Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

Degree Granting Department

Child and Family Studies

Major Professor

Matthew Foster, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Lise Fox, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jessica Rice, Ph.D.

Keywords

School readiness, Academic skills, Social skills, Problem behaviors, Social emotional development

Abstract

The link between socioemotional functioning and academic achievement is well established, as is the evidence showing that children with disabilities often develop socioemotional functioning differently than peers without disabilities. However, few studies have considered how early skills are associated with growth of socioemotional functioning for children, and how that may differ for children with disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of academic, social, and behavioral skills at the start of kindergarten on the growth of socioemotional functioning from kindergarten to 5th grade; early socioemotional functioning, academic and cognitive skills were analyzed in a series of multigroup piecewise latent growth curve models to determine predictors of growth in self-control, interpersonal skills, externalizing problem behaviors and internalizing problem behaviors between kindergarten and 2nd grade and 3rd to 5th grade for children with and without disabilities. Results from the study indicated that initial skill levels in each of the four areas were the strongest predictors of growth for the respective area during elementary school and that the growth rate for socioemotional function during kindergarten did not differ significantly between children with and without disabilities. Together, these findings indicate that it would be of value to incorporate elements of socioemotional functioning into school-readiness programs and early elementary curriculum; further research is necessary to determine how this should be done.

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