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Features of Instruction that Promote Children’s Development: Evidence from Systematic Classroom Observations

Thu, April 8, 1:10 to 2:40pm EDT (1:10 to 2:40pm EDT), Virtual

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

There is considerable variation in children’s early learning experiences with respect to how classrooms are structured, the interactions in which children engage, and the quality of instruction delivered. Further, there is limited evidence about the targets—or aspects of learning environments—that matter most for supporting children’s development as they move across PreK and into elementary school in order to sustain the benefits of early childhood education. To this end, the proposed panel examines a range of understudied features of classroom instruction– measured with observational data at both the classroom- and individual-child levels – and their ability to predict children’s positive developmental outcomes. The first paper uses observational ratings to create measures of content-rich instruction and cognitive demand in PreK classrooms and examine their associations with gains in children’s math and language skills. The second study leverages data from individual student observations to examine whether children who attend PreK have different learning opportunities, peer relationships, and relationships with teachers than children who do not, and whether those experiences support development during the transition from PreK to kindergarten. The third paper also explores individual students but focuses on understanding exposure to varied teacher organizational strategies and their links with children’s academic development. The final study considers associations between individual children’s experiences with language exchanges, instructional content, and classroom settings and academic development in kindergarten and first grade. Presenters will discuss how results can help inform continued development of supports to implement high-quality PreK programs at-scale.

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