Intervention Strategies to Elicit MVPA in Preschoolers during Outdoor Play

Approximately 50% of preschoolers do not meet physical activity recommendations and children who reside in low-income rural communities may be further at risk for higher levels of sedentary behavior. Outdoor play is essential for preschool children; however, literature is unclear as to which types of interventions elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for all preschoolers. The aim of this study was to determine which type of intervention, physical activity or fundamental motor skill focus, elicits MVPA during outdoor play. Ninety-eight preschool children (M age = 4.48 years) from one Head Start center participated in an outdoor play intervention two days per week for 7 weeks. Classes were randomly assigned to one of four groups: fundamental motor skill focus (FMS), physical activity focus (PA), FMS and PA (FMS + PA), and control. An accelerometer worn on the hip measured MVPA. Results showed that age, sex and group assignment contributed to MVPA at the beginning of the intervention and age, sex, group assignment and MVPA during the beginning of the intervention contributed to MVPA at the end of the intervention. Overall, the FMS + PA group elicited MVPA from males and females of all ages. Interventions that combine both FMS and PA may reduce physical activity disparities in preschool children.

Implementation of a Pilot Parent-focused Physical Activity Program with Latino Families in a Head Start Program

Introduction and Background. Physical activity (PA), even at young age, is associated with physical and psychological health. This study determined the feasibility of implementing a parent-led PA intervention and evaluated potential outcomes. Methods. Parent-child pairs from a Head Start center were randomized into intervention (N=20) and control (N=18) groups. All families received a bag of play equipment. Parents completed questionnaires assessing their own and their children’s PA, as well as self-efficacy, social control (SC), and social support (SS) regarding their provision of PA to their children. Parents in the intervention were trained in self-regulatory skills, facilitation of PA, and attended two playdates. Parents rated the playdates, activity sheet and equipment on a 5-point Likert scale. Results. Parents rated the playdates (M=4.9, SD=0.3), the activity sheet (M=4.7, SD=0.7) and the equipment bag (M=5, SD=0.0) highly. Child’s PA, parent’s moderate-to-vigorous PA, total PA, parental efficacy, SC, and SS showed no significant intervention effects. Overall, child and parent PA increased significantly over time (p=.02 for both). Conclusions. The intervention was positively received, with 90% completion rate and high ratings of the intervention materials. Longer interventions with more contact may be needed to influence potential outcomes.

Double Down or Switch It Up: Should Low-Income Children Stay in Head Start for 2 Years or Switch Programs?

Background: Recent growth in subsidized preschool opportunities in the United States for low-income 4-year-old children has allowed federal Head Start programs to fund more slots for 3-year-old children. In turn, when Age-3 Head Start participants turn four, they may choose to switch into one of the many alternative care options or choose to stay in Head Start for a second year. Objectives: We analyze a nationally representative sample of Age-3 Head Start participants to examine whether children who stay in Head Start for a second year at Age 4 exhibit greater school readiness and subsequent cognitive and behavioral performance compared with children who switch out of Head Start into alternative care. We also examine differences between children who stay at the same Head Start center at Age 4 with those who switch to a different Head Start center. Research Design: Child fixed effects analyses coupled with inverse probability of treatment weights to remove observable, time-invariant differences between Head Start stayers and switchers. Subjects: Cohort of Age-3 Head Start attendees from the Head Start Impact Study. Measures: Child cognitive and behavioral skills assessed by trained administrators annually at ages 3–7. Results: Age-3 Head Start participants’ outcomes do not differ at the end of preschool, kindergarten, or first grade based on their choice of Age-4 program. Staying at the same Head Start center for 2 years may be beneficial for behavioral skills. Conclusions: For low-income families, there exist many equally beneficial options to support their children’s school readiness through public preschool programs.

Effects of Social Reinforcement for Visual Attention on Classroom Learning by Disadvantaged Preschoolers

To investigate the relationship between visual attention and classroom learning in a disadvantaged preschool population students' attending was experimentally maintained at high levels, using a social reinforcement procedure, and recall of visual and auditory educational materials was examined. Subjects were 16 white children of low income whose mean age was 5.1 yr. and who were students at a Head Start center. A two-group, randomized-blocks design was employed. Reinforcement of attending resulted in greater recall of auditory stimuli by experimental subjects, while a decline was found in recall performance by control subjects. Recall of visual material was not significantly affected by the treatment. Correlations between attending and both auditory and visual recall were statistically significant.

Effectiveness of the Frostig Program for Visual Perceptual Training with Head Start Children

Children attending a Summer Head Start Center were randomly assigned to one of two groups, a group of 24 who was given the Frostig Program of Visual Perceptual Training and a control group of 18 who received no special training but spent an identical amount of time in semi-structured play activities with the two trainers who administered the Frostig program. Before and after the interval, all Ss were tested with the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception. Initial scores for both groups were below the age norms for the test. Posttest scores for the group who received Frostig training showed statistically reliable improvement.