Poster #79 - Play as a Predictor of Interaction Quality Between Teachers and Toddlers

• In Event: 2-055 - Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

The interactions between children and caregivers during early childhood are of fundamental importance for children’s development (Hamre & Pianta, 2007; Morrison & Connor, 2002). High quality teacher-child interactions are of particular importance for children who come from low-income backgrounds. Research suggests that high quality early learning experiences may serve to buffer the negative effects associated with poverty (Hamre & Pianta, 2005). Developmental theory and research highlight the critical role of play as a driver of children’s cognitive and social-emotional growth (Singer, Golinkoff & Hirsh-Pasek, 2006).
This study examined the quality of teacher-child interactions during play in toddler classrooms. The following research questions were investigated: 1) Is there an association between the time toddlers spend in play and the quality of teacher-child interactions? 2) Does time spent in play significantly predict the quality of teacher-child interactions?
Participants included 34 Early Head Start toddler teachers across 9 centers and 33 classrooms. All teachers, with ages ranging from 25 to 65 years old (M = 42.23, SD = 11.47) were female and 63.9% identified as Latino, 30.1% as Black, and 6% as other. Toddler classrooms were recorded for about three hours across a typical morning. These videos were coded to document the type and length (in minutes) of the activity settings captured. The total time spent in play was calculated and compared to the total time coded for each classroom. On average, children spent about 11% of their time in play during a typical morning in the classroom.
One of the most widely used and established tools for measuring classroom interaction quality is the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS-T; LaParo, Hamre & Pianta, 2012). The CLASS-T consists of two domains: 1) Emotional and Behavioral Support (EBS), which captures teacher behaviors that support children’s development of positive relationships, behavioral regulation, and independence, and 2)Engaged Support for Learning (ESL), which captures teachers’ support of children’s language and critical thinking skills.
Time spent in free play was significantly and positively correlated with the Regard for Child Perspectives and Language Modeling dimensions of the CLASS-T. Linear regression analyses resulted in play as a significant predictor of teachers’ cognitive and emotional support at the domain level (EBS and ELS) after controlling for teacher age and ethnicity. Additionally, time spent in free play was predictive of teachers’ Language Modeling and Regard for Child Perspective.
This study highlights the importance of play in toddler classrooms. Despite the small percentage of time spent in play, preliminary results indicate that teachers are more likely to provide higher levels of cognitive and emotional support while children are engaged in play. These findings can be used to inform decisions around curriculum in early childcare centers, as well as to target professional development opportunities around the importance of play.

Authors

• Claudia Perez, University of Miami
  Presenting Author

• Veronica Andrea Fernandez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Johayra Bouza, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dorothy Michelle Sanchez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Santiago Garcia, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Milena Mercedes Mieles, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Daryl Greenfield, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author