Robert L. Nix|Karen L. Bierman|Celene E. Domitrovich|Sukhdeep Gill
Promoting Children's Social-Emotional Skills in Preschool Can Enhance Academic and Behavioral Functioning in Kindergarten: Findings From Head Start REDI
Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State University
research findings study examined processes change associated positive preschool kindergarten outcomes children received head start redi researchbased developmentally informed intervention compared usual practice head start using data largescale randomized controlled trial n 356 children 42 african american latino lowincome families study tests logic model improving preschool socialemotional skills eg emotion understanding social problem solving positive social behavior well languageemergent literacy skills promote crossdomain academic behavioral adjustment children transition kindergarten validating logic model present study finds intervention effects 3 important kindergarten outcomes eg reading achievement learning engagement positive social behavior mediated preschool gains proximal socialemotional languageemergent literacy skills targeted redi intervention important note preschool gains socialemotional skills made unique contributions kindergarten outcomes reading achievement learning engagement even accounted concurrent preschool gains vocabulary emergent literacy skills practice policy findings highlight importance fostering atrisk childrens socialemotional skills preschool means promoting school readiness