Promoting School Readiness and Successful Transitions through Parent Training

描述（由申请人提供）：幼儿研究表明，入学准备是成功过渡到学校的关键决定因素。9.5%至14.2%的幼儿经历了对入学准备产生负面影响的社会情感问题，近一半在入学时就有严重行为问题的儿童在小学和青春期表现出更严重的行为和学习困难。此外，来自弱势背景的孩子和那些有情感行为挑战的孩子可能会遇到学校过渡问题。证据支持以父母为中心的干预措施在这个关键的过渡时期促进儿童积极适应的价值。提高父母在对孩子应用有效过渡策略方面的技能和信心，可以为孩子带来积极的适应结果，但缺乏基于证据的、易于获取的项目，父母可以利用这些项目促进孩子成功过渡到正规学校。拟议的SBIR项目将直接解决这一关键问题，为儿童早期的父母开发和测试专门的在线干预，旨在促进儿童入学准备和成功过渡到学校。早期儿童父母之路（PWEC）将是一个创新的在线父母培训干预，为父母提供有效的心理教育资源和工具，以帮助他们的孩子在学校取得成功，同时也促进父母的参与和积极的家庭-学校关系。以学校过渡发展模型（Pianta & Kraft-Sayre, 2003）为基础，这个第一阶段的项目将实现三个目标：(1)创建第一阶段的PWEC原型，其中包括三个培训模块（介绍，过渡到学校，成功的父母），建立在3-C ISD专有的基于网络的平台上，通过动手互动练习进行自主进度的动态学习；(2)进行可行性测试

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Early childhood research indicates that school readiness is a key determinant of a successful transition to school. Between 9.5% and 14.2% of young children experience social-emotional problems that negatively impact school-readiness, and nearly half of children with significant behavior problems at school entry demonstrate more serious behavioral and academic difficulties throughout elementary school and into adolescence. Moreover, children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with emotional-behavioral challenges are likely to experience school transition problems. Evidence supports the value of parent-centered interventions for fostering positive child adjustment across this pivotal transition period. Increasing parents' skills and confidence in applying effective transition strategies with their child translates into positive adjustment outcomes for children, yet there isa dearth of evidence-based, easy to access programs that parents can use to facilitate their child's successful transition to formal schooling. The proposed SBIR project will directly address this critical issue by developing and testing a specialized online intervention for parents of children in early childhood designed to promote children's school readiness and successful transition to school. ParentWays for Early Childhood (PWEC) will be an innovative online parent training intervention that provides parents with effective psychoeducational resources and tools to help promote their child's school success while also fostering parental involvement and positive family-school relationships. Grounded in the Developmental Model of school transitions (Pianta & Kraft-Sayre, 2003), this Phase I project will accomplish three aims: (1) create the Phase I PWEC prototype with three training modules (Introduction, Transition to School, Parenting for Success) built on 3-C ISD's proprietary web-based platform for self-paced dynamic learning with hands-on interactive practice exercises; (2) conduct feasibility testing with key stakeholders, including childcare/daycare professionals (n=30), early childhood education professionals (n=30), and parents of children ages 3-5 (n=30); and (3) establish a detailed Phase II development and testing plan based on Phase I findings. Phase I research is expected to demonstrate strong support for the proposed product. With this foundation, Phase II full product development will begin followed by a randomized clinical trial examining treatment benefits for (1) parenting knowledge and self-efficacy and (2) child social skills, school adjustment, and emotional functioning across the school transition period. Through Phase II testing, the proposed product is expected to effectively increase parents' knowledge, self-efficacy, and skills for helping their child successfully transition to grade school. This intervention product will yield a commercially viable and valuable resource for a wide variety of parents, as well as early education professionals who work closely with parents of young children, to support the start of formal school.