Parent Engagement and School Readiness: Effects of the Getting Ready Intervention on Preschool Children's Social–Emotional Competencies

Abstract

Research Findings: Parental engagement with children has been linked to a number of adaptive characteristics in preschool children, and relationships between families and professionals are an important contributor to school readiness. Furthermore, social–emotional competence is a key component of young children's school readiness. This study reports the results of a randomized trial of a parent engagement intervention (Getting Ready) designed to facilitate school readiness among disadvantaged preschool children, with a particular focus on social–emotional outcomes. Two hundred and twenty children were involved over the 4-year study period. Statistically significant differences were observed between treatment and control participants in the rate of change over a 2-year period on teacher reports for certain interpersonal competencies (i.e., attachment, initiative, and anxiety/withdrawal). In contrast, no statistically significant differences between groups over a 2-year period were noted for behavioral concerns (anger/aggression, self-control, or behavioral problems) as a function of the Getting Ready intervention. Practice or Policy: The intervention appears to be particularly effective at building social–emotional competencies beyond the effects experienced as a function of participation in Head Start programming alone. Limitations and implications for future research are reviewed.

Notes

¹The term parent here refers to the primary caregiver in a child's life and may refer to a guardian or even to a small number of significant attachment figures in a home who share parenting duties.

²Collection of outcome data for families and children aged birth to 3 in home-based programs is under way; such data not included in the present study.

^aAge is shown in months for children and in years for parents.

^a T scores with M = 50, SD = 10.

^bRaw scores on a scale of 1 (low) to 6 (high).

³That is, 194 missing observations out of 880 total observations per outcome (22%), where 880 = 220 participants × 4 time points of data.

⁴Note that 2 of the 29 participating teachers did not have fidelity data, so n = 27 and df = 25 assuming homogeneity of variances. For subsequent t tests, if homogeneity of variances could not be assumed according to Levene's test, then reported degrees of freedom are adjusted accordingly.