Social IEP Objectives, Teacher Talk, and Peer Interaction in Inclusive and Segregated Preschool Settings

The purpose of this study was to examine: (a) the role of teacher talk in promoting peer interaction, (b) the adequacy of social IEP objectives to reflect children’s social functioning and guide provision of teacher talk, and (c) differences in children’s peer interaction and teacher talk in inclusive and segregated settings. Thirty children with disabilities and their teachers participated. Overall, we observed low rates of teacher talk thought to support peer interaction; however, when teachers verbally facilitated peer interaction, children were observed interacting more frequently with peers. Children’s social IEPs accurately reflected their current level of social functioning. However, the social IEPs appeared to fail to influence teacher intervention. Finally, children with disabilities in inclusive settings interacted with peers more than children in segregated settings, even though there was no significant difference in amount of teacher talk in the two settings.     

Early Head Start Relationships: Association with Program Outcomes

Research Findings: Interpersonal relationships among staff caregivers, parents, and children have been recommended as essential aspects of early childhood intervention. This study explored the associations of these relationships with program outcomes for children and parents in 3 Early Head Start programs. A total of 71 children (8–35 months, M = 20), their parents, and 33 program caregivers participated. The results showed that caregiver–child relationships were moderately positive, secure, and interactive and improved in quality over 6 months, whereas caregiver–parent relationships were generally positive and temporally stable. Caregiver–child relationships were more positive for girls, younger children, and those in home-visiting programs. Caregiver–parent relationships were more positive when parents had higher education levels and when staff had more years of experience, had more positive work environments, or had attained a Child Development Associate credential or associate's level of education rather than a 4-year academic degree. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis suggested that the quality of the caregiver–parent relationship was a stronger predictor of both child and parent outcomes than was the quality of the caregiver–child relationship. There were also moderation effects: Stronger associations of caregiver–parent relationships with observed positive parenting were seen in parents with lower education levels and when program caregivers had higher levels of education. Practice or Policy: The results support the importance of caregiver–family relationships in early intervention programs and suggest that staff need to be prepared to build relationships with children and families in individualized ways. Limitations of this study and implications for program improvements and future research are discussed.     

Reciprocal Associations Between Inhibitory Control and Early Academic Skills: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Sample of Head Start Children

Research Findings. The present study examined patterns of longitudinal associations between inhibitory control (IC) and early academic skills during the preschool and kindergarten years. Using data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey Cohort 2009 (FACES 2009) (N = 939), a national data set of predominantly low-income children attending Head Start, two models were compared: (1) a lagged path model predicting subsequent academic skills based on prior IC skills and (2) a cross-lagged path model predicting reciprocal associations between IC and academic skills. Our results showed a better model fit for the cross-lagged path model with bidirectional associations. Prior IC predicted subsequent early reading and math skills during the preschool and kindergarten years; simultaneously, prior early math skills, but not reading skills, predicted subsequent IC. The reciprocal associations between IC and early math were consistently identified for multiple groups of children, regardless of their gender or home-language use (i.e., monolingual versus dual language learners). Practice or Policy. This study showcases group-general patterns of reciprocal relationships between IC and early math. The findings suggest that stimulation of both skills could lead to stronger skill sets and successful school outcomes. Early education and intervention programs may provide integrated developmental opportunities of IC and academic skills for successful school readiness.     

The Role of Mothers' and Fathers' Parental Control and Coparenting in Toddlers' Compliance

Research Findings: This study examined the unique and relative contributions of mothers' and fathers' parental control and coparenting to toddlers' committed compliance with parents in both dyadic parent–child and triadic family play contexts. Sixty-eight mostly middle-class, 2-parent families with toddlers (16–37 months) were observed in a university laboratory setting. There were positive associations among mothers' gentle guidance, balanced coparental engagement, and child committed compliance with mothers. However, there was no association between any parental control or coparenting variable and child compliance with fathers. Unique contributions of fathers' control and coparenting, beyond mothers' parenting, were found for children's compliance with mothers but not with fathers. Practice or Policy: The findings highlight the importance of taking the family relationship context into account when assessing parenting behaviors and toddlers'compliance.     

Correction to: Neglected Elements of a High-Quality Early Childhood Workforce: Whole Teacher Well-Being and Working Conditions

Early Childhood Education Journal - The original version of this article unfortunately contains some typo in Table 1.     

Neglected Elements of a High-Quality Early Childhood Workforce: Whole Teacher Well-Being and Working Conditions

Early Childhood Education Journal - The majority of teachers in the early care and education (ECE) workforce face disparities in physical and psychological well-being as well as working conditions....     

Children’s Behavioral Challenges in Head Start Classrooms: Links to Teacher Well-Being and Intent to Leave

Early Childhood Education Journal - Using the nationally representative Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2014 (FACES 2014), this study examined the associations...     

Relations of Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Depressive Symptoms,Job-Related Stress,and Professional Motivation to Beliefs About Children and Teaching Practices

Research Findings: This study used teacher questionnaires to investigate the relationships of early childhood education teachers’ depressive symptoms, professional motivation, and job-related stress to their beliefs about children and teaching practices. Teachers (N = 207) were recruited from early childhood education programs in the southern United States. Path analyses showed that teachers who exhibited fewer depressive symptoms were more likely to have a career orientation to their jobs and indicated feeling less job-related stress. Teachers with a career orientation to their jobs were also more likely to have child-centered beliefs and endorse developmentally appropriate teaching practices. Teachers’ job-related stress, however, was not related to beliefs about children or teaching practices. Practice or Policy: These results suggest that teachers’ psychological and job-related well-being are linked to their beliefs about children and teaching practice in early childhood education. It is therefore important to provide support systems and preventive programs for teachers to enhance their well-being.     

A cross-national analysis of the student- and school-level factors affecting the demand for private tutoring

Private tutoring has become a worldwide phenomenon, yet there is little empirical evidence for the main factors leading the demand for private tutoring across nations. Using data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study of 2003, this study classified the countries into four different groups according to the proportion of student participation in private tutoring and student achievement. Then, the study explored student- and school-level factors influencing the demand for private tutoring. From the HGLM analysis, the results revealed that the demand for private tutoring in Korea and Taiwan, which have higher participation rates in private tutoring and high-school-quality levels, is mostly explained by student-level variables (educational aspirations, instrumental motivation, self-confidence, and father’s education) and school context variables (the community size and school SES). Meanwhile, the demand for private tutoring in the Philippines and Romania, both of which have high incidences of private tutoring and low-school-quality levels, varies widely among schools, and many of the school process variables (e.g., the use of remedial classes, amount of school homework, frequency of tests, and the use of grouping by ability) account for the relationships with private tutoring.     

Teachers’ and Children’s Differing Views on Relationships and Their Associations with Academic Outcomes

Early Childhood Education Journal - Preschool children’s relationships with their teachers play an important role in their learning and development. Despite this importance, extant research...