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This study aimed to examine the serial multiple mediating effects of play teaching efficacy and support competence on the relationship between early childhood teachers' teaching creativity and teacher-child interactions. A survey was conducted among 333 early childhood teachers working in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Data were analyzed using PROCESS macro (Model=6). Results revealed the following points. First, play teaching efficacy and play support competence fully mediated the relationship between early childhood teachers' teaching creativity and teacher-child interactions. Second, play teaching efficacy and play support competence had serial multiple mediating effects on the relationship between early childhood teachers' teaching creativity and teacher-child interactions. These findings provide a basis for improving the quality of early childhood teachers' teaching creativity, teacher-child interactions, play teaching efficacy, and play support competence, which may have meaningful practical implications for the implementation of the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum of Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the role of duration of preschool attendance and the quality of teacher-child interactions in the executive functions development of preschoolers. The study involved 947 children (51% girls) age 4–7 years (M = 70.3 months; SD = 4.3). The number of children attending kindergarten for less than 1 year was 144; 268 children (28.3%) had attended for 1 to 2 years; and 535 children (56.5%) had attended for more than 2 years. The results showed that the children who attended a group with a high quality of teacher-child interaction for one or more years had better results on verbal work memory, and cognitive and physical inhibitory control than those who attended the same group over a shorter period.

Introduction: Resilience is a process that develops as a complex transaction as children experience and shape their social-ecological contexts. The dynamic development of self-regulation is an aspect of resilience that has received increased attention as a key mechanism predicting a variety of important shortand long-term outcomes. The current study examined how the self-regulation skills of infants and toddlers in a classroom could potentially shape classroom interactions and quality which, in turn, could potentially shape the development of self-regulation skills of the individual infants and toddlers enrolled in the classroom across an early childhood program year. The unique contribution of this study is the focus on a critical component of resilience, self-regulation, in an understudied age group, infants and toddlers, in an important and understudied context, the infant-toddler early childhood classroom. Methods: Data are from a statewide evaluation of early childhood programs serving children birth to age 3 growing up in low-income contexts. Multi-level mediation models were employed to examine the mediation effect of classroom quality between classroom-level self-regulation and individual children’s gain in self-regulation over a year. Results: We found a significant indirect path. The results showed that classroom level self-regulation skills demonstrated by infants and toddlers in the fall predicted higher levels of teachers’ implementation of three important aspects of classroom quality – support for social-emotional, cognitive, and language development – in the winter. We also found that higher levels of teachers’ support for social-emotional, cognitive, and language development associated with children’s increased growth in self-regulation skills from fall to spring. The direct path from classroom-level self-regulation demonstrated in the fall to individual children’s gain in self-regulation was not significant. Discussion: These findings, unique due to the focus on infants and toddlers in a classroom context, are discussed within the larger body of existing selfregulation research conducted with older children and prevalent theories outlining developmental mechanisms. Implications for both infant-toddler classroom practices and future research are addressed. Relative to practice, our findings have implications for informing how the development of selfregulation, an important component of resilience, can be supported in the youngest children, infants and toddlers, specifically those enrolled in centerbased classrooms serving young children growing up in families with low incomes. We focus on the need to improve the support and professional development of infant-toddler teachers which, in turn, can improve classroom quality and foster resilience in infants and toddlers. Relative to research, our use of a relatively new measure of infant-toddler classroom quality, the Quality of Care for Infants and Toddlers (QCIT), shows how this tool can expand infant toddler research, a need in the current literature. Future research using different measures, designs, analytical strategies, and diverse samples and contexts is needed to further explain very young children’s development of self-regulation, a critical component of resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the moderated mediating effect of teacher efficacy and resilience on the relationship between early childhood teachers' job satisfaction and teacher-child interactions. A survey was conducted on 409 early childhood teachers in Korea, and the collected data were analyzed using R 4.2.0 and the R version of PROCESSmacro 4.3. The results are as follows: first, early childhood teachers' job satisfaction had a positive effect on teacher efficacy and teacher-child interactions, and teacher efficacy had a positive effect on teacher-child interactions. Second, teacher efficacy had a positive mediating effect on the relationship between job satisfaction and teacher-child interactions. Third, resilience had a buffering moderating effect on the impact of job satisfaction on teacher efficacy. Lastly, the mediating effect of teacher efficacy on the relationship between early childhood teachers' job satisfaction and teacher-child interactions showed conditional effects depending on resilience. These results suggest the need to support the resilience of early childhood teachers as a part of their professionalism to connect the healthy professional life of early childhood teachers with the healthy growth of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research delved into the correlation between digital platforms and the dynamics of family-school collaboration within the context of parents with young children in Taiwan. It also examined the roles of parental involvement, teacher-child interactions, and online communication in this model. In the context of Taiwan, a research endeavor was undertaken to elucidate the viewpoints of parents with preschool-age children concerning digital platforms and their associated determinants. A Chinese-translated questionnaire included five latent factors: digital platforms, parental involvement, teacher-child interactions, online communication, and family-school partnerships. Employing a partial least-squares technique, we conducted an in-depth examination of the survey data, focusing on the evaluation of questionnaire latent factor reliability and validity within the measurement model. Subsequently, a path analysis was conducted to examine the hypothesized assumptions in the structural model. The findings indicated significant positive effects, with digital platforms enhancing parental involvement, teacher-child interactions, and online communication, ultimately leading to stronger family-school partnerships. Statistical analyses using a robust dataset consistently confirmed the significance of these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of the use of content-specific material-based activities on children's mathematical skills, and changes in emotions for both sides with the help of math workstations to serve as responsive partners in delivering quality mathematics education to children and teachers. A total of 20 female kindergarten teachers and 625 children (female= 393, male=232, M = 64.57 months) studying in classes with disadvantages pertaining to materials participated in the study. The study used a fully mixed sequential equal status design, and quantitative data was analyzed using ANOVA and multilevel regression, while inductive content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study found that teachers' development of facilitating alternative perspectives towards mathematics mitigated negative beliefs related to emotions arising from teachers' and children's negative experiences with mathematics. This study re-emphasizes the significance of emotional circumstances for learning mathematics in early childhood education, and teachers need game-based, effective, and innovative pedagogical approaches without prioritizing academic concerns.

IntroductionResilience is a process that develops as a complex transaction as children experience and shape their social-ecological contexts. The dynamic development of self-regulation is an aspect of resilience that has received increased attention as a key mechanism predicting a variety of important short- and long-term outcomes. The current study examined how the self-regulation skills of infants and toddlers in a classroom could potentially shape classroom interactions and quality which, in turn, could potentially shape the development of self-regulation skills of the individual infants and toddlers enrolled in the classroom across an early childhood program year. The unique contribution of this study is the focus on a critical component of resilience, self-regulation, in an understudied age group, infants and toddlers, in an important and understudied context, the infant-toddler early childhood classroom.MethodsData are from a statewide evaluation of early childhood programs serving children birth to age 3 growing up in low-income contexts. Multi-level mediation models were employed to examine the mediation effect of classroom quality between classroom-level self-regulation and individual children’s gain in self-regulation over a year.ResultsWe found a significant indirect path. The results showed that classroom-level self-regulation skills demonstrated by infants and toddlers in the fall predicted higher levels of teachers’ implementation of three important aspects of classroom quality – support for social-emotional, cognitive, and language development – in the winter. We also found that higher levels of teachers’ support for social-emotional, cognitive, and language development associated with children’s increased growth in self-regulation skills from fall to spring. The direct path from classroom-level self-regulation demonstrated in the fall to individual children’s gain in self-regulation was not significant.DiscussionThese findings, unique due to the focus on infants and toddlers in a classroom context, are discussed within the larger body of existing self-regulation research conducted with older children and prevalent theories outlining developmental mechanisms. Implications for both infant-toddler classroom practices and future research are addressed. Relative to practice, our findings have implications for informing how the development of self-regulation, an important component of resilience, can be supported in the youngest children, infants and toddlers, specifically those enrolled in center-based classrooms serving young children growing up in families with low incomes. We focus on the need to improve the support and professional development of infant-toddler teachers which, in turn, can improve classroom quality and foster resilience in infants and toddlers. Relative to research, our use of a relatively new measure of infant-toddler classroom quality, the Quality of Care for Infants and Toddlers (QCIT), shows how this tool can expand infant-toddler research, a need in the current literature. Future research using different measures, designs, analytical strategies, and diverse samples and contexts is needed to further explain very young children’s development of self-regulation, a critical component of resilience.

Background and Objectives: This study was conducted to compare the effect of Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and Filial therapy on Interactions of Student with ADHD. Materials and Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-, post-test, and follow-up with the control group. Furthermore, the statistical population was 7- to 9-year-old students with ADHD who were studying in regular schools in the six different districts of Isfahan. To select the sample, however, 42 students were nominated from the students who met the inclusion criteria and randomly divided into three groups: Mentalization-based therapy (n = 14); Filial therapy (n = 14), and control (n = 14). Results: The results show the parent-child and teacher-student interaction in the experimental groups was significantly improved (P ≤ 0.01). Also, the comparison of mean scores showed that in the parent-child relationship variable, there was no significant difference among Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and Filial therapy groups (P ≥ 0.01), however, the difference was significant in the teacher-student relationship variable (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: Considering the efficiency of MBT and Filial therapy on Parent-child and teacher-child interactions of children with ADHD, the therapy provides an effective treatment method in Iran.

This study investigated the effect of the use of content-specific material-based activities on children's mathematical skills, and changes in emotions for both sides with the help of math workstations to serve as responsive partners in delivering quality mathematics education to children and teachers. A total of 20 female kindergarten teachers and 625 children (female= 393, male=232, M = 64.57 months) studying in classes with disadvantages pertaining to materials participated in the study. The study used a fully mixed sequential equal status design, and quantitative data was analyzed using ANOVA and multilevel regression, while inductive content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study found that teachers' development of facilitating alternative perspectives towards mathematics mitigated negative beliefs related to emotions arising from teachers' and children's negative experiences with mathematics. This study re-emphasizes the significance of emotional circumstances for learning mathematics in early childhood education, and teachers need game-based, effective, and innovative pedagogical approaches without prioritizing academic concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that children from a low socioeconomic status (SES) family are likely to have lower academic scores, indicating an SES-achievement gap. This inequality already starts in preschool and persists throughout children’s lives. Since executive functions (EFs) have been put forward as contributing factors in this SES-achievement gap, it is crucial to target early EF development to remediate the adverse effects of poverty. In this quasi-experimental study, a classroom program delivered by teachers (i.e., “Put your EF glasses on”) was implemented to strengthen preschoolers’ EFs, consistent with the idea that well-developed EFs can foster school readiness and prevent school failure. The program aimed to boost children’s EFs through high-quality teacher-child interactions, EF-supporting activities (e.g., games), and a supportive classroom structure. Teachers (n = 24) and children (n = 224, Mage = 52.61 months) from 8 Belgian schools participated in this quasi-experimental pilot study and were divided into experimental and control groups. Teachers in the experimental group carried out the program (receiving materials and coaching to support implementation), whereas teachers in the control group practiced teaching as usual. Before and after the program, all teachers filled out the BRIEF-P, a questionnaire about daily executive problems in preschool children. We compared the effect of the classroom program in low-SES versus middle-to-high-SES children on EF problem scores. Results revealed that all low-SES children started with significantly higher EF problems (total problem score, working memory, inhibition, and planning and organizing) scores than middle-to-high-SES children. A positive effect of the program was found among low-SES children. More specifically, EF problems (total problem score, working memory, shifting, and planning and organizing) remained stable over time in the low-SES group in the experimental group, but there was no program effect on emotional control and inhibition. In the control group, these EF problems increased for low-SES children, expanding the gap between low and middle-to-high-SES children. There were no program effects for middle-to-high-SES children. These results show that a teacher-mediated classroom program can support EF development, especially in preschoolers at sociodemographic risk.

Background and Objectives: This study was conducted to compare the effect of Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and Filial therapy on Interactions of Student with ADHD. Materials and Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-, post-test, and follow-up with the control group. Furthermore, the statistical population was 7- to 9-year-old students with ADHD who were studying in regular schools in the six different districts of Isfahan. To select the sample, however, 42 students were nominated from the students who met the inclusion criteria and randomly divided into three groups: Mentalization-based therapy (n = 14); Filial therapy (n = 14), and control (n = 14). Results: The results show the parent-child and teacher-student interaction in the experimental groups was significantly improved (P < 0.01). Also, the comparison of mean scores showed that in the parent-child relationship variable, there was no significant difference among Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and Filial therapy groups (P > 0.01), however, the difference was significant in the teacher-student relationship variable (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Considering the efficiency of MBT and Filial therapy on Parent-child and teacher-child interactions of children with ADHD, the therapy provides an effective treatment method in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This exploratory study was aimed primarily at developing baseline data on the quality of teacher-child interactions in Singapore pre-school classrooms. Data were collected through observations of teacher-child interactions in 80 pre-schools, using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in the three key domains which are 1) Emotional Support, 2) Classroom Organisation, and 3) Instructional Support (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008). It was found that the overall quality of teacher-child interactions in the Singapore pre-school classrooms was low to moderate, with Instruction Support being the lowest. This finding is similar to that found in studies conducted in many other countries including China and the U.S. (Slot, 2017). Possible reasons and explanations will be presented, and suggestions to improve or enhance the quality of teacher-child interactions will be proposed. This study has implications on pre-school teacher education and professional development as well as government policies and regulations for the Singapore pre-school sector.

Previous research has found that the quality of teacher-child interactions is considered one of the primary mechanisms to foster children’s language, mathematics, socioemotional, and self-regulation development. The study describes the quality of teacher-child interactions measured with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in 59 preschool classrooms in Rio de Janeiro public schools. It estimates the impact of classroom interactions on children’s cognitive development. The data is a subsample of a longitudinal study that tracked children over two years in preschool and presents a probabilistic single-stage cluster sample (school as the primary sampling unit) from the Rio de Janeiro municipal public system with 2716 children assessed. Confirmatory factor analysis provides evidence to support three specific domains of teacher-child interactions in Brazil. Multilevel models estimated the relationship between teacher-child interactions and cognitive development with cross-sectional and value-added models. Results suggest that instructional support positively correlates with language and mathematics development, even after controlling for baseline measures. Implications for educational policy are discussed.

Teachers usually interact with their students in various ways including instruction. If there is a conflict occurs between child and teacher, teachers may have the tendency to use several strategies to regulate this position. Teachers who may not know or not have adequate skills how to handle problems or problem behaviors of children within classroom may lead children to experience various forms of emotional maltreatment. In this study, we focused on emotional maltreatment reported by teachers when they encounter problem behaviors of their students or conflicts within the classroom. It was a qualitative study with 91 female preschool teachers from ten schools. We prepared four semi structured questions to ask about typical problem situations they might encounter within their classes. Teachers were supposed to answer questions based on their experiences and/or opinions concerning how they would handle those kinds of situations. They mostly repeated deprivation which means removing materials/resources that make child feeling comfortable, threatening to remove materials/resources from the physical environment, not being sensitive enough to the needs of child, embarrassing child in front of others, ignoring child who has problem by leaving on his/her own. Results were discussed based on teachers’ role within interactions in a classroom context to affect their emotions, thinking styles, well-being and involvement in classroom activities.

This exploratory study was aimed primarily at developing baseline data on the quality of teacher-child interactions in Singapore pre-school classrooms. Data were collected through observations of teacher-child interactions in 80 pre-schools, using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in the three key domains which are 1) Emotional Support, 2) Classroom Organisation, and 3) Instructional Support (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008). It was found that the overall quality of teacher-child interactions in the Singapore pre-school classrooms was low to moderate, with Instruction Support being the lowest. This finding is similar to that found in studies conducted in many other countries including China and the U.S. (Slot, 2017). Possible reasons and explanations will be presented, and suggestions to improve or enhance the quality of teacher-child interactions will be proposed. This study has implications on pre-school teacher education and professional development as well as government policies and regulations for the Singapore pre-school sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international trend of positioning the preschool as a pre-academic learning environment is challenging for preschool teachers, as it necessitates a balance between emotionally supportive interaction and goal-oriented learning instruction. However, previous research suggests that the complexities of such interactions need to be further studied. This article contributes by presenting a very detailed exploration of how social adaptation is pursued in a goal-oriented documentation activity. The study used a micro-sociological approach, characterized by the careful analysis of verbal and nonverbal interactions. Two research questions were raised: (1) How is social adaptation pursued in verbal and nonverbal interactions in preschool teacher–child relationships during a goal-oriented activity? and (2) How can social adaptation in the preschool context be understood in terms of a “deference-emotion system”? Interactions between a teacher and child in two video-recorded episodes were transcribed and sequentially analyzed thoroughly. The findings suggest that the interactions were regulated through an informal system of social sanctions, in which nonverbal signs of deference played a key role. The interaction was shown to be embedded in an institutional context that advocates goal-oriented instruction, thus highlighting the challenge of preschool teaching in attempting to promote goal-oriented processes while simultaneously maintaining respectful, caring teacher–child relationships.

QualityMatters, an extension of a European Commission funded study, the CARE project, intends to examine whether the quality of teacher-child interactions varies as a function of particular classroom features (e.g., types of activities, content, and grouping), to answer the overarching question: how and under what conditions does quality in early education and care matter? Through a cross-cultural process-oriented approach, the researchers in QualityMatters will capitalize on the variation in the ECEC systems present in 4 European countries (Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Por­tugal) to examine the complex relations of teachers’ choices regarding the activity and teacher-child interactions. The project will examine the extent to which children’s classroom interactions with teachers vary across activity settings, while taking into consideration country specifications regarding structural regulations. While much of the ECEC research has examined process and structural quality as separated constructs, QualityMatters will look at aspects at the intersection of process and structure, likely to be relevant for child development and learning.

The quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) is important for children’s development. One instrument that was developed to assess an aspect of ECEC quality is the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for pre-kindergarten children (CLASS Pre-K). We examined the factorial validity of the instrument using data from 177 German preschool classrooms. The three-factor teaching through interaction model (Hamre et al., 2013) was contrasted to a one-factor, a two-factor, and a bifactor model as proposed by Hamre et al. (2014). Our results indicated that the three-factor structure with the domains of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support fit the data best. The fit of the teaching through interaction model was satisfying after adding a cross-loading of the dimension language modeling on emotional support, and two correlated residuals. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity are provided. In terms of factor structure and pattern score comparisons, the results were similar to previous United States and German studies. The discussion concerns the justifiability of the factor model revisions and draws directions for further research. We concluded that our study offers further evidence of the applicability of the CLASS Pre-K for the assessment of teacher–child interaction quality in the German context.

The quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) is important for children’s development. One instrument that was developed to assess an aspect of ECEC quality is the Classroom Assessment Scoring System for pre-kindergarten children (CLASS Pre-K). We examined the factorial validity of the instrument using data from 177 German preschool classrooms. The three-factor teaching through interaction model ( Hamre et al., 2013 ) was contrasted to a one-factor, a two-factor, and a bifactor model as proposed by Hamre et al. (2014). Our results indicated that the three-factor structure with the domains of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support fit the data best. The fit of the teaching through interaction model was satisfying after adding a cross-loading of the dimension language modeling on emotional support, and two correlated residuals. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity are provided. In terms of factor structure and pattern score comparisons, the results were similar to previous United States and German studies. The discussion concerns the justifiability of the factor model revisions and draws directions for further research. We concluded that our study offers further evidence of the applicability of the CLASS Pre-K for the assessment of teacher–child interaction quality in the German context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how joint attention episodes constitute a core feature of relational pedagogy for infants and toddlers. It draws on social interactionist approaches to language and cognitive development to propose that joint attention may afford significant current and future potential for young children’s learning. However, most joint attention research has taken place within experimental settings, so current definitions of joint attention do not take into account the dynamic group-based nature of the infant-toddler room. In this article, the author presents findings from a study of the language environment of infant-toddler rooms to examine the characteristics of joint attention episodes as they naturally occurred in infant-toddler programs. The author illustrates how qualitatively different episodes of educator–infant joint attention support both language and cognitive development. In doing so, she proposes a theoretical model to represent the learning potential of these shared experiences with the aim of enhancing current understandings of what it means to learn collaboratively in infant-toddler group settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study uses secondary data from videos of 11 teachers in community childcare settings to explore the different roles that teachers use to facilitate play and the way children respond to teachers' behaviours within these roles. Results suggest that specific teacher behaviours within the roles they adopt elicit three types of children's responses: ignore/reject, evaluative, and acceptance behaviours. The coplayer and play leader roles were often associated with children's acceptance behaviours and were considered more appropriate for teachers to support children's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarizes recent trends in early childhood education and the role of teacher-child interactions, and also expands upon one particular framework that has helped the field advance in understanding this key component. Motivation for this summary comes from a growing body of international research, including some studies in Latin America, that indicate that investment in early childhood education can reap significant benefits for children and their communities. Latin America has made significant efforts to increase early childhood education; however, access does not appear to be sufficient to ensure adequate outcomes for children's learning and development. The growing evidence base points to the quality of the experience within the classroom, and specifically to the quality of teacher-child interactions, as critically necessary in order to maximize children's development and learning. The Teaching Through Interactions Framework provides a useful approach to understanding the nature of classroom interactions, as well as initial evidence that professional development can enhance such interactions. Based on this summary of the current state of affairs, this article then offers recommendations for early childhood education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to identify different teaching practices and explore the types of opportunities that they provide for children’s participation in four different Finnish preschool classrooms for 6-year olds during structured learning sessions. Observational data of four preschool teachers were analyzed according to the principles of qualitative content analysis. Three themes of teachers’ practices were identified, which described the key practices through which teachers influence children’s participation, namely, through discussion and conversations; by referring to shared rules and managing the classroom; and through demonstrating pedagogical sensitivity and understanding towards children’s active participation. Further, each teacher was observed implementing these practices in a unique combination in their classrooms, thus, creating different opportunities for participation. The four teachers showed a constructive, enabling, reserved or restrictive/unbalanced stance towards children’s participation. The results of this study highlight the importance of teachers’ pedagogically sensitive attitude as the key to children’s participation. Given that the advantages of participation to learning and development are well established, the results also point to a need to evaluate the prevailing pedagogy and practices more closely from the perspective of participation.

Among 440 early childhood teachers, half were randomly assigned to take a 14-week course on effective teacher-child interactions. This course used the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) as the basis to organize, describe, and demonstrate effective teacher-child interactions. Compared to teachers in a control condition, those exposed to the course reported more intentional teaching beliefs and demonstrated greater knowledge of and skills in detecting effective interactions. Furthermore, teachers who took the course were observed to demonstrate more effective emotional and instructional interactions. The course was equally effective across teachers with less than an associate’s degree as well as those with advanced degrees. Results have implications for efforts to improve the quality of early childhood programs through the higher education system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This nonexperimental, longitudinal field study examines the extent to which variation in observed classroom supports (quality of emotional and instructional interactions and amount of exposure to literacy and math activities) predicts trajectories of achievement in reading and math from 54 months to fifth grade. Growth mixture modeling detected two latent classes of readers: fast readers whose skills developed rapidly and leveled off, and a typical group for which reading growth was somewhat less rapid. Only one latent class was identified for math achievement. For reading, there were small positive associations between observed emotional quality of teacher-child interactions and growth. Growth in math achievement showed small positive relations with observed emotional interactions and exposure to math activities. There was a significant interaction between quality and quantity of instruction for reading such that at higher levels of emotional quality there was less of a negative association between amount of literacy exposure and reading growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 9-year-old clinic-referred boy, his mother, and his teacher were observed in 38 home and 38 school sessions on the same days. Categories of the boy's oppositional behavior and the inappropriate social attention of his mother and teacher were graphed to visually inspect changes during baseline, a parent-training phase, a follow-up phase, and a final parent-training booster phase. Parent-training phases produced reductions in the mother's inappropriate attention and in the boy's oppositional behavior, whereas the follow-up and baseline phases were associated with higher rates of these categories. Generalization occurred in the school across these home phases, as seen in the increase in rates of the boy's problem behavior, despite the lack of change in his teacher's attention. Correlational analyses of proportion scores reflecting the boy's home-school oppositional behavior and mother-teacher social attention suggested his responsiveness to relative changes in adult social contingencies across settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood educators play an important role in supporting children's social and emotional development. While a growing body of research has examined the impact of curriculum-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs on child outcomes, the approaches educators use to strengthen children's social and emotional functioning through their everyday practices are less defined. This study explored Australian early childhood educators' perspectives on children's social and emotional development, the approaches educators use to encourage children's social and emotional skills, the enablers and barriers to SEL within the preschool environment, and the additional support needed. Thirty Early Childhood Education and Care professionals participated in semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Findings suggest children's social-emotional development is at the forefront of educator planning, practice, and reflection. Participants described utilising various approaches to support children's social and emotional skills, embedded within interactions and relationships with children and families. Specifically, strategies could be grouped into four broad categories: a nurturing and responsive educator-child relationship; supporting SEL through everyday interactions and practice; utilising the physical environment to encourage SEL; and working in partnership with caregivers. There was, however, inconsistency in the variety and type of approaches identified. Time constraints, group size, educator confidence and capability, high staff turnover, and limited guidance regarding high-quality social and emotional pedagogy were identified as key barriers. Participants sought practical strategies that could be embedded into daily practice to build upon current knowledge.