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The COVID-19 pandemic forced univaersity and college counseling and psychological service centers to swiftly switch to telepsychology service delivery to meet the continuing needs of student clients. This study was conducted at the onset and peak periods of the COVID-19 outbreak. We explored student client and counselor acceptability, attitudes, perceptions, experiences, barriers, and facilitators to remote telepsychology services using Qualtrics survey methodologies. Student clients and counselors were sent, via e-mail, two separate, but parallel anonymous questionnaires developed for purposes of this study. Results revealed that most student clients agreed that mental health service delivery via telepsychology was an adequate alternative to face-to-face therapy, there were few challenges with telepsychology with ease of access a key benefit. Student clients also felt that the therapeutic alliance was commensurate with face-to-face therapy while identifying lack of privacy in the home as the most problematic aspect of telepsychology. Counselors and student clients both identified convenience as the most important characteristic of telepsychology. Limitations are discussed as well as directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relations between problem behaviors and early learning outcomes among 138 children in dual-language pre-K programs who were identified at the beginning of the school year to be at risk for difficulties in early language and literacy development. Children's expressive and receptive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and conceptual thinking skills were assessed at the beginning of pre-K and again at the end of the school year. Their problem behaviors (externalizing, bullying, hyperactivity, and internalizing) were assessed midyear via teacher ratings. With the exception of internalizing problem behaviors, bivariate correlations indicated virtually no associations between children's entry-level academic skills and midyear ratings of problem behaviors. However, multilevel models controlling for student- and teacher-level variables revealed that midyear ratings of problem behaviors were statistically significant predictors of poor outcomes on several vocabulary-related measures administered at the end of pre-K.

The authors investigated whether participation in school-based extracurricular activities would predict social and behavioral outcomes (school membership, peer prosocial orientation, and prosocial behavior) associated with school social capital in a group of Hispanic middle school students from the United States of America. Results of hierarchical linear regressions based on longitudinal data indicated that participation in sports-related activities was associated with increased feelings of school membership and peer prosocial orientation. Results are especially significant as Hispanic youth are at an increased risk for school failure and are less likely to have access to social capital in the home and community settings.

The aim of this study was to explore within-group patterns of variability in the home literacy environments (HLEs) of low-income Latino families using latent profile analysis. Participants were (N = 193) families of Latino preschoolers enrolled in a larger study. In the fall of 2012, mothers filled out a family literacy practices inventory, a literacy beliefs inventory, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Results revealed three psychometrically distinct HLE profiles. Profile 1 (37%), labelled Low Beliefs, Low Practices (LBLP), was characterized by very low incomes, low caregiver education, reading infrequently to children, primarily speaking Spanish and reported lowest literacy beliefs and practices. Profile 2 (16%), labelled Moderate Beliefs, Moderate Practices (MBMP), was also low income, had few books in the home, read in both English and Spanish to their children, and held moderately facilitative literacy beliefs and practices. Profile 3 (47%), labelled High Beliefs, High Practices (HBHP), reported the highest literacy beliefs and practices, highest percentage English-speaking, read more often to children, and had more books in the home. These findings highlight considerable variability in terms of literacy beliefs and practices among Latino families. The profiles have practical relevance in terms of children's readiness at school entry and working with their families.

This article reports on a content analysis of six school psychology journals spanning the years 2005-2009, with a particular focus on published intervention research. The analysis showed that (a) research articles were the most frequently published, with the largest category being descriptive research; (b) the percentage of intervention studies was higher (9.3%) than previously reported but lower than reported in special education journals (15.9%); (c) of the published interventions, the most frequent design was quasi-experimental, followed by single-subject research; (d) most intervention studies were conducted in school settings utilizing children in kindergarten through Grade 5, followed as a distant second by middle school settings; (e) the preponderance of intervention studies were academic or social/behavioral, with emotional interventions being the least represented; and (f) of the academic interventions, the most widely studied dimension was reading, followed as a distant second by math. The findings are discussed in terms of their relevance for addressing the research-to-practice gap as well as their implications for school psychology research and practice. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)

Research Findings: The present study explored the underlying factor structure proposed a priori by the developer of the Parent Reading Belief Inventory (PRBI: B. D. DeBaryshe, 1995) using a local independent sample. The PRBI was developed to assess maternal beliefs about reading aloud to children and was designed to measure attitudes, perceptions, and values about how children learn, the content of what they learn, as well as parental teaching efficacy. The PRBI is purported to have 7 underlying subscales and a total score. Analyses showed internal consistency estimates that were similar to those reported by the authors of the PRBI. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we found good fit for only 2 of the 7 dimensions (Reading Instruction and Resources) and poor fit for overall models for the entire PRBI scale when modeled using a 2nd-order factor, correlated factors, or a single general factor. Practice or Policy: Limitations and future research are discussed. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure, and 1 footnote.)

Shared book reading is a prominent practice in preschools; however, limited research has examined this practice in classrooms with English language learners (ELLs). This study investigated the shared book reading practices of seven preschool teachers of Spanish-speaking ELLs to describe their vocabulary instructional practices before and after receiving instructional guidance (i.e., curriculum implementation, distributed professional development, and instructional cues). Teachers implemented 75 fifteen-min daily structured shared book reading vocabulary sessions for 15 weeks. In addition, they participated in professional development prior to and at two points during the curriculum implementation. To document instructional practices, teachers were observed three times: without and with an instructional cue prior to curriculum implementation and once with a cue at postintervention. Because some preschool teachers may require more intensive guidance than others to improve vocabulary instruction, professional development models must adjust and distribute support more responsively. Implications for future practice and research are discussed. (Contains 3 figures.)

Research shows that children accrue vocabulary knowledge by understanding relationships between new words and their connected concepts. This article describes three research-based principles that preschool teachers can use to design shared book reading lessons that accelerate content vocabulary knowledge by helping young children to talk about important connections between words and related science and social studies concepts. These three principles guide teachers in building networks of content vocabulary knowledge in preschool children by making connections between words and world knowledge via informational and narrative texts.

Early Reading First (ERF) was created to address problems related to language and development among economically disadvantaged and language-minority preschool children through quality classroom processes, professional development, and instruction. More than any previous initiative, ERF specifies what early literacy instruction should look like in preschool classrooms; however, to date, scant research has examined the effectiveness of the program. In this quasi-experimental study, the effectiveness of ERF preschool enrichment was evaluated through comparison with the performance of demographically similar children from the same school district who received practice-as-usual instruction. As in previous research, ERF-enriched instruction was found to enhance acquisition of alphabet knowledge and print concepts. Unlike previous studies, however, it was also found to promote vocabulary development. Multilevel models were chosen to take into account the non-independence of students in the same classroom in testing the effects of ERF.

This study examined the effects of an intensive shared book-reading intervention on the vocabulary development of preschool children who were at risk for vocabulary delay. The participants were 125 children, who the researchers stratified by classroom and randomly assigned to one of two shared book-reading conditions (i.e., the experimental, Words of Oral Reading and Language Development [WORLD] intervention; or typical practice). Results on researcher-developed measures showed statistically and practically significant effects for the WORLD intervention with no differential effects for children with higher versus lower entry level vocabulary knowledge. The researchers detected no statistically significant differences on standardized measures. Results suggest that a combination of instructional factors may be necessary to enhance the efficacy of shared book reading for children with early vocabulary difficulties. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)

This study evaluated the effects of integrating science and social studies vocabulary instruction into shared book reading with low-income preschool children. Twenty-one preschool teachers and 148 children from their classrooms were randomly assigned at the class level to either the Words of Oral Reading and Language Development (WORLD) intervention or a practice-as-usual condition. Children were screened and selected to approximate three vocabulary levels (15th, 30th, and 50th). WORLD teachers implemented the intervention in small groups of 5 to 6 students, 5 days per week, 20 minutes per session, for 18 weeks. Findings from multilevel models indicated statistically and practically significant effects of the WORLD intervention on standardized measures of receptive vocabulary (delta[subscript T] = 0.93) and on researcher-developed measures of expressive (delta[subscript T] = 1.01) and receptive vocabulary (delta[subscript T] = 1.41). The WORLD intervention had an overall main effect, regardless of entry-level vocabulary, a finding that speaks to its potential applicability in preschool classrooms. (Contains 3 tables.)

Few research-based measures of the family literacy environment are commercially available, especially in Spanish. One exception is the Familia Inventory (Taylor, 1995). The present study investigated the 10 subscales of this instrument and the factor structure they imply, using data from a low-socioeconomic (SES), largely Hispanic population. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the structure of the instrument as well as whether it is invariant across English and Spanish language versions. The scale was administered to 232 parents of preschoolers. Results of the CFA revealed that the a priori dimensions of the Familia Inventory were not supported for this sample. Follow-up analyses suggested poor fit both within and between subscales. The scale fit poorly within both English and Spanish, precluding testing of invariance across language. Supplemental analyses using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on a subset of the items that had adequate variance suggested that a four-factor solution accounting for 53% of the variance best represented the English data and that a two-factor solution accounting for 43% of the variance best represented the Spanish data. Implications are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.)

The authors examine dimensions of the home literacy environment relative to oral language outcomes for high-risk Hispanic children. They also illustrate the use of commonality analysis for understanding the contribution of home literacy to oral language outcomes. Forty-eight children and their families participated in the study. Commonality analysis was used to determine what percentage of the explained variance in both English and Spanish oral language was associated with variance uniquely and commonly accounted for by five subscales of the Familia Inventory, a questionnaire that examines home literacy environments. Library Use accounted for the greatest amount of unique variance in English oral language proficiency, and Extended Family accounted for the greatest amount of unique variance in Spanish oral language proficiency. Significant positive relationships were also noted between several of the Familia Inventory subscales. A discussion on the use of commonality analysis is followed by limitations and suggestions for future research.

This article reviews "The Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment, Second Edition" (ERDA-Second Edition), a norm-referenced individually administered diagnostic measure of early reading skills as described in Reading First federal legislation (Part B, Subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) for K-3 children. "The Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment, Second Edition" is a content-enhanced and renormed update of the ERDA-R (The Psychological Corporation, 2002a) and designed for administration by classroom teachers. Published by Harcourt Assessment, the ERDA-Second Edition is intended to address the following purposes: (a) provide norm-referenced assessment in five dimensions identified in Reading First; (b) diagnostic measurement of students present reading abilities; (c) a guide for differentiated instruction in grades K-3 reading; and (d) a means of identifying relevant interventions. It represents the most recent in a series beginning with the publication of the ERDA 2000, followed by ERDA-R in 2002. The ERDA-Second Edition and its predecessor were adapted from four well-known and widely employed reading tests: (1) Wechsler Individual Achievement-Second Edition (WIAT-II; The Psychological Corporation, 2002b); (2) Process Assessment of the Learner: Test Battery for Reading and Writing (Berninger, 2001); (3) Test of Word Knowledge (Wiig & Secord, 1991); and (4) Metropolitan Achievement Test (Harcourt Educational Measurement, 2001).

This pilot study reports on data drawn from migrant Hispanic families enrolled in a 4-year Migrant Education Even Start project and a comparison group of nonmigrant Hispanic families. The study was designed to examine child- and family-based risk factors known to imperil literacy outcomes. Four notable findings emerged from this study. First, compared to nonmigrants, migrant preschoolers come from homes with less adult and child exposure to home-based literacy materials with existing parent-child literacy activities primarily in Spanish. Second, migrant preschoolers demonstrated marked deficits in oral language development even when tested in Spanish, their home language. Third, the disparities between migrant and nonmigrant preschoolers were also present in preliteracy and prereading skills. Finally, partial support was found for the comprehensive language approach to understanding early literacy development. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed as well as suggestions for further research. (Contains 4 endnotes and 6 tables.)

This study examined the extent to which the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale: Parent Rating Scale (BERS: PRS) constitutes a reliable measure for assessing strengths of Hispanic children and youth. Major conceptual and theoretical issues with respect to cross-cultural assessment are presented. Further, emotional and behavioral disorders are discussed in the context of cross-cultural assessment relative to the large and growing participation in U. S. schools of Hispanic students. Standard scores, coefficient alphas, and SEMS for total norm sample, European and Hispanic Americans were equivalent, thus tentatively supporting the cross-cultural utility of the BERS-II PRS. (Contains 3 tables.)

Research Findings: A social validity measure was used to examine 56 bilingual preschool teachers' perceptions and acceptability of an interactive shared book reading vocabulary intervention implemented in English with Spanish-speaking preschool children (N = 334) in a dual language program model. Social validity outcomes indicated that bilingual teachers believed the shared book reading vocabulary approach was effective and could be feasibly managed to expand preschool dual language learners' (DLLs) content vocabulary knowledge by building deep knowledge networks around the worlds of science and social studies even as students' English abilities were still developing. Researchers also found a significant positive association between teachers' social validity outcomes and DLLs' English vocabulary outcomes of taught words, warranting further research in this area. Practice or Policy: Teacher perceptions of intervention effectiveness and usability are important and may serve as a barometer for whether teachers may be willing to both adopt and persist with intensive practices when there is a benefit for young children acquiring academic content in a second language. Results suggest, however, that customized and more responsive PD may be especially important to support teachers' ability to facilitate analytical discussions using academic words when DLLs are in the beginning stage of English language production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]