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绪问题，近一半在入学时有严重行为问题的儿童在整个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绪行为挑战的孩子很可能会经历学校过渡问题。有证据表明，在这一关键的过渡时期，以家长为中心的干预措施对于促进积极的儿童适应具有重要价值。提高父母在对孩子应用有效过渡策略方面的技能和信心，将转化为对孩子积极的适应结果，然而，缺乏基于证据的、易于获得的计划，父母可以利用这些计划来促进孩子成功地过渡到正规学校。拟议的SBIR项目将直接解决这一关键问题，方法是为幼儿时期儿童的父母开发和测试专门的在线干预措施，旨在促进儿童的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家长培训干预措施，为父母提供有效的心理教育资源和工具，帮助促进他们孩子的学业成功，同时促进父母的参与和积极的家庭-学校关系。基于学校过渡的发展模式(Pianta&Kraft-Sayre，2003)，这个第一阶段的项目将实现三个目标：(1)创建第一阶段PWEC原型，包括三个培训模块(入门、入学过渡、为人父母的成功)，建立在3-C ISD的专有网络平台上，通过动手互动练习进行自定进度的动态学习；(2)进行可行性测试 主要利益攸关方，包括托儿/日托专业人员(n=30)、幼儿教育专业人员(n=30)和3-5岁儿童的父母(n=30)；以及(3)根据第一阶段的调查结果制定详细的第二阶段开发和测试计划。第一阶段的研究预计将显示出对拟议产品的大力支持。在此基础上，第二阶段的全面产品开发将开始，随后将进行随机临床试验，检查(1)育儿知识和自我效能以及(2)儿童社交技能、学校适应和学校过渡期情绪功能的治疗益处。通过第二阶段的测试，预计拟议的产品将有效地提高父母的知识、自我效能和技能，帮助他们的孩子成功过渡到小学。这一干预产品将为各种各样的家长以及与幼儿父母密切合作的早期教育专业人员提供商业上可行和宝贵的资源，以支持正式学校的开始。

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.