Contributions of preschool behavioral self-regulation and social skills to growth in different domains of early math knowledge.

The current study explored the relative contribution of individual differences in children's behavioral self-regulation and social skills (often referred to as learning-related skills) in the fall of preschool to children's rate of growth in different domains of early math knowledge through the spring of kindergarten. Participants were 684 children (Mage = 57.6 months, SD = 3.8, at Time 1 [fall of preschool]; 48% female; 43% Black, 32% White, 13% Latine, 11% multiracial, and 1% Asian). All children were from families with low incomes and lived in the midwestern United States. The math domains of informal numeracy, formal numeracy, and math language were assessed at four time points: fall and spring of preschool and fall and spring of kindergarten. Contrary to expectations, we did not find that either learning-related skill positively predicted rate of growth in math knowledge or observe differential relations by math domain. Rather, the relative contribution of behavioral self-regulation and social skills in the fall of preschool to rate of growth in math knowledge followed similar patterns across all math domains: an early advantage for children with higher initial social skills that stayed consistent over time (i.e., a nonsignificant slope effect) and an early advantage for children with higher initial behavioral self-regulation that diminished over time (i.e., a negative slope effect).

Corrigendum: Moving beyond dosage and adherence: a protocol for capturing dimensions of active child engagement as a measure of fidelity for social-emotional learning interventions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1014713.].

Moving beyond dosage and adherence: A protocol for capturing dimensions of active child engagement as a measure of fidelity for social-emotional learning interventions.

Social-emotional competencies are important for school-readiness and can be supported through social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions in the preschool years. However, past research has demonstrated mixed efficacy of early SEL interventions across varied samples, highlighting a need to unpack the black box of which early interventions work, under what conditions, and for whom. In the present article we discuss the critical implementation component of active child engagement in an intervention as a potential point of disconnect between the intervention as designed and as implemented. Children who are physically present but unengaged during an intervention may lead to decreased average impacts of an intervention. Furthermore, measuring young children's active engagement with an intervention may help to guide iterative intervention development. We propose a four-step protocol for capturing the multi-dimensional and varied construct of active child engagement in a SEL intervention. To illustrate the utility of the protocol, we apply it to data from a pilot study of a researcher-implemented, semi-structured block play intervention focused on supporting the development of SEL and math skills in preschoolers. We then present future directions for the integration of active participant engagement into the measurement of implementation of SEL interventions for young children.