Objective: This article describes the videotaped mother–child interaction procedures and coding used in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, a sample of low-income families, half of whom received the Early Head Start services (treatment group) and half of whom did not (control group), based on within-site random assignment (17 sites). A total of 1,838 dyads were observed and videotaped in the home (39% European American, 36% African American, and 25% Latin American). 

Design: When the children were 1, 2, and 3 years of age, a “Three Bag” semi-structured play activity was conducted, and when the children were 5 years of age, a “Play Dough task” was conducted. (author abstract)