Dr. Eleanor Brown, Professor of Psychology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, recently appeared on a National Endowment for the Arts webinar to discuss research she conducted on Settlement Music School’s Kaleidoscope program.

Her study, “The Art of Head Start: Intensive arts integration associated with advantage in school readiness for economically disadvantaged children,” found that children in Kaleidoscope showed greater gains in school readiness compared to their peers in a Head Start program that did not include arts classes.  Findings suggest that the arts can add value to Head Start preschool and can be a vehicle for equalizing educational opportunities for young, economically disadvantaged children.

The webinar, “New Research on the Arts & Early Childhood: A Symposium,” which is available online, showcased a series of research articles that appeared in a special section of Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

Featured speakers included authors Brian Kisida (University of Missouri), Amy Susman-Stillman (University of Minnesota), Rocio Galarza (Sesame Workshop), and Jane Best (Arts Education Partnership).

Dr. Brown’s recent study was also featured in a November article on Education Dive. For more information on all of Dr. Brown’s research, visit the Kaleidoscope Research page.