Program Description
REDI (Research Based, Developmentally Informed) is a preschool program designed primarily to enhance executive functions and school readiness among disadvantaged students. It provides students with the Preschool PATHS® Curriculum that promotes social-emotional learning, which has an emphasis on self-regulation, self-awareness, social problem-solving, and emotional control. In addition, REDI uses an interactive storybook reading and retelling approach, along with phonological awareness training and alphabet center activities. Teachers receive two to four days of inservice plus weekly mentoring from local consultants. Supplemental on-line training is also available. Parents receive packets including videos, parenting tips, and suggestions for home learning activities.
Program Outcomes
One study of REDI took place in rural and urban Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania. Head Start centers were randomly assigned to REDI or control conditions. At the end of the preschool year, effect sizes were +0.16 for TOPEL Print Awareness, +0.39 for TOPEL Blending, and +0.15 for EOWPVT Vocabulary, for a mean of +0.23, qualifying REDI for the ESSA “Strong” category. A follow-up at the end of kindergarten found significant positive effects only on TOWRE Phonetic Decoding Efficiency. The mean across four measures was +0.09.
Staffing Requirements
The program is taught by classroom teachers.
Professional Development/Training
Training includes two days of in-person training and 8 hours of online training (or alternatively, four days of in-person training). In-person training is provided through PATHS® Education Worldwide: http://www.pathseducation.com/ and usually done on site. Coordinated online training is provided through Penn State Better Kid Care: http://extension.psu.edu/youth/betterkidcare. Local REDI coaches are recommended. These can be program supervisors or master teachers who have time allotted to provide mentoring/coaching to teachers as they implement REDI. Coaches observe classrooms and meet with teachers to foster high-fidelity program implementation and promote generalized us of the REDI teaching strategies. Coaching typically requires about one hour per week per classroom during the first year of REDI implementation. Training is also available for coaches, including a one-day in-person training and 3 hours of online training. Ongoing consultation and support is available from national trainers via conference call.