Effects of Head Start REDI on Children's Outcomes 1 Year Later in Different Kindergarten Contexts

• Published in: Child development Vol. 85; no. 1; pp. 140 - 159
• Main Authors: Bierman, Karen L., Nix, Robert L., Heinrichs, Brenda S., Domitrovich, Celene E., Gest, Scott D., Welsh, Janet A., Gill, Sukhdeep
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, MA Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2014; Wiley for the Society for Research in Child Development; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; African American Students; Aggression; Aggression - physiology; Attention; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - therapy; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Behavior - physiology; Child development; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Decoding (Reading); Decoding skills; Developmental psychology; Early Childhood Education; Early Intervention; Early Intervention (Education) - methods; Education systems; Educational programmes; Educational psychology; Educational Research; Effects; Emergent literacy; EMPIRICAL ARTICLES; Federal Programs; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Head Start project; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; Hispanic American Students; Human aggression; Humans; Interpersonal Competence; Kindergarten; Kindergarten education; Kindergarten students; Kindergartens; Language Development; Learner Engagement; Learning; Learning - physiology; Male; Parents - education; Phonemics; Pre-school education; Preschool Children; Preschool education; Problem Solving; Program Effectiveness; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Reading; Reading Instruction; School Readiness; Skills; Social Behavior; Social competence; Social problems; Teacher Student Relationship; Teachers; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Human; Preschool age; Context; Prevention; Academic achievement; Teacher pupil relation; Social interaction; Nursery school; Educational schedule; Child; Behavioral disorder
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12117

One year after participating in the Research-based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) intervention or "usual practice" Head Start, the learning and behavioral outcomes of 356 children (17% Hispanic, 25% African American; 54% girls; M age = 4.59 years at initial assessment) were assessed. In addition, their 202 kindergarten classrooms were evaluated on quality of teacher–student interactions, emphasis on reading instruction, and school-level student achievement. Hierarchical linear analyses revealed that the REDI intervention promoted kindergarten phonemic decoding skills, learning engagement, and competent social problem-solving skills, and reduced aggressive–disruptive behavior. Intervention effects on social competence and inattention were moderated by kindergarten context, with effects strongest when children entered schools with low student achievement. Implications are discussed for developmental models of school readiness and early educational programs.