Read the wider programme
One study should inform judgement—not replace it.
See how this project fits the books, publications and longer research trajectory.
2024 practice-based study
Inspect the finding.
Keep the limitation beside it.
A targeted preschool programme was delivered across two kindergartens to 81 children exposed to four or more concurrent developmental risk factors.
01 / STUDY DESIGN
Who participated and what was measured?
The study combined direct assessment with parent and educator ratings. All participants were approaching compulsory school age.
- Sample
- 81 children: 37 girls and 44 boys
- Settings
- Two kindergartens in the Encs district, Hungary
- Age at entry
- Mean 5.77 years; range 5.1–7.1
- Risk exposure
- 54 children with four, 22 with five and 5 with six concurrent risk factors
- Assessment
- Cognitive measures, MSSST screening, Conners questionnaires and adult-rated resilience scales
- Analysis
- Paired t-tests for pre–post comparisons; df=80
02 / INTERACTIVE FINDINGS
Explore six reported changes.
Select a metric to inspect the values, direction, instrument note and statistical result.
REPORTED DATARegional cohort · n=81
—Loading metric
—Pre–post change
2Measurement points
03 / CATEGORY SHIFT
Learning-difficulty risk classifications moved in a favourable direction.
The MSSST screening categories were age-referenced. Lower risk categories are favourable, but screening categories are not diagnoses.
| Category | Baseline | Follow-up | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| No indicated risk | 15 | 29 | +14 |
| Mild indicated risk | 44 | 44 | 0 |
| Indicated risk | 22 | 8 | −14 |
The aggregate score changed from 2.09 to 1.74 (t=6.173, p<.0001), where a lower score indicates less risk.
04 / LIMITATIONS
What these findings cannot establish.
A credible evidence page should make non-findings and uncertainty as visible as improvement.
- The sample came from one geographical region and is not representative.
- There was no randomised control group, so causal attribution is limited.
- Attendance varied; not every child received identical exposure.
- Spontaneous maturation and ongoing kindergarten support may have contributed.
- Parent and educator ratings reflect different settings and perspectives.
- Risk factors largely remained present; the programme aimed to moderate their effects, not claim to remove them.
- Behavioural difficulties remained important even after favourable aggregate changes.