The economic status of families and their children's learning outcomes are closely related. For example, children living in poverty tend to score worse on measures of reading and math performance than their more affluent peers, and this achievement gap is present by kindergarten. In this study, we identified protective factors associated with…

With a number of disparities present in the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders, the education system plays a crucial role in the provision of both these service elements. Based on school and federal census data, this article examines one state's public school autism enrollment and possible predictors of enrollment…

Poor academic performance during childhood predicts later adverse outcomes, and could be targeted for improvement if detected early. This study used population-based record linkage to examine the association between early life risk factors and academic achievement at two different stages of development using two different cohorts: a kindergarten…

Many children who have attended Georgia's prekindergarten programs are unprepared to enter kindergarten and learn a standards-based mathematics curriculum. In addition, a majority of prekindergarten programs in Georgia struggle to provide high quality mathematics instructional support for children. One such program is a childcare center located in…

Researchers conducting studies involving individuals with exceptionalities are often prevented from involving large numbers of participants in their study samples. When this is the case, some say significant correlations are likely to replicate because the relation between two variables must be robust enough to be detected even with low…

This article reports the development and evidence for validity and application of the Adjustment Scales for Early Transition in Schooling (ASETS). Based on primary analyses of data from the Head Start Impact Study, a nationally representative sample (N = 3077) of randomly selected children from low-income households is configured to inform…

With the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001), schools have become aware of the consequences of successfully teaching children to read. A major building block in early childhood education includes the decoding of phonemes, rhymes, and the rhythm of spoken and written word. As reading is crucial to success in any subject area or career…

The purpose of the study was to explore the effectiveness of a brief, feasible, and cost-effective universal screener for kindergarten readiness. The study examined whether teacher ratings of kindergarteners' academic, behavioral, and overall readiness at the beginning of the year were predictive of academic, emotional, and behavioral outcomes at…

Learning-related behaviors are important for school success. Socioeconomic disadvantage confers risk for less adaptive learning-related behaviors at school entry, yet substantial variability in school readiness exists within socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Investigation of neurophysiological systems associated with learning-related…

As computer assisted instruction (CAI) becomes increasingly sophisticated, its appeal as a viable method of literacy intervention with young children continues despite limited evidence of effectiveness. The present study sought to assess the impact of one such CAI program, "Imagine Learning English" (ILE), on both the receptive…

Research Findings: Children's early academic achievement is supported by positive social and behavioral skills, and difficulties with these skills frequently gives way to underachievement. Social and behavioral problems often arise as a product of parent-child interactional patterns and environmental influences. Few studies have examined the role…

Research Findings: Racial/ethnic minority low-income children with temperaments high in negative reactivity are at heightened risk for developing disruptive behavior problems. Teacher-child relationships characterized by high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict may protect against the development of disruptive behaviors in school. The…

This report presents parent feedback from a study that focused on experiences at Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings and also explored parent satisfaction with delivery of special education services. The study included all parents of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) students who had educational disabilities, were…

Identifying and understanding the foundational skills children need to participate effectively in formal schooling is an important objective for research in early childhood education. One component of school readiness is cognitive self-regulation (CSR). The question this study addresses is how to assess CSR with prekindergarten-aged children in a…

This investigation is an initial examination of possible enhancement of executive function through a dual-language (50:50) education model. The ethnically diverse, low-income sample of 120 children from Grades K, 2, and 4 consisted of approximately equal numbers of children enrolled in dual-language and traditional classrooms. Dual-language…