Teacher-Family Relationship Quality and Toddler’s Social-Emotional and Language Outcomes within Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

• In Event: Meeting the Mandate for Delivering Comprehensive Services for Families: Early Head Start Supports and Outcomes

Abstract

Understanding and supporting strong collaborative relationships between teachers and families has become even more critical because of the rapid expansion of early childhood programs. Researchers have documented the positive role of teacher-family relationship quality in children’s language and social emotional developmental skills during early childhood (e.g., Powell, Son, File, & San Juan, 2010). Higher teacher-family relationship quality is positively associated with children’s social competence (e.g., Sheridan, Knoche, Edwards, Bovaird, & Kupzyk, 2010). Conversely, it is negatively associated with children’s problem behavior (e.g., Sheridan, Knoche, Edwards, Bovaird, & Kupzyk, 2010). Although limited, the extant literature suggests that children benefit when the relationship quality between their families and teachers is positive. Most of the current research examines this relationship within preschool samples, with little attention to younger children. Here, we examined the association between family-reported teacher-family relationship quality and toddlers’ developmental skills (social-emotional skills and language skills).

Participants included 152 ethnically diverse children and families enrolled in Early Head Start- Child Care Partnership Programs across 9 centers and 19 classrooms. Children’s ages ranged from 13-43 months (M= 29.24, SD= 7.69), with 51.6% girls. About 43% of children identified as Black and 39% identified as Latino. Primary caregivers’ ages ranged from 20 to 60 years (M=32.18, SD=32.0), with 88.7% females. Teachers (n = 39) ranged in age from 25-65 years old (M=41.62, SD=11.28), with 100% females.

Families reported on their relationship quality with teachers using the family version of Family Provider/Teacher Relationship Quality (FPTRQ; Kim et al., 2015) questionnaires. After exploratory factor analysis within the EHS-CCP sample, the resulting dimensions of FPTRQ were: Child-specific Knowledge, Family-specific Knowledge, Collaboration, Responsiveness, Communication, Commitment and Understanding the Context. For a subsample of children, their language skills were directly assessed in English and Spanish using the Preschool Language Scale-Fifth Edition (Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2011), which includes receptive and expressive language subscales. Teachers reported on children’s social emotional development (social competence and behavior problems) using the Brief Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (Briggs-Gowan & Carter, 2002). To account for nesting (children in classrooms), we used hierarchical linear modeling.

Family perception of teacher-family relationship quality was positively associated with children’s developmental skills -- higher child specific knowledge, responsiveness, and commitment was associated with better receptive and expressive language skills and social competence. Understanding the context was negatively associated with children’s behavior problems.

Together, these findings suggest that toddler’s language and social skills may benefit from better teacher-family relationship quality. When families feel more comfortable sharing information with teachers about children, perceive teachers being more sensitive and flexible, and more committed to the role as teachers, children demonstrated a higher level of understanding and producing speech and were more socially competent in the classroom. Programs can use these findings to strengthen their family engagement efforts, particularly those that promote teachers being more sensitive and responsive towards families.

Authors

• Johayra Bouza, University of Miami
  Presenting Author

• Veronica A. Fernandez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rebecca J. Bulotsky Shearer, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Claudia Perez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dorothy Sanchez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Daryl B Greenfield, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author