learning materials support child development school readinessintervention focused boosting competencies academic performance socialemotional adjustment reducing child problems home direct assessments teacher ratings parent reports collected addition thirdgrade teachers recorded services children needed received schooltwo hundred participating children 110 550 white 52 260 black 38 190 latino 112 560 male mean sd age 445 029 years start intervention thirdgrade outcomes available 153 765 initial sample revealed statistically significant effects multiple measures competency domain addition redip reduced child need educational mental health services school significant effect sizes small moderate averaging approximately onethird 1 sd cohen 027 045 mediation models demonstrated intervention effects services accounted intervention effects targeted competenciesredip produced sustained benefits evident 4 years intervention significantly reducing child need school services results study appear validate value preschool home visiting strategy help close gap school readiness child wellbeing associated poverty