Being born preterm increases the risk of developing attention and spatial memory deficits. We know very little, however, about how attention influences children’s spatial memory performance. This research examines how attention influences spatial memory in preterm and fullterm children by presenting preschoolers with distractors during a spatial memory task.

Anne Schutte, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology

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This presentation highlights research focused on measuring and defining executive control, its neural and genetic underpinnings, and its role in important outcomes such as self‐regulation and emergent academic skills. Systematic individual differences among preschoolers of varying social resources are discussed, as well as implications for interventions.

*Presentation not available

Kimberly Espy, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Acting Dean of Graduate Studies
Director, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory
Professor of Psychology

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Language acquisition and reading achievement are interrelated, multifaceted developmental processes. This presentation highlights the complexity of these relations for young children with a focus on practical outcomes for better early identification and treatment of reading impairments.

Tiffany Hogan, PhD
Assistant Professor of Special Education and Communication Disorders
Director, Link N Literacy Lab: Linking Language & Literacy

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After tracking the progress of over 10,000 children with a neonatal intensive care experience, Developmental TIPS (Tracking Infant Progress Statewide) has longitudinal data that has helped guide practice and policy through its research. Referral patterns for early intervention during the first three years are provided as well as the outcomes for late preterm infants.

Barbara Jackson, PhD
Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Director, Department of Education and Child Development, Munroe‐Meyer Institute

The effects of the Getting Ready intervention, focused on supporting parents as meaningful partners in their child’s readiness for school, were investigated with 500 families and young children living in impoverished conditions. Early childhood teachers worked with parents to promote parent engagement in their child’s learning. Outcomes for a Head Start preschool sample are presented, focusing on the effects of Getting Ready related to children’s language, literacy, and interpersonal competencies.

Susan Sheridan, PhD
Willa Cather Professor and Professor of Educational Psychology
Director, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools
Director, National Center for Research on Rural Education

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Results are from the national Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, a rigorous, experimental study conducted in 17 Early Head Start (EHS) communities and begun when children were under one year of age. Children were followed up at 14, 24, and 36 months, and the spring before kindergarten and fifth grade. Inputs from EHS programs (participation, dosage, implementation) and other factors (parent language stimulation, parent supportiveness, pre‐k program after EHS) to cumulative outcomes at age 3 and 5 are reported.

Helen Raikes, PhD
Professor of Child, Youth and Family Studies

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Shared book reading is widely recognized as an important activity for young children’s early learning. This presentation focuses on a study that explored how two dimensions of parent‐child book‐reading quality – instructional and emotional – related to learning in a sample of linguistically and culturally diverse, low‐income infants and toddlers.

Keely Cline, MA
Doctoral Candidate, Psychology

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Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is a collaborative problem‐solving model used with families and educators to address a variety of developmental concerns. Results of a large‐scale randomized clinical trial of CBC, including effects on children's behavior and social‐emotional skills across home and school, parent's involvement in education, teachers’ beliefs about families, and parent‐teacher relationships, are presented.

Brandy Clarke, PhD
Project Director, Pre3T, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools

Amanda Witte, MA
Project Coordinator, CBC in the Early Grades, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools

This presentation briefly summarizes the state of the art in research on early childhood professional development, and then describes two qualitative studies of the mentoring and coaching of professionals in the Getting Ready Project and evidence of change in teachers' beliefs and practices in engaging and collaborating with parents.

Carolyn Pope Edwards, EdD
Willa Cather Professor and Professor of Psychology and Child, Youth and Family Studies

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This presentation describes a randomized trial of a consultation model of professional development in early childhood education. Results will focus on change in teacher/provider behavior, as well as children's cognitive and social/emotional development.

Julia Torquati, PhD
Associate Professor of Child, Youth and Family Studies

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This presentation provides a review of the outcomes associated with an existing professional development project for teachers of young students with autism. The Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network's (ASDN) STEPS training/ mentoring project was evaluated using tools designed to guide participants' goals and abilities. Results of the summative evaluation and focused study of the findings offered opportunity for formative feedback to the state agency for program improvement.

Christine Marvin, PhD
Associate Professor, Special Education and Communication Disorders

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This presentation highlights research on strategies used during home visits by early childhood professionals to support parent engagement in child learning. A multi‐dimensional construct of implementation fidelity is presented, including findings on the associations between strategy use by professionals and parent involvement in home visits.

Lisa Knoche, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools