Examining the Effectiveness of a Self-Regulation Intervention in Classroom and Home Settings

• In Event: Promoting well-being, social-emotional development and executive functioning in early childhood classrooms

Abstract

Research has focused on interventions that facilitate children’s school readiness. One intervention, Red Light, Purple Light (RLPL), includes music and movement games to foster self-regulation (SR). RLPL has been shown to improve children’s self-regulation and academic skills (McClelland et al., 2019; Schmitt et al., 2015). This study compared the RLPL intervention when administered to children in classrooms by teachers (classroom only), and when also administered by parents at home through an app (classroom + home). It also examined the app through a creative lens of content creation.

Methods: Participants were 157 children and their families enrolled in Head Start (53% girls, 4.35 years old [SD=0.52], 33% Spanish-speaking) randomly assigned to the intervention condition (n=120); or a control (n=37). Following fall pretesting, 54 participating parents were asked to do the app at home over 3 months while teachers also did the intervention with children in their classrooms. For quantitative analyses, children were assessed in the fall (pretest) and spring (posttest) on math (Preschool Early Numeracy Scale [PENS]), and self-regulation (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders [HTKS]). For qualitative analyses, the app was examined according to four criteria used by children’s media expert, Jill Shinderman: Character, Comedy, Curriculum, Connection.

Results: Children receiving RLPL at home and school showed greater gains in in self-regulation compared to the control group (β = .25, p = .029, Hedges’ G = .48), and compared to the classroom only group (β = .25, p = .008, Hedges’ G = .57). Children in the classroom + home group showed greater gains in their math skills compared to the control group (β = .25, p = .029, Hedges’ G = .44), however these did not differ from the classroom only group (β = .02, p > .05, Hedges’ G = .03).

Although parents rated the app as being easy to use, only 33% of parents completed some of the sessions. Thus, the app was examined for ways to maximize parent engagement through a lens of content creation. Results indicated that the app had many elements that would lead to meaningful engagement for children and grown-ups. It was strong in the use of songs and music and used games with concrete instructions for physical activity play. The subject choices for games and songs (e.g., Trains, Orchestra, Sleeping Game) were ways to spark children’s imagination and engagement. Areas of improvement included developing a story based, world building, character driven approach. Characters that model play and activity patterns could be used as examples. The app could also use more humor in the songs, include elements of surprise or curiosity in the games, and allow children to predict games as they become more familiar with them.

Discussion: There was added benefit to children receiving the RLPL intervention at school and home. Qualitative analyses indicated that the app could be improved in the areas of character, comedy and connection. Adding a character driven approach would allow for increased opportunities for play in ways that incorporated the curriculum and targeted skills for school readiness.

Authors

• Megan M McClelland, Oregon State University - Corvallis
  Presenting Author

• Jill Shinderman, Barclay Square Media, Barclay Square Books
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shauna L Tominey, Oregon State University - Corvallis
  Non-Presenting Author