Abstract
Children from low-income families are at greater risk for poor social–emotional development and physical health and may be in need of intervention. This study examined the extent to which the Positive Action (PA) preschool lessons improved low-income children’s social–emotional competence and health behaviors. Mixed findings emerged with regard to whether the lessons facilitated growth in child outcomes. Results showed positive effects of PA on children’s directly assessed social problem solving skills and their parent-rated social–emotional competence and health behaviors. Unexpectedly, program effects on teacher ratings of social–emotional competence were in the opposite direction. These findings provide preliminary evidence that PA may be effective in promoting positive social–emotional and health behavior outcomes for children, particularly when outcomes are assessed directly and by parents.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by a grant from Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Pediatric Project Development Team (PDT 543) and a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Institute for Education Sciences (grant # R305B120013).
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Schmitt, S.A., Lewis, K.M., Duncan, R.J. et al. The Effects of Positive Action on Preschoolers’ Social–Emotional Competence and Health Behaviors. Early Childhood Educ J 46, 141–151 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0851-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0851-0