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All About the Understanding School Success Project
In the fall of 2004, the National Institute for Child Development
granted the Department of Family and Human Development at ASU (Drs.
Carol Martin, Rick Fabes, and Laura Hanish) funds to embark on a
5 year longitudinal research project to study the effects that children’s
social relationships (with peers, teachers, and parents) have on
their transition into formal schooling. We have since collected
information on 3 cohorts of Head Start preschoolers totaling 308
children and families who have signed up for participation in this
study. We are currently in our final year of data collection as
our last cohort of children are now in first grade.
Data collection for this study involved daily observations of children’s
play behaviors in the preschool classrooms. The USS project sent
highly trained undergraduate observers into 5-7 Head Start classrooms
around the valley each year to code each participating child’s
play interactions. Also during the preschool year, teachers and
parents were asked to fill out questionnaires on the children. Additionally,
children were achievement tested at the end of the year. When these
children moved into Kindergarten and again into first grade, the
families were asked to come to ASU for a visit to our Understanding
School Success lab. At that time, parents complete more questionnaires
and children are tested and interviewed about school.
Our goal at the end of the project is to gain insight into the
social factors that help children make a smooth transition to Kindergarten
and first grade. We know that these early years are incredibly important
for young children’s social and academic success later in
life.
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