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Research Findings: The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY-TCM) program has shown efficacy in reducing behavioral problems and improving social skills among children experiencing poverty. However, quantitative studies that concentrate on its efficacy in relation to "proximal classroom outcomes" (e.g., classroom emotional and managerial interactions between teachers and children) and teacher psychological factors (e.g., self-efficacy and stress) are still needed. This study assesses the efficacy of the IY-TCM program with Portuguese teachers of economically disadvantaged preschool children. Measures included a) classroom observation of teacher behaviors and b) teacher self-reports of their practices, confidence, self-efficacy, and job-related stress associated with inappropriate student behaviors. A wait-list randomized controlled study was conducted with 65 female Portuguese teachers reporting pre- and post-intervention assessments. Moderation analyses were conducted to explore differential benefits of teacher, classroom and children's variables. Significant differences favoring intervention teachers were found in teacher reports of their classroom practices (positive and inappropriate). Observational findings showed a positive intervention effect on the use of labeled praise but not on other teacher classroom behaviors. Participating in the program did not impact the teachers' confidence/self-efficacy and job-related stress. Moderation analysis were found to be non-significant. Practice or Policy: Providing the IY-TCM program to early childhood teachers can contribute to an increase of their reported use and usefulness of effective classroom management practices and their use of labeled praise, thus contributing to the quality of early childhood education across a population of children experiencing poverty.

Transition to school may be experienced as a critical event for both children and their families. Within an ecological framework of transition, the scope of the concept of school readiness in recent years has decentered from the child to the environment, including the readiness of (pre)school education to develop core skills in children. This study aims to understand the extent to which preschool teachers' completion of training in the Incredible Years®-Teacher Classroom Management program (IY-TCM) during children's last preschool year has an impact when children transition to primary school, and how this contributes to reducing differences between children with and without economic disadvantage. Forty-four teachers from classes with a high percentage of students in economic disadvantage completed questionnaires about 192 five/six-year-old children. Results from cross-sectional analyses showed that children whose preschool teachers attended the IY-TCM program, when compared to children whose teachers did not, were significantly higher in social skills, adaptation to school and school achievement at the end of the first term, and had parents more involved in education but with a lower bonding with the teachers (medium to large effect sizes). Although not statistically significant (p = 0.08, Hedge's g = 0.29), results of longitudinal analyses are trending in the expected direction, suggesting that the IY- TCM could help to reduce socio-economic disparity. Results are discussed bearing in mind the importance of a preschool education that addresses the development of self-regulation and social skills in children, and the value of both initial and continuous training for preschool teachers.

Background: Evidence-based psychosocial interventions such as parent training programs are strongly recommended as first-line treatment for preschool-age children with or at-risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of the Incredible Years Basic Parent Training (IY) in hyperactive and inattentive behaviors of Portuguese preschoolers. Methods: One hundred children, between three and six years-old, with AD/HD behaviors, who were part of a larger randomized controlled trial in which participants were allocated to either an intervention or control group. In this subsample analysis, there were 52 participants in the intervention condition (IYC) and 48 in the waiting-list control condition (WLC). Multi-informants and multi-measures of child and parenting behaviors were taken before and after the 14-week intervention. Results: Medium-to-large intervention effects were found in primary caregivers' reported measures of children's AD/HD behaviors and on self-reported parenting practices. Independent observations indicated significant short-term effects on positive parenting and coaching. Primary caregivers had a high attendance rate and reported high satisfaction with the program. Additionally, 43% of children in the IYC clinically improved in the primary AD/HD outcome measure, compared with 11% in the WLC. Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest that IY parent training seems to be an effective tool, making the difference in the behavior of Portuguese preschoolers with early signs of AD/HD and their mothers.