35.053 - Understanding the Social Emotional Classroom Climate of Socioculturally and Neurodiverse Children in Early Childhood Education

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

The instructional climate in early childhood classrooms, including the quality of teacher-child relationships, has been found to predict concurrent and longitudinal social and cognitive outcomes, particularly for children at-risk of school failure (Denham, 2006; Entwisle, Alexander, & Olson, 2005; Hamre & Pianta, 2005; Howes, 2000). Howes’ (2010) proposes a theoretical framework that integrates families’ cultural practices (Rogoff, 2003) with attachment theory (Bowlby,1982), to incorporate interpersonal relationships as cultural practices into child development and learning. Limited research has investigated the classroom climate, specifically the teacher-child relationship, among socioculturally and neuro-diverse children. In this symposium researchers apply Howes’ framework to explore the social-emotional instructional climate and the interpersonal relationships that occur in early childhood classrooms and their connections to school-readiness.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Early Education and Child Development

Chairs

• Alison Gallwey Wishard Guerra, University of California - San Diego

• Shana R. Cohen, University of California - San Diego

Papers

• The Fourth R: Relationships - Jennifer A. Vu, University of Delaware

• Social and Cognitive Development Among Dual Language Learning Mexican-Heritage Children Attending Head Start: The Role of Adult–Child Relationships - Alison Gallwey Wishard Guerra, University of California - San Diego; Robert C. Carr, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Building a Community in the Classroom: How Are Children With Autism Included in Their Classroom Communities? - Shana R. Cohen, University of California - San Diego; Sasha Zeedyk, University of California - Riverside; Naomi Rodas, University of California - Los Angeles; Jan Blacher, University of California - Riverside; Abbey Eisenhower, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• The Role of Ethnicity and Cultural Practices in the Formation of Relationships Between Infants, Toddlers, and Child Care Providers - Catherine Tsao; Carollee Howes, University of California - Los Angeles

Discussant

• Bryant Jensen, Brigham Young University