Preacademic screening for learning and behavior problems.

The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and behavior problems in children at risk for developing learning difficulties was investigated by screening 1106 children who were completing kindergarten and identifying 292 as being at-risk. Data on SES, behavior problems, and preacademic reading skills were obtained on 204 at-risk children and 181 non-at-risk controls. A larger proportion of children from upper SES made up the non-at-risk sample and a smaller proportion of upper SES children were found in the at-risk sample. Children (N = 91) who demonstrated perceptual delays and inadequate preacademic reading skills were rated by their teachers as having significantly more behavior problems than children (N = 218) who were negative for these two signs. The results suggest that some children with perceptual problems demonstrate multiple behavior problems prior to experiencing reading failure.