Learning to decode is critically important to the process of becoming literate. As such, a thorough understanding of decoding development is critical as well. Extant theories contribute to such an understanding but do not provide a complete description of decoding development; a different theory is needed to address limitations in the extant…

Leading research argues the distinct importance of earliest detection of childhood behavior problems and the value of discovering subsequent change patterns as children transition through the early education years. This study examined the relative contributions of earliest assessments of children's problem behaviors as compared to the changes in…

In this study we examined the efficacy of a version of the Family Check-Up (FCU) adapted for kindergarten school entry with regard to parenting skills during the transition to school. We also examined whether improvements in parenting skills would mediate improvements in parent- and teacher-rated child behavior problems from kindergarten to second…

This longitudinal study, conducted among a sample of Finnish primary-school children, examined the proposition that a single high-quality relationship (either with a teacher or a parent) can buffer against adjustment problems. Teachers rated the externalizing problems and prosocial behaviors of 378 children in Grade 1 and again in Grade 2.…

Seven-year-old triplets with autism displayed off-task behavior that threatened their continued placement in a general education first-grade classroom. A descriptive Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) was conducted for each student. Data from structured interviews and direct observations were used to identify the functions of their off-task…

The present study is a large-scale randomized trial testing the efficacy of a family-school partnership model (i.e., conjoint behavioral consultation) for promoting behavioral competence and decreasing problem behaviors of students identified by their teachers as disruptive. The focus of this study is on student behavioral outcomes and the…

Nondisruptive problem behaviors exist to a large extent in group-oriented Japanese regular classrooms. However, many children remain untreated. We implemented an antecedent-based functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and developed a behavioral support program for a first-grade boy who exhibited inattentive behavior in a Japanese regular…

High levels of teacher-child conflict have repeatedly been found to amplify children's aggressive behaviour. Up to now, however, research on possible mechanisms explaining this link is largely lacking. The current study aimed to test whether children's self-esteem is an intervening mechanism. Participants were 139 children (70 boys, M age = 6.18…

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC; Sheridan et al., 1996; Sheridan & Kratochwill, 2008) is an indirect intervention that engages parents, teachers, and a behavioral consultant in collaborative, structured problem solving to address shared academic, behavioral, or social-emotional concerns for a student. The goals of CBC are to (a) enhance…

Many young children exhibit aggressive and disruptive behaviors at early ages. However, while aggressive behaviors are normative and serve as a way to communicate needs in the midst of developing verbal abilities, continued disruptive behavior can lead to stable or increasing levels of behavioral dysregulation, oppositionality and aggression.…

Multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) confirmatory factor models were combined with longitudinal structural equation models to examine trait and method stability over time. A longitudinal correlated-trait correlated-method (CT-CM) model allowed for the study of trait and method variance in observed scores over time. Longitudinal measurement invariance was…

The current study investigated child behavioral change during the early years of elementary school. Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992) teacher ratings of child behavior were collected over a three-year period. The sample consisted of 162 children measured yearly between first and third grade.…

Eight first-grade students with either internalizing or externalizing behavioral risk factors participated in a supplemental reading intervention for 30 min per day. The intervention package consisted of three main components: instruction in word recognition, fluency, and appropriate behavior. A multiple-baseline design was employed to assess…

This paper presents the results of an independent two-year evaluation of the I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) universal prevention program, implemented in kindergarten and first grade classrooms in a racially and ethnically diverse urban school district. Matched pairs of schools were assigned to Instruction (i.e., treatment) or Control status. Teachers…

This study examined the efficacy of a paraprofessional-led supplemental early intervention for first-grade students with poor early literacy skills and behavioral concerns. The goal was to determine if (a) the relatively brief intervention was effective in improving phonological skills, and (b) improvements in academic skills would be accompanied…