KITS®

Principal Investigator: Katherine Pears, PhD         sm-facebook               twiter-icon

The Kids in Transition to School  (KITS®) Program, is a short-term, targeted, evidence-based OSLC intervention that helps children at high risk for school difficulties to be better prepared for school both socially and academically. KITS also works with parents to help them be better prepared to be involved in children’s learning at home and school.

KITS is designed to enhance psychosocial and academic school readiness using a two-pronged approach: 1) a 24-session school readiness group focused on promoting social-emotional skills and early literacy in children, and 2) a 12-session parent workshop focused on promoting parent involvement in early literacy and the use of positive parenting practices. The manualized KITS curriculum is delivered during the two months before and the first two months of kindergarten.

Based on research spanning 10 years and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Child Health and Development, and a number of foundations, the KITS Program has been shown to positively affect the school readiness skills of children in foster care, those with developmental disabilities and delays, and children from impoverished backgrounds. The program has been implemented in multiple school districts and communities in Oregon. The KITS Program is registered on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) website. Parent workshop materials are also available in Spanish. If you are interested in implementing KITS in your school district or community, please visit the KITS website or contact Katherine Pears, Ph.D.

Current ODI Projects/Contracts