ECPN poster contestant: Socio-Emotional Development in Preschool: Examining the Roles of Individual Factors and Early Intervention

Introduction: Socio-emotional skills (SEL; e.g., emotion/behavior regulation, social skills) are important elements of school readiness and psychological wellbeing. Children with low SEL skills are at risk for academic, social, and psychological problems and may benefit from early intervention. Yet few studies have examined longitudinal SEL development in high-risk groups.

Methods: The sample included 2,630 low-income Midwest children who were prospectively studied beginning in preschool, some of who attended the Child-Parent Center (CPC) program. CPC is a comprehensive, school-based preschool to third grade program designed to enhance all domains of well-being. The sample was ethnically diverse and approximately half female. Teacher-rated SEL data was collected with the observation-based Teaching Strategies Gold assessment system in fall, winter, and spring of the preschool year. Missing SEL data was imputed based on socio-demographic characteristics.

Results: Random coefficient modeling with maximum likelihood estimation was used to assess SEL growth. CPC students, females, students in higher-achieving schools, and older students received significantly higher average baseline ratings (0.77 points, 1.96 points, 1.38 points, and 1.14 points per additional month of age higher, respectively). Students who received special education services, who were eligible for free lunch, and whose teachers submitted baseline ratings after October exhibited significantly lower average baseline ratings (8.42, 2.26, and 1.13 points lower, respectively). There were no significant differences at baseline by black or ESL status. CPC students and those whose teachers submitted baseline ratings after October exhibited significantly greater average rates of growth (2.52 and 0.42 more points of growth per assessment, respectively). Students in higher-achieving schools and older students exhibited significantly lower average rates of growth (0.57 points and 0.07 fewer points per additional month of age, per assessment, respectively). There were no significant differences in growth by sex, black, ESL, free lunch, or special education status. All results were statistically significant (p < .05). Additional analyses by sex, ethnicity, and family attributes will examine heterogeneity of growth patterns.

Conclusions:  These findings have significant implications for interventions aimed at preventing the development of academic, social, and psychological problems among young children. They indicate that early education programs may be effective for universal SEL promotion in high-risk populations, and that some subgroups may benefit from more targeted intervention beginning in preschool. Follow-up studies will assess whether these early gains are sustained in the school-age years.