Preschool Language Environment and Social Interactions with Peers and Teachers: A Pilot Study in an Early Intervention Classroom

• In Event: Examining proximal and distal factors that promote kindergarten readiness among preschool children in the United States

Abstract

Children's early language environments support their social and academic achievements. Given the substantial amount of time young children spend in the classroom, interactions with peers and teachers are an important context for language development (Burchinal et al., 2008; Perry et al., 2018). However, differences in children’s language abilities shape their opportunities to engage in social interactions with peers and teachers.
Stronger language abilities are associated with more frequent positive interactions within preschool classrooms, whereas language delays are associated more frequent negative interactions with peers and teachers ( Williford et al., 2013). Yet, the role of children’s real-time language environments in influencing moment-to-moment social interactions remains unexplored. Examining how classroom language environments may facilitate social interactions with peers and teachers is especially important for children from low-income backgrounds, who often receive low levels of language input at home, increasing their risk for language delays (Hoff, 2013; Weisleder & Fernald, 2013). To address this gap, this pilot study examined associations between individual children’s objectively measured classroom language environments (language input from peers and teachers and child language output) and peer and teacher social interactions in an early intervention classroom for children from low-SES backgrounds.
Participants were 9 two- and three-year old preschoolers enrolled in an early intervention classroom for high-risk, low SES families. Infants participated in five consecutive, weekly day-long observations in which they each wore a Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) device. Using LENA estimates, we calculated each child’s daily rate measures of target child language output (LENA child vocalization counts), peer language input (other child vocalizations), and teacher language input (adult word count). Trained research assistants observed the class during LENA collection and coded children’s interactions with peers and teachers the valence of their interactions (positive or negative), sampling each child twice per minute for ten minutes total each week. Mixed effects regression models revealed associations between children’s language and their social interactions with peers and teachers.
Multilevel models reveled that children with higher rates of language output not only engaged in a higher number of positive peer interactions in general, but when peer dyads were composed of high talkers they were most likely to engage in positive interactions (Figure 1). In addition, children who received more language input from teachers were more likely to have more positive teacher interactions, an effect that was stronger for children who talked the least (Figures 2A & 2B). Additionally, while negative interactions were overall rare, almost all negative interactions with etchers were had by low talkers. This pilot study was the first, to our knowledge, to explore associations between children’s observed social interactions with peers and teachers and children’s objectively measured real-time classroom language environments. The results suggest that language input, both from peers and teachers, may facilitate and influence positive social interactions in the classroom, and may be especially important for scaffolding positive interactions for less talkative children.

Authors

• Stephanie Custode, University of Miami
  Presenting Author

• Jhonelle Bailey, University of Virginia - Charlottesville
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lei Sun, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mary Anne Ullery
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lynne Katz, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Daniel Messinger, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

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

• Lynn K Perry, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author