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Higher-level instructional interaction in Head Start classrooms: Variation across teacher-directed activities and associations with school readiness outcomes

Description:
Higher-level, teacher-child interaction in preschool classrooms, in which teachers encourage meaningful conversations and emphasize conceptual skills over basic skills, is associated with higher academic outcomes (Burchinal et al., 2008). Preschool classrooms serving low-income children tend to have low levels of these kinds of interactions (Dickinson & Tabors, 2001) and emphasize basic skills over conceptual skills (Stipek, 2004). Research suggests that, for children who are at-risk for poor educational outcomes due to poverty, higher-level instructional interactions may be particularly important (Dickinson & Tabors, 2001; Stipek et al. 1998). In order to promote these teacher-child interactions in Head Start classrooms, it is necessary to understand the specific situations in which they are currently occurring. Science instruction, a new emphasis in many Head Start classrooms, may be one teacher-directed activity that is particularly conducive to higher-level instructional interaction between teachers and children. The current study will employ videotaped observations of Head Start classrooms to examine instruction across four teacher-directed activities (circle time, math activities, science activities, and storybook reading). Higher-level instructional interaction will be assessed with a multi-method approach, using both global ratings of instructional support (Classroom Assessment Scoring System; Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008) and an utterance-level analysis of teachers' use of higher-level questions (Massey, Pence, Justice, & Bowles, 2008). Associations will be tested between higher-level instructional interaction and important school readiness outcomes, including language and literacy, math, science, and initiative.
Resource Type:
Administration for Children and Families/OPRE Projects
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Related resources include summaries, versions, measures (instruments), or other resources in which the current document plays a part. Research products funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation are related to their project records.

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