Follow-up of children from academic and cognitive preschool curricula at age 9

Mills, P.; Dale, P.; Cole, K.; Jenkins, J.

Abstract:

This study compared the effect of two preschool programs on the cognitive, academic, and social outcomes of special education students when nine years old. One hundred and forty one students who were randomly assigned to either the Mediated Learning (ML) or DISTAR (DI) program participated in this follow-up study. All students were administered the McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MS), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, and the Test of Early Reading Ability. Following graduation, students were followed up at one year intervals. At age nine, students were administered the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, Peabody Individual Achievement Test, and the Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment. Results indicated that students who initially performed higher prior to the beginning of study gained more from DI, whereas initially lower performing students gained more with ML. Additionally, early measures of language and cognitive development taken during year one of the program continued to predict student achievement at age nine. However, the intermediate posttests, conducted 6-10 months after entry into the program, were consistently better predictors of student achievement at age nine 9. (Copyright © 2011, National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). All rights reserved).

Research areas:

• Project Follow Through

Year:

1995

Main publication type:

Program Effectiveness

Subtype:

Article

Keywords:

Language; Reading; DISTAR; Mediated Learning; Special Education

Source:

Exceptional Children

Volume:

61

Number:

4

Pages:

378-391

Design type:

Pretest Posttest Control Group with Random Assignment Design

Fidelity monitored:

No

Students included:

Preschool students, kindergarten students, elementary students, special education students, Caucasian students, African American students

Other tags:

McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MS), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA), Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, Peabody Individual Achievement Test, Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment

Location/Setting:

Pacific Northwest, Washington state, laboratory school