Intergenerational preschool experiences and the young child: Potential benefits to development

Femia, Elia E.; Zarit, Steven H.; Blair, Clancy; Jarrott, Shannon E.; Bruno, Kelly

doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2007.05.001

Cited by 82 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…However, most of these studies captured only the immediate effect of a program. Studies by Aday et al (1996) and Femia (2007) and their colleagues, for example, are unique in their evaluation of participants several years after intergenerational participation. More such studies are needed, particularly if we subscribe to the idea that intergenerational programs that positively influence young persons ideas about elders may influence career choices or simply set them on a path to happy old age.…”

Section: Discussion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Commonly cited limitations included a preponderance of program descriptions presenting only anecdotal evidence of impact (Jarrott, 2005), limited use of theory and standardized measures, assessment of only one generation of participants, limited attention to other stakeholders, ubiquity of "soft" measures enjoyment while significant indicators of health and impact went unmeasured, and absence of longitudinal evaluations. Fortunately, there are exceptions to these generalized weaknesses (e.g., Caspi, 1984;Epstein & Boisvert, 2006;Femia, Zarit, Blair, Jarrott & Bruno, 2007).…”

Section: Contextualizing Intergenerational Evaluation Researchmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…For example, Femia and colleagues (Femia et al, 2007) used Kochanska's scale of empathy to assess long-term impact of attending an intergenerational shared site care program on children's empathy in grade school. A mentoring program for at-risk students utilized standardized measures of children's well-being and academic performance to assess the impact of different treatment modalities (Taylor, LoSciuto, Fox, Hibert, & Sonkowsky, 1999).…”

Section: Contextualizing Intergenerational Evaluation Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Where Have We Been and Where are We Going? Content Analysis of Evaluation Research of Intergenerational Programs

Jarrott

2011

J. of Intergenerational Relationships

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Intergenerational programs target diverse youth, elder and community needs with creative practices and considerable success. With the earliest nonfamilial intergenerational interventions identified in the 1960s (i.e., Foster Grandparents in 1965), intergenerational program research is relatively new compared to parallel lines of inquiry in child, youth or adult development. Recently, scholars have encouraged practitioners and researchers alike to increase their use of theory-and evidence-based practices and state of the art research techniques. The present content analysis reflects four decades of intergenerational research published in English language journals to determine if characteristics of intervention studies echo these recommendations. Program and evaluation characteristics were coded along with research results. I describe trends in participant groups, study subjects, research designs, sources of data, methods of analysis and outcomes measured. Implications for practice and research for intergenerational scholars are addressed in the context of this developing area of intervention research.

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Section: Discussion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Contextualizing Intergenerational Evaluation Researchmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Contextualizing Intergenerational Evaluation Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Where Have We Been and Where are We Going? Content Analysis of Evaluation Research of Intergenerational Programs

Jarrott

2011

J. of Intergenerational Relationships

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“…Negative beliefs about older adults can affect children's desire to interact with them and can affect rapport between volunteer and child. Fernia, Zarit, Blair, Jarrott, & Bruno (2007) found that young children in an intergenerational program were more accepting of older adults, including more willingness to have an older adult as a friend. This may be especially true in intergenerational programs that increase the salience of age group membership for the individuals involved.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 96%

Children's Attitudes and Classroom Interaction in an Intergenerational Education Program

Dunham

Casadonte

2009

Educational Gerontology

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were administered before and after the project with two goals. The first goal was to determine the effect of the project on children's attitudes toward aging and the elderly. We found that even though the program was not specifically designed for attitude change, there was a significant difference in positive attitudes toward aging in the experimental group. The second goal was to see how those attitudes were related to intention to seek out older volunteers for help. We found that the most important predictors of students' intentions to ask for help from senior volunteers were specific attitudes about the adults in the classroom rather than more general attitudes toward the aged. Implications for future programs include the need to introduce the volunteer to the class before the beginning of an intergenerational project in order to let children know the volunteer's qualifications and reasons for wanting to help. 453Over the years there has been a proliferation of intergenerational contact programs, the majority of which are designed to reduce children's negative perceptions of the aged through programs of positive interactions. Most studies are based on activities designed to bring young and old together in cooperative, fun activities rather than training seniors to be involved directly in the classroom as instructional assistants. Will programs that bring students and the old together for a common goal, such as academic enrichment, but not designed specifically to change attitudes, have the same impact on beliefs about age and aging? To what extent do preexisting beliefs about aging affect the interactions between adults and children and, therefore, the success of the programs? The goal of this research is to examine the effect of participation in an intergenerational science program on student's attitudes toward aging and the aged. We will also examine the effect of students' attitudes on their willingness to seek out help from senior volunteers. LITERATURE REVIEWThe typical intergenerational program engages children with older adults in a series of activities over an extended period of time. This is done to give children an opportunity to work closely with older adults, to benefit from their added attention, and to reduce stereotypes due to unfamiliarity

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“…Children's motivation may be increased as they see older adults in a non-stereotypic role, and they may recognize the importance of exercise as a lifelong endeavour [8] . Further, it was recently demonstrated that an intergenerational approach as compared to a single generation program increased the level of social acceptance, willingness to help, and empathy for older people in children [9] .…”

Section: Strategy Development and Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence-Based and Evidence-Inspired: An Intergenerational Approach in the Promotion of Balance and Strength for Fall Prevention

et al. 2010

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The risk of sustaining a fall and fall-related injuries is particularly high in children and seniors, which is why there is a need to develop fall-preventive intervention programs. An intergenerational approach in balance and strength promotion appears to have great potential because it is specifically tailored to the physical, social and behavioural needs of children and seniors. Burtscher and Kopp [Gerontology, DOI: 10.1159/000322930] raised the question whether our previously published mini-review is evidence-based or evidence-inspired. These authors postulate that we did not follow a 4-stage conceptual model for the development of injury and/or fall-preventive intervention programs. In response to this criticism, we present information from the mini-review that comply with the 4-stage model incorporating evidence-based and evidence-inspired components. We additionally provide information on how to implement an intergenerational balance and resistance training approach in a school setting based on a study that is being currently conducted.

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Intergenerational preschool experiences and the young child: Potential benefits to development

Cited by 82 publications

References 35 publications

Where Have We Been and Where are We Going? Content Analysis of Evaluation Research of Intergenerational Programs

Where Have We Been and Where are We Going? Content Analysis of Evaluation Research of Intergenerational Programs

Children's Attitudes and Classroom Interaction in an Intergenerational Education Program

Evidence-Based and Evidence-Inspired: An Intergenerational Approach in the Promotion of Balance and Strength for Fall Prevention

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