1-028 - Helping Young Children to Positively Engage in Early Childhood Classrooms: Findings from Three Social-emotional Learning Programs

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Readiness for school is in large part a function of the nature and quality of children’s behavioral engagement with teachers, peers, and activities related to learning new skills in classrooms (O’Connor, Dearing, & Collins, 2011). And increasingly, interventions are focused on enhancing children’s engagement within early education contexts (Morris et al., 2013), as a means of preparing children to succeed during early schooling. This symposium brings together three cutting-edge studies showcasing interventions that aim to increase children’s positive engagement within the classroom as a mechanism to facilitate their learning and social development.

The studies target children’s observed positive and negative engagement with teachers, peers, and learning tasks (Downer et al., 2010) within preschool and/or kindergarten classrooms. The first paper will present findings from a randomized trial of Banking Time, a preschool intervention focused on improving the quality of teacher-child relationships to decrease disruptive behavior and increase positive engagement within the classroom. The second paper will present quasi-experimental findings from an evaluation of the Learning to Objectively Observe Kids (LOOK) intervention, which is a consultation model that supports preschool teachers to effectively use evidence-based strategies to support positive engagement and reduce challenging behaviors. The third paper will present findings from a randomized controlled trial of an after-school social-emotional learning (SEL) program in kindergarten focusing on increasing children’s positive engagement across different classroom contexts. Our discussant, a national expert in evidence-based SEL interventions within early childhood settings, will provide an integrated summary of implications for research and practice.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chair

• Rebecca J Bulotsky Shearer, University of Miami

Discussant

• Stephanie M Jones, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Individual Presentations

• Improving Behavioral Outcomes for Preschoolers Displaying Disruptive Behaviors: Examining the Impacts of Banking Time - Presenting Author: Amanda P Williford, University of Virginia; Jessica E Vick Whittaker, University of Virginia; Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch, University of Virginia

• Data-driven Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation with Teachers to Improve Children’s Engagement in Preschool Classrooms - Presenting Author: Jason Downer, University of Virginia; Amanda P Williford, University of Virginia; Rebecca J Bulotsky Shearer, University of Miami; Ann L''hospital, University of Virginia

• Classroom Conditions to Consider when Testing the Impacts of an After-School SEL Program on Kindergarteners’ Classroom Engagement - Presenting Author: Claire E. Cameron, University of Virginia; Helyn Kim, University of Virginia; Andrew J Mashburn, Portland State University; Cara Lynn Adams, University of Virginia; Hall West, College of Charleston; David Grissmer, University of Virginia