About

Kristen Missall is a professor and chair in the Department of Special Education, School Psychology, and Measurement & Statistics at the University of Washington College of Education. Her research centers on child growth and development during preschool and elementary years, with a focus on early academic and social development and assessment, data-based decision making in Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and school readiness and transition to school. She has a strong interest in early literacy, math, and social skill development of preschoolers that predict positive school-based experiences and later success. Her work includes longitudinal and cross-age perspectives related to assessment and intervention for children from pre-kindergarten through grade 6. Kristen Missall has secured over $10 million in external funding from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, Office of Special Education Programs, and the National Science Foundation. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers, conference proceedings, and book chapters, and has presented her work over 175 times across four continents. She enjoys engaging in interdisciplinary and community-engaged research projects that provide opportunities for graduate student involvement, learning, and mentoring. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. and M.A. in School Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Nebraska. She is a nationally certified school psychologist and actively contributes to the field through her research and community engagement.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Developmental psychology
• Psychology
• Arithmetic
• Pedagogy
• Mathematics education
• Mathematics
• Linguistics
• Multimedia

Selected publications

• A Preliminary Investigation of Using a Multiple-Gate Internalizing Behavior Screener to Identify Socially Withdrawn Preschoolers

  Topics in Early Childhood Special Education · 2026-03-23

  articleSenior author

  Social withdrawal is an internalizing behavior that can be indicative of future mental health diagnoses (e.g., social anxiety disorder, selective mutism) when observed in early childhood. Given this and its association with negative academic and social-emotional outcomes, it is important that schools screen for social withdrawal beginning in early childhood. Several screening tools are currently available to help educators in preschool settings identify internalizing behaviors more broadly. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a broad, multiple-gate screener for internalizing behavior accurately identified socially withdrawn preschoolers. Nine preschool children identified by the screener were observed on the playground using partial interval recording. Results indicated that these children spent significantly less time engaged in positive peer interaction than their comparison peers. Follow-up assessment indicated that four (44.44%) of these participants also demonstrated clinically significant levels of socially withdrawn behavior. Implications for school-based screening practices are discussed.

  PublisherDOI

• Observing and producing gesture on shape categorization across learner characteristics

  Journal of Experimental Child Psychology · 2025-11-22

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Using Empirical Information to Prioritize Early Literacy Assessment and Instruction in Preschool and Kindergarten

  Assessment for Effective Intervention · 2024-04-26 · 2 citations

  article

  Early literacy skill development predicts later reading success, and development of skills in specific domains during the preschool years has been established as both a prerequisite and precursory for reading. Early literacy assessments typically include measures of separate skills across domains, and results can assist with determining where instructions may be most needed. When multiple areas of need are identified, understanding which skills to prioritize can be a challenge. Therefore, empirically identifying the relative contribution of each skill measured in preschool to subsequent reading success can promote more efficient systems of assessment. This study, conducted in the United States, examined the predictive validity of early literacy skills measured in preschool compared to skills measured in kindergarten, with a specific practical focus on identifying the most efficient predictive model for understanding reading readiness. Participants were 119 preschoolers (mean age = 66 months) who mostly spoke English as their primary language (79%). Results indicated early literacy and language skills in preschool are highly predictive of early reading in kindergarten, accounting for 59% of the variance in a reading composite score. The most parsimonious model indicated that first sounds, letter sounds, early comprehension, and expressive vocabulary measures adequately explained 52% of the variance in children’s kindergarten reading performance.

  PublisherDOI

• Children from Birth to Age Five, Quality of Life in

  2023-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Preliminary Examination of the Reliability and Validity of the Teacher Rating Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment for Preschool and Kindergarten Children

  Perspectives on early childhood psychology and education /Perspectives on early childhood psychology and education · 2022-11-21 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Prosocial behaviors in preschool and kindergarten are associated with student well-being and positive school outcomes. A teacher rating scale focused on young children’s social strengths can provide educators with important information for supporting children in their classroom with social instruction and intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the technical adequacy of a teacher rating scale developed expressly to measure prosocial development in young children, the Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment (SSCSA). Using data from a sample of preschool- and kindergarten-aged children in inclusive classrooms, analyses examined the reliability and validity of the SSCSA. Results provided evidence of internal consistency and strong test-retest reliability over two weeks. Analyses of concurrent validity with criterion measures showed strong positive correlations with subscales of social skills and moderate to strong negative correlations with subscales of problem behaviors. Overall, findings provided initial evidence that supports ongoing evaluation of the technical adequacy of the SSCSA.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Math talk during traditional and digital number board game play

  Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · 2021 · 12 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Psychology
  • Developmental psychology
  PublisherDOI

• Shared Book Reading Effects on Number Naming in Preschoolers at Risk for Numeracy Delays

  Infants & Young Children · 2021 · 3 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Psychology
  • Developmental psychology

  Number naming, or knowledge of math numerals, has been described as a gatekeeper skill in preschool math development because it is necessary for later math tasks such as calculation. This article describes a small group intervention piloted with 10 preschoolers found to be at risk for delays in early numeracy development during universal screening. Target numerals were assigned randomly to one of three conditions (book, activity, and control). Using an adapted alternating treatment design, intervention conditions were delivered to small groups in 15-min sessions three times per week for 8 weeks. Each intervention session included a manualized counting book and activity, which were delivered in random order each session, but included the same numerals for number identification, verbal counting during one-to-one correspondence, and number naming. Across the 8 weeks of intervention, some preschoolers exhibited growth in number naming in intervention conditions as compared to control; participants varied in whether the book or activity intervention condition was more effective for their learning.

  PublisherDOI

• Considerations and methods in assessing early learning and social–emotional development in young children.

  American Psychological Association eBooks · 2020-01-01 · 2 citations

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Implementing Multitiered Systems of Support in Preschool: Begin With Universal Screening

  Young Exceptional Children · 2020 · 9 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Psychology
  • Developmental psychology
  • Pedagogy
  PublisherDOI

• Characterizing Parent-Child Communication, Affect, and Collaboration during Multi-User Digital Tabletop Gameplay.

  ICLS · 2020-01-01 · 1 citations

  article
  Publisher

Frequent coauthors

• Robin L. Hojnoski

  Lehigh University

  19 shared

• Scott R. McConnell

  Johns Hopkins University

  13 shared

• Salloni Nanda

  6 shared

• Ben DeVane

  5 shared

• Jeremy Dietmeier

  5 shared

• Judith J. Carta

  University of Kansas

  4 shared

• Dale Walker

  4 shared

• John H. McGrew

  Indiana University

  4 shared

Awards & honors

• Nationally Certified School Psychologist #33558