Sara A Schmitt

Biographic Data

ID	4420282
NAME	Sara A Schmitt
GIVEN NAMES	Sara A
FAMILY NAME	Schmitt
SIGNATURE	SCHMITT S A
AFFILIATIONS	Purdue University West Lafayette
ORCID	0000-0002-6427-2588
VERIFIED	Yes
TOTAL WORKS	37
TOTAL CITATIONS	79
AUTHOR COUNT	37
EDITOR COUNT	0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR	2012
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR	2026
H-INDEX	5

Synergistic Relations of Teacher and Parent Burnout and Preschooler’s Social-Emotional Competence and Behavioral Self-Regulation
Tracy M Zehner, Brianna L Devlin et al.ARTICLEEarly Education and Development2026
Research Findings: This study investigated the synergistic relationships between teacher burnout and parent burnout on preschoolers’ social-emotional competence (SEC) and behavioral self-regulation (BSR). We hypothesized that higher teacher burnout would be associated with lower social skills and BSR and higher problem behaviors in the spring. We expected that higher parent burnout would relate to poorer child outcomes. Guided by the dual risk fr…
Pathways to Early Academic Achievement
Irem Korucu, Robert J Duncan et al.ARTICLEEarly Education and Development2026
The current study investigated the longitudinal associations between home and classroom environments at age three and academic outcomes at age nine, as well as the mediating role of attention regulation and language skills around school entry. Data came from the first four waves of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing study. Twenty-two percent of the mothers were White, 52% were African American, 22% were Hispanic, and 3% identified as othe…
Predicting State Testing Proficiency with Preschool Assessments
Open AccessPatrick Ehrman, Robert J Duncan et al.ARTICLEJournal of Learning Disabilities2026
Many children in the United States fail to meet proficiency benchmarks on mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) tests in elementary school despite those tests being related to future outcomes. Thus, strategies are needed to identify and support children at risk for failing to reach proficiency in mathematics and ELA that consider multiple school readiness domains. The current study tested predictive relations between preschool skills and pr…
Investigating Main Effects and Moderators of Linear Number Board Games
Open AccessGena Nelson, Peter Boedeker et al.ARTICLEReview of Educational Research2025
The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis and review of studies reporting the quality of linear number board games. This meta-analysis included 18 preschool to second-grade studies with 123 effect sizes that yielded a statistically significant summary effect (g = .21, 95% CI (.08, 0.34), p = .004) on children’s mathematics outcomes. Nine moderators explained a statistically significant amount of variance in effect sizes, including …
Executive function, math, and spatial skills in English learners and English speakers
Open AccessSara A Schmitt, Brianna L Devlin et al.ARTICLEJournal of Applied Developmental…2025References: 70
Differentiation effects in school readiness skills across the transition from preschool to kindergarten
Open AccessJasmine R Ernst, David J Purpura et al.ARTICLEJournal of Applied Developmental…2025References: 58
Identifying the Onset and Magnitude of Prediction From Early Cognitive Skills to Adult Socioeconomic Outcomes
Open AccessSara A Schmitt, Robert J Duncan et al.ARTICLEChild Development2025References: 36
The goal of this study was to identify the onset and magnitude of prediction of early cognition to adult socioeconomic outcomes. Specifically, we were interested in examining which cognitive skills measured at 15, 24, 36, and 54 months predict educational attainment and salary at age 26. Data (N = 1364, 52% male) included a diverse sample (76% White; 13% Black; 6% Hispanic; 5% other; 21% had incomes no greater than 200% of the poverty level). Res…
The Relations Between Parent–Educator Communication, the Home Environment, and Children’s Outcomes in Preschool
Open AccessTanya M Paes, J Lin et al.ARTICLEChild & Youth Care Forum2024
Social–Emotional Competence as a Predictor of Early Numeracy Skills
Tracy M Zehner, Tanya M Paes et al.ARTICLEEarly Education and Development2024
Research Findings: This study examined the association between preschool children’s social-emotional competence (SEC), defined by their social skills and problem behaviors, and numeracy skills. It also examined if any subdomains of SEC predicted preschool numeracy above and beyond latent social skills or problem behaviors variables. Data came from a state-funded prekindergarten evaluation study (N = 684) and were collected using teacher-reported …
Unique and combined effects of quantitative mathematical language and numeracy instruction within a picture book intervention
Open AccessDavid J Purpura, Connor D O’Rear et al.ARTICLEJournal of Educational Psychology2024
Testing block play as an effective mechanism for promoting early math, executive function, and spatial skills in preschoolers from low-income backgrounds
Open AccessSara A Schmitt, David J Purpura et al.ARTICLEEarly Childhood Research Quarterly2024Cited by: 1References: 2
Early cumulative risk and outcomes in adolescence and adulthood
Sara A Schmitt, Tanya M Paes et al.ARTICLEDevelopmental Psychology2023Cited by: 2References: 4
This study examined the extent to which early cumulative risk predicts a range of behavioral and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, future orientation, risky behavior, educational attainment, and socioeconomic outcomes) measured at ages 15 and 26 and whether executive function (EF) and/or behavioral regulation mediated and/or moderated these associations. Data for this study came from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Develo…
The effects of a high quality state-run preschool program as rated by a Quality Rating and Improvement System on children's school readiness
Open AccessSara A Schmitt, James A Elicker et al.ARTICLEEarly Childhood Research Quarterly2022Cited by: 2References: 14
Longitudinal relations among child care stability during the prekindergarten year and behavior problems
Open AccessSara A Schmitt, Brittany Mihalec-Adkins et al.ARTICLEChildren and Youth Services Review2022Cited by: 1References: 34
Examining longitudinal associations between internalizing problems, body mass index, and language during childhood
Lindsey M Bryant, Robert J Duncan et al.ARTICLEDevelopmental Psychology2022
The current study examines the extent to which associations between internalizing problems, body mass index (BMI), and language skills from early (36 months) to late childhood (fifth grade) are due to relatively stable between-child differences, time-specific correlations, or cross-lagged paths. Data from the NICHD study, Early Child Care and Youth Development ( N = 1,364) were used. Results showed that internalizing problems and language are sig…
Characteristics Related to Parent-Child Literacy and Numeracy Practices in Preschool
Open AccessAmy R Napoli, Irem Korucu et al.ARTICLEFrontiers in Education2021
Despite evidence suggesting that home literacy and numeracy environments are related to children’s school readiness skills, little research has examined the child and family characteristics that relate to the home literacy and numeracy environments within the same sample. These factors are important to investigate in order to determine what may foster or prevent parent-child engagement. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the shared …
The Cognitive Benefits of Participating in Structured Sports for Preschoolers
Lindsey M Bryant, Robert J Duncan et al.ARTICLEEarly Education and Development2021
Research Findings: The present study explored connections between participation in structured open-skilled (e.g., soccer, basketball) and closed-skilled sports (e.g., swimming) and executive function (EF) among preschool-aged children. The sample included 197 preschool-aged children (mean age = 4.34 years, female = 48.2%, White = 83.8%). Parents reported on sport participation and children were directly assessed on three EF skills: inhibitory con…
Engaging caregivers and children in picture books
David J Purpura, Sara A Schmitt et al.ARTICLEJournal of Educational Psychology2021
Examining transactional relations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning during the transition to kindergarten
Sara A Schmitt, Jennifer K Finders et al.ARTICLEDevelopmental Psychology2021Cited by: 1
The present study examined longitudinal associations between behavioral self-regulation and social-emotional functioning across four waves of measurement during the transition from preschool to kindergarten in a low-income sample. Participants included two cohorts of children (N = 558; 51% male). Children in both cohorts were 4 years old (Cohort 1: M = 4.82 years, SD = .31; Cohort 2: M = 4.80 years, SD = .31). Forty-four percent of children were …
Examining Associations between the Home Literacy Environment, Executive Function, and School Readiness
Irem Korucu, Ellen Litkowski et al.ARTICLEEarly Education and Development2020
Research Findings: The purpose of the current study was to investigate direct associations between the home literacy environment (HLE) and preschool children’s executive function (EF), academic readiness, and social-emotional competence and to explore the indirect association between the HLE and academic and social-emotional outcomes working through children’s EF. The participants were 102 preschool children from the Midwestern region of the Unit…
Continuity and change in the home environment
Open AccessIrem Korucu, Sara A SchmittARTICLEEarly Childhood Research Quarterly2020Cited by: 4References: 10
The effects of a nutrition education curriculum on improving young children’s fruit and vegetable preferences and nutrition and health knowledge
Open AccessSara A Schmitt, Lindsey M Bryant et al.ARTICLEPublic Health Nutrition2019
Objective The main objective of the present study was to develop and evaluate a nutrition education curriculum to enhance young children’s dietary behaviours and nutrition and health knowledge. Design A randomized controlled design was utilized. The intervention was designed to improve children’s nutrition and health knowledge and preferences for fruits and vegetables through classroom lessons and activities, including direct instruction and tast…
Parental restrictive feeding with Latinx adolescents
Open AccessCarly D Evich, Blake L Jones et al.ARTICLEAppetite2019References: 41
Additive and synergistic relations of early mother–child and caregiver–child interactions for predicting later achievement
Open AccessRobert J Duncan, Sara A Schmitt et al.ARTICLEDevelopmental Psychology2019Cited by: 4References: 10
This study examines associations between stimulating-responsive social interactions with mothers and nonparental childcare providers during the first 3 years of life and children's vocabulary and mathematics skills through age 15 (N = 1,364). Additive relations were found in which more stimulating-responsive interactions with mothers and with caregivers were linked to higher mathematics achievement in childhood and adolescence. More stimulating-r…
Development of the Home Executive Function Environment (Hefe) Scale
Open AccessIrem Korucu, Emily Rolan et al.ARTICLEEarly Childhood Research Quarterly2018Cited by: 2References: 16