2002 Research Scholars
Tonia N. Cristofaro | Janese Kerr Daniels | Elana Helfenbaum | Lucia Lopez | Blanca Quiroz | Mariana S. Rocha | Yumiko Sekino | Jessica E. Woods
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* 2002-2003 ** 2002-2004
Tonia N. Cristofaro**
Project Title:
Talking About the Past: Personal Narratives of Children from Low-Income
Families
Grantee:
Tonia N. Cristofaro
Project Funding Years:
2002-2004
University Affiliation:
New York University
Steinhardt School of Education
Department of Applied Psychology
Project Abstract:
New York University will examine personal narratives of preschool-age
children and explore the role of mothers and teachers in supporting
children's narrative skills. The study's goals are to: (a) describe
the nature of children's personal narratives about a past event, (b)
examine mothers' roles in supporting children's narratives, (c) examine
whether maternal language predicts children's later narrative skills,
(d) observe the sharing of personal narratives between teachers and
children and examine teachers' support of such narratives, and (e)
describe children's stories with their Pre-K teachers, as well as
with their mothers. Researchers will analyze existing data on 70 mother-child
dyads collected as part of the Early Head Start National Evaluation
Project. This includes an analysis of maternal and child language
when children were 36-months-old, and children’s personal narratives
about past events with their mothers, collected during a PreK visit.
In addition, researchers will conduct naturalistic observations of
a new sample of approximately 107 children and 16 teachers in Pre-K
Head Start classrooms. These observations will allow qualitative data
collection of teacher-child interactions and personal narratives.
In order to describe children’s narratives with teachers, based
on the naturalistic observations in the classrooms, teachers will
be videotaped and asked to engage in a personal narrative with each
child. When possible, conversations between the children and their
mothers will also be videotaped. This element of the study is included
to describe the styles of both adult conversational partners. Moreover,
teacher workshops about topics of interest to teachers and the meaning
of children’s personal narratives for their development will
be held during both years. Data analysis will focus on predictive
relations between child and maternal language, context and content
of child narratives, and comparison of the styles and structures of
teacher and mother narratives. The researchers aim to identify features
of children's personal narratives that contribute to their language
and literacy competencies, as well as to highlight how Head Start
teachers can incorporate the sharing of children's personal narratives
into their daily classroom activities.
Sample:
N=70 Early Head Start mother-child dyads; 107 Pre-K Head Start
children and their mothers; 16 Head Start teachers.
Janese Kerr Daniels*
Project Title:
Families Read! Exploring Literacy Practices in Head Start Families
Grantee:
Janese Kerr Daniels
Project Funding Years:
2002-2003
University Affiliation:
University of Maryland at College Park
College of Education
Department of Human Development
Project Abstract:
The University of Maryland will explore nontraditional literacy practices
in families and their relation to emerging literacy in preschool children
from low-income backgrounds. Four sets of factors will be examined,
including child characteristics, parental characteristics, parent-child
interactions, and environmental factors. One hundred and ten African
American children attending a Head Start program in Washington, DC
will be assessed to determine their level of literacy, language functioning
abilities, and level of participation in traditional and nontraditional
literacy-related behaviors. In addition, the children’s primary
caregivers will participate in a home interview addressing their literacy
level, nontraditional and traditional literacy related behaviors,
and parenting factors. Home and environmental characteristics related
to literacy will also be observed. Finally, caregivers and children
will participate in an interactional activity, which will be coded
for its display of literacy behaviors. Potential benefits of this
project include documentation of traditional and nontraditional factors
in African American Head Start families that support literacy development
and use of the data to develop family literacy programs for this population.
Sample:
N=110 African American Head Start children
Measures:
Child
Test of Early Reading Ability-3 (TERA-3)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-3 (PPVT-3)
Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT)
Caregiver
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-3 (PPVT-3)
Home Environment
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)
Home Literacy Environment Interview
Caregiver-Child Interactions
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME)
Home Literacy Environment Interview
Elana Helfenbaum **
Project Title:
Parent Training for Fathers of Head Start Children: An Investigation
of Its Impact on Intra-Familial Relationships and Child Behavior
Grantee:
Elana Helfenbaum
Project Funding Years:
2002-2004
University Affiliation:
Long Island University
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program
Project Abstract:
Long Island University will investigate the effects of group parent-training
interventions with fathers on the prevention and treatment of externalizing
problems in Head Start children aged 3 to 5. Participants will be
60 father-mother-child triads. Fathers will either be married to and
residing with the mother, or will be unmarried but residing with the
mother for at least six months. Fathers are not required to be biological
but must be integrally involved in the child's well-being. After a
3-week pretest screening, fathers will be randomly assigned to either
a 12-week parent-training group or a control group. The training will
consist of a videotape program showing desirable and undesirable parenting
behaviors, as well as discussions and role plays led by therapists.
Topics will include positive parenting interactions, handling misbehavior,
and problem solving. The pre-post-intervention design will assess
the parent-training group's effects on parenting behaviors, child
care responsibility, marital/relationship satisfaction, and child
behavior. The researchers hypothesize that those fathers participating
in the intervention will take on more child rearing responsibilities,
increase their use of positive parenting behaviors, use more effective
discipline techniques, and experience higher rates of marital or relationship
satisfaction.
Sample:
N=60 Head Start father-mother-child triads
Measures:
Fathers
Parenting Scale (PS)
Parenting Dimensions Inventory (PDI)
Index of Clinical Stress (ICS)
Social Support Index (SSI)
Therapy Attitude Inventory (TAI)
Marital/Cohabitating Relationship
Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS)
Conflict Tactic Scale (CTS)
Child Care Responsibility
Child-Care Task Checklist (CCTC)
Child
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI)
Parent Daily Report Cards (PDR)
Lucia Lopez*
Project Title:
Parent-Child Relations Most Affected By Poverty: A Study of Impoverished
Mothers and Their Children
Grantee:
Lucia Lopez
Project Funding Years:
2002-2003
University Affiliation:
Alliant International University
California School of Professional Psychology
Project Abstract:
Alliant International University will investigate parent-child relationships
in low-income Latino families. Specifically, the associations among
child temperament and behavior, maternal expectations and discipline
styles, and parent-child relations will be addressed. Participants
will include 90 Latino mothers and their preschool-aged children.
Thirty of the mother-child dyads will be selected from Los Angeles's
Corazon de la Familia Infant/Child Intervention Program, and the remaining
60 will be recruited from Los Angeles Head Start programs. Researchers
will interview the mothers at the Head Start program or at home in
order to assess child temperament and behavior, maternal expectations,
maternal discipline, and maternal nurturance. The researchers hypothesize
that mothers whose children exhibit difficult temperaments and behavior
will have more inappropriate expectations of their children's behaviors,
will be harsher in their discipline, and will exhibit fewer nurturing
strategies. The researchers aim to help build a foundation of knowledge
regarding maternal-child interactions within impoverished Latino families.
Sample:
N=90 Latino mother-child dyads
Measures:
Child
Pictorial Assessment of Temperament (PAT)-Infant and Toddler Scale
Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC)
Mother
Parent Behavior Checklist (PBC)
Demographic Questionnaire
Blanca Quiroz**
Project Title:
The Effect of Home Literacy Factors on English and Spanish Linguistic
Proficiency and Pre-Literacy Skills of Spanish-Speaking Children
Grantee:
Blanca Quiroz
Project Funding Years:
2002-2004
University Affiliation:
Harvard University
Graduate School of Education
Project Abstract:
Harvard University will describe the home language- and literacy-related
experiences of Head Start children growing up in bilingual (English/Spanish)
or Spanish-dominant families and the effects of these experiences
on children’s literacy-related skills. The primary research
questions will be (a) How is language used during mother-child activities
in bilingual or Spanish-dominant families? (b) Do bilingual families
also use some of the language techniques previously found in English-speaking
homes that influence literacy and language development in English?
and (c) When controlling for family demographics and school factors,
what is the effect of mothers’ language use and behaviors on
children’s literacy-related skills? Participants will be 51
families in which Spanish is spoken at home (n=12 bilingual, n=39
Spanish-dominant) with a 4-year-old Head Start child. The data will
consist of a home interview, an audio recording of three mother-child
activities, and maternal vocabulary tests. Mothers will be observed
reading to their children, completing a “homework” type
activity, and interacting with their children during mealtime. A vocabulary
test will also be administered to the mothers in both Spanish and
English. The data will then be transcribed and coded using the Child
Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES). The researchers expect to
further Head Start’s mission of serving underprivileged children
by discovering the specific needs of Latino bilingual children. A
further result will be the development of the Home-Language Status
Scale, which will provide a measure of language status that can be
used by other Head Start researchers.
Sample:
N=51 bilingual or Spanish-dominant Head Start families
Measures:
Mother
Home Language and Literacy Exposure Index (HLLEI)
Book-Sharing Task
Homework Activity Task
Mealtime Audiotaping
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R)
Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody (TVIP)
Child
Woodcock Language Proficiency Batter: Picture Vocabulary
Narrative Production Task: The Picnic
Mariana S. Rocha*
Project Title:
Project PASS: The Development and Validation of the Proactive Assessment
of Social Skills
Grantee:
Mariana S. Rocha
Project Funding Years:
2002-2003
University Affiliation:
University of Oregon
School Psychology Program
Project Abstract:
The goal of the proposed study is to develop and validate an assessment
tool to inform decision-making about social competence development
in children. The Proactive Assessment of Social Skills (PASS) will
consist of a brief and efficient direct measure of social competence
in young children to chart the social growth and development of preschool
children. This will include (a) screening all children for potential
social/behavioral problems, (b) identifying children at risk for development
of social/behavioral problems, and (c) evaluating the effectiveness
of interventions for individual children and groups of children. The
following research questions will be examined: (1) How well do scores
on the PASS measure correlate with other measures of social competence
(e.g., teacher ratings and naturalistic observations)? (2) Is the
PASS a more sensitive measure of change in social skills than the
PKBS as indicated by the production of a larger effect size over time?
(3) Is the PASS able to discriminate between children ranked as low
and high risk for social skill deficits? (4) What is the stability
of children’s performance on the PASS 2 weeks apart? and (5)
What is the stability of children's performance across two activities?
PASS is comprised of two components: an observational code and cooperative
problem-solving activities. The observational code will encompass
a frequency count within specific time intervals recording technique
to code several key social skills that are acquired during the preschool
years. The behaviors include: amount and quality of social turns,
goal-oriented behaviors, on- and off- task behavior, and negative
verbal and non-verbal behaviors. In addition, PASS consists of two
10 ½ -minute cooperative problem-solving activities (e.g.,
Legos©, blocks, Playdoh©, or puzzles) with same-age classroom
peers in groups of three children. Three children will be assessed
within each activity, rotating every 30 seconds for a total of 7 intervals
(i.e. 3 ½ minutes) per child. The two activities will be comparable
and equivalent to control for variability.
Participants will include 60 four-and five- year old children, their parents, and teachers recruited from Head Start programs in Lane County, Oregon. Trained observers will use the PASS to conduct eight observations during PASS cooperative activities to provide data regarding the reliability, validity, utility, and sensitivity of the PASS. Additionally, naturalistic observations, using the PASS observational code, will be used across 30 children from the Head Start sample. Head Start teachers will complete rating scales at the beginning and end of the study. Lastly, parents will be invited to participate in two parent focus groups. The focus groups will serve as a medium for parents to provide input and feedback at key points during the project (i.e. at beginning and at end).
The researchers intend for the results of this project to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on effective identification of children at risk and prevention of the development of antisocial behavior. In addition, the PASS and training in using the PASS will be made available to Head Start teachers for identifying children at risk for developing social skills deficits.
Sample:
N=60 Head Start children
Measures:
Child
Proactive Assessment of Social Skills (PASS) (e.g. Cooperative Activity
and Naturalistic Observations)
Teacher
Preschool and Kindergarten Scales of Behavior (PKSB)
Adaptation of Early Screening Project, Stage 1: Ranking (ESP)
Classroom
Demographic Information Questionnaire
Yumiko Sekino**
Project Title:
The Relationship Between Interactive Peer Play Competencies in Head
Start and Academic Achievement and Social Adjustment in Primary Grades
Grantee:
Yumiko Sekino
Project Funding Years:
2002-2004
University Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School of Education
Psychology in Education Division
Project Abstract:
The University of Pennsylvania will study the relationship between
Head Start interactive peer play behavior and later academic achievement
and social adjustment in the primary grades. Subjects will include
210 former Head Start children who will be followed longitudinally
through the 1st and 2nd grades. While the students were enrolled in
Head Start, data regarding peer play behaviors were collected via
the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale-Teacher Version (PIPPS-T), which
assesses three underlying dimensions of play behaviors: Play Interaction,
Play Disruption, and Play Disconnection. These data will be compared
via multiple logistic analyses to measures of social adjustment and
academic achievement assessed during the children's primary grades.
Teachers will complete the Adjustment Scale for Children and Adolescents
(ASCA), and children's grades and scores on the Stanford Achievement
Test-9th Edition (SAT-9) will provide measures of academic achievement.
Researchers will also assess the relative influence on peer play of
contextual characteristics such as family, classroom, and neighborhood.
The researchers' ultimate aim is to determine the protective and risk
influences of preschool peer interaction on Head Start children's
later school adjustment and achievement in order to promote school
readiness and future success.
Sample:
N=210 former Head Start children
Measures:
Child
Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale-Teacher Version (PIPPS-T)
Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA)
Report Card Grades
Stanford Achievement Test- 9th Edition (SAT-9)
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R)
Data from the Philadelphia Neighborhood Information System ( NIS)
Jessica E. Woods*
Project Title:
An Examination of Parental Attributions and Intervention Preferences
in African American Mothers with a Disruptive Child in Head Start
Grantee:
Jessica E. Woods
Project Funding Years:
2002-2003
University Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Department of Psychology
Project Abstract:
This study will examine causal and responsibility attributions for
disruptive behavior in a community sample of African American mothers
who perceive their Head Start children as having behavioral challenges.
The relationship between attributions and treatment acceptability
will also be examined for common interventions offered to families
with a disruptive child. Approximately seventy-five participants will
be recruited through a current partnership with the Head Start program
in Guilford County, North Carolina for this correlational investigation.
Mothers will complete a packet of questionnaires regarding their children’s
behavior, parenting attributions, intervention preferences, and demographic
variables. It is predicted that parental attributional style will
account for a significant proportion of the variance in treatment
acceptability ratings. Specifically, it is predicted that mothers
who show more negative attributional styles will prefer strategies
that are immediate and aimed at reducing negative behaviors, rather
than inductive teaching strategies, when compared to mothers without
this attributional style.
Sample:
N=75 African American Head Start mothers
Measures:
Control Variables
Demographic Questionnaire
Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)
Parenting Attributions
Attributional Style Measure for Parents (ASMP)
Treatment Preferences
Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form (TEI-SF)