Resilience is a process that develops as a complex transaction as children experience and shape their social-ecological contexts. The dynamic development of self-regulation is an aspect of resilience ...that has received increased attention as a key mechanism predicting a variety of important short- and long-term outcomes. The current study examined how the self-regulation skills of infants and toddlers in a classroom could potentially shape classroom interactions and quality which, in turn, could potentially shape the development of self-regulation skills of the individual infants and toddlers enrolled in the classroom across an early childhood program year. The unique contribution of this study is the focus on a critical component of resilience, self-regulation, in an understudied age group, infants and toddlers, in an important and understudied context, the infant-toddler early childhood classroom.
Data are from a statewide evaluation of early childhood programs serving children birth to age 3 growing up in low-income contexts. Multi-level mediation models were employed to examine the mediation effect of classroom quality between classroom-level self-regulation and individual children's gain in self-regulation over a year.
We found a significant indirect path. The results showed that classroom-level self-regulation skills demonstrated by infants and toddlers in the fall predicted higher levels of teachers' implementation of three important aspects of classroom quality - support for social-emotional, cognitive, and language development - in the winter. We also found that higher levels of teachers' support for social-emotional, cognitive, and language development associated with children's increased growth in self-regulation skills from fall to spring. The direct path from classroom-level self-regulation demonstrated in the fall to individual children's gain in self-regulation was not significant.
These findings, unique due to the focus on infants and toddlers in a classroom context, are discussed within the larger body of existing self-regulation research conducted with older children and prevalent theories outlining developmental mechanisms. Implications for both infant-toddler classroom practices and future research are addressed. Relative to practice, our findings have implications for informing how the development of self-regulation, an important component of resilience, can be supported in the youngest children, infants and toddlers, specifically those enrolled in center-based classrooms serving young children growing up in families with low incomes. We focus on the need to improve the support and professional development of infant-toddler teachers which, in turn, can improve classroom quality and foster resilience in infants and toddlers. Relative to research, our use of a relatively new measure of infant-toddler classroom quality, the Quality of Care for Infants and Toddlers (QCIT), shows how this tool can expand infant-toddler research, a need in the current literature. Future research using different measures, designs, analytical strategies, and diverse samples and contexts is needed to further explain very young children's development of self-regulation, a critical component of resilience.
The current study provides new evidence on the sustained benefits of preschool attendance on a broader range of skills—both academic and executive functioning (EF)—than many prior studies have ...examined. Using propensity score methods, we predicted children's (N = 920, M age at 1st = 6.5 years) literacy, language, math, and EF skills in kindergarten and again at first‐grade (2020–2021) based on whether they had attended public preschool (school‐based pre‐k; Head Start) versus no preschool. In our race‐ethnically diverse sample of children (48% Hispanic/Latinx; 21% Black; 14% White; 9% Native American; 9% multiracial) from low‐income families, preschool attenders showed advantages on English literacy, English language, and math in kindergarten, which mostly persisted into first‐grade. Preschool did not boost EF in kindergarten or first‐grade.
The majority of teachers in the early care and education (ECE) workforce face disparities in physical and psychological well-being as well as working conditions. This study examined the working ...conditions and physical, psychological, and professional well-being of early childhood teachers and compared the results by the child age group they care for and by teachers’ level of educational attainment. Two hundred sixty-two early childhood teachers completed a brief health assessment and a questionnaire on demographic information, well-being, and working conditions. A subsample of 40 teachers were observed for the quality of care they provided to the children. A substantial number of the teachers in the study reported physical and psychological challenges and suboptimal working conditions for well-being, a largely neglected workforce issue, for this working population. Several significant differences in teachers’ well-being and working conditions were found by the child age group for which they care and by teachers’ level of educational attainment. In particular, teachers with higher educational levels had greater resources for work and provided higher quality of care, however, they also reported poorer physical and professional well-being than teachers with less education. Overall findings indicate a need for policies and programs that will improve working conditions and health outcomes for early childhood teachers and the children in their care. These findings suggest that ECE teachers may have unique needs across the age groups with whom they work and teacher educational levels, regarding work-related resources and conditions.
An accepted conclusion is that children at risk for educational failure who participate in high-quality early care and education (ECE) enter kindergarten “more ready”, possessing skills comparable to ...their more advantaged peers. There is less consensus about longer-term outcomes with some studies finding continuation of early gains, while others report “fade out” by elementary school. This study investigated child outcomes, kindergarten through Grade 3, of 75 children randomly assigned as infants to either participate or not in an enhanced Early Head Start/Head Start program. It was hypothesized that the children who experienced this high-quality ECE would perform better than their control group peers across a range of measures. From kindergarten to Grade 3, children in the treatment group demonstrated higher skills in letter and word identification, vocabulary, oral comprehension, and math than control group children after controlling for child/family characteristics and classroom quality. Results for executive functioning were mixed with children in the treatment group showing higher skills on one of the two measures of executive function. No group differences were found for social-emotional skills. This study contributes to the scant literature of longitudinal studies spanning infancy through to Grade 3. In addition to the findings of a general pattern of continuation of positive child outcomes in early academic skills associated with earlier high-quality ECE attendance, this study also contributes information about the potential size of impacts of contemporary ECE programs starting in infancy.
Background
The need for cross-sector collaborations to implement system-level improvements in early childhood care and education brings increased demand for comprehensive and practicable means of ...evaluating such collaborations.
Objective
This mixed-methods study evaluates a statewide collaboration formed to develop a strategic plan for a comprehensive mixed-delivery system serving children birth to age 5 using instruments appropriate to an early-stage collaboration and adding a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Method
All collaboration members were asked to complete the Collaborative Vitality Survey and a random subsample of members with high rates of participation completed phone interviews. Survey data were summarized across six dimensions: participation, community, productivity, communication, accountability, and synergy. Using thematic analysis and frequencies, qualitative interviews were coded along these dimensions and DEI, incorporating an appreciative inquiry approach identifying barriers, supports, and hopes for the future.
Results
Overall, collaborative participation was high. Across methods, respondents reported they, overall, were pleased with collaborative functioning. Qualitative interviews suggest the collaboration domains of community and participation were most salient. Concrete recommendations from participants can be put into practice and inform the collaboration as state-level work continues.
Conclusion
The early stage of collaboration is fundamental to success and defined by building cohesion, norms, and roles. This study highlights key weaknesses and strengths that influence collaborative functioning at this stage and illustrates the significance of defining and manifesting DEI in collaboration efficacy. This study demonstrates the importance of evaluating collaboration in an ongoing manner to ensure effectiveness and inform improvements in functioning over time.
ABSTRACT
The findings of this empirical research provide new information about the importance of caregiver interactions during care routines, specifically diaper changing, in supporting infant and ...toddler involvement and well‐being. This correlational study involved observations of 144 separate diapering cycles by 31 caregivers with 74 infants and toddlers in 30 infant and toddler classrooms in a U.S. Midwest city. Based on these observations, caregiver responsiveness was found to be significantly related to both child involvement and child well‐being. Another feature of caregivers’ behavior, caregiver encouragement, was significantly associated with child well‐being, but not child involvement. The study results suggest that caregivers’ behaviors, specifically responsiveness and encouragement, during diapering are vital proximal processes in the moment‐to‐moment interactions between a caregiver and child. Thus, responsiveness and encouragement in care routines should be emphasized in infant care settings and be a focus for caregiver professional development, including pre‐ and in‐service training. Although training related to diapering is often restricted to health concerns, the findings suggest that specific caregiver–child interactions during this care routine may support or hinder children's well‐being and involvement in the moment. Caregiver responsiveness to children's cues in this context may enhance children's opportunities to practice involvement in bidirectional relationships and support children's well‐being.
RESUMEN
Los resultados de esta investigación empírica aportan información acerca de la importancia de las interacciones del cuidador durante las rutinas de prestar el cuidado, específicamente el cambio de los pañales, en cuanto a apoyar la participación y el bienestar del infante y el niño pequeñito. Este estudio correlativo incluyó las observaciones de 144 ciclos separados de cambios de pañales por parte de 31 cuidadores con 74 infantes y niños pequeñitos en 30 salas para infantes y niños pequeñitos en una ciudad del medio oeste de los Estados Unidos. Con base en estas observaciones, se encontró que la sensibilidad del cuidador estaba significativamente relacionada con la participación y el bienestar del niño. Otra característica del comportamiento del cuidador, la motivación del cuidador, se asoció significativamente con el bienestar del niño, pero no con la participación del niño. Los resultados del estudio sugieren que los comportamientos de los cuidadores, específicamente la sensibilidad y la motivación, durante el cambio de pañales son procesos vitales proximales en las interacciones de momento a momento entre un cuidador y el niño. Por tanto, la sensibilidad y la motivación en las rutinas de prestar cuidado deben enfatizarse en escenarios de cuidados a infantes y deben ser el enfoque para el desarrollo profesional del cuidador, incluyendo el entrenamiento previo y durante el servicio. Mientras que el entrenamiento relacionado con el cambio de pañales es a menudo restringido a las preocupaciones de salud, los resultados sugieren que interacciones específicas entre cuidador y niño durante la rutina de este cuidado pudieran apoyar o impedir el bienestar y la participación del niño en este momento. La sensibilidad del cuidador a las señales del niño en este contexto pudiera mejorar las oportunidades del niño para practicar la participación en relaciones bidireccionales y apoyar el bienestar de los niños.
RÉSUMÉ
Les résultats de ces recherches empiriques offrent de nouvelles données sur l'important des interactions de la personne prenant soin de l'enfant durant les routines de soin, plus particulièrement le changement de couche, dans le soutien à l'implication et au bien‐être du nourrisson et du petit enfant. Cette étude corrélationnelle a compris des observations de 144 cycles de changement de couche séparés, faits par 31 personnes prenant soin de 74 nourrissons et petits enfants dans 30 crèches dans une ville américaine du centre‐nord des Etats‐Unis. Basé sur ces observations on a établi que la réaction des personnes prenant soin des enfants était liée de manière importante à l'implication de l'enfant et au bien‐être de l'enfant. Un autre trait du comportement des personnes prenant soin de l'enfant, leurs encouragements, était lié de manière important au bien‐être de l'enfant, mais pas à l'implication de l'enfant. Les résultats de l’étude suggèrent que les comportements des personnes prenant soin de l'enfant, plus spécifiquement la réaction et l'encouragement, durant le changement de couche sont des processus de proximité essentiels dans les interactions moment‐à‐moment entre la personne prenant soin de l'enfant et l'enfant. Donc la réaction et l'encouragement dans les routines de soin devraient être soulignés dans les contextes de soin au nourrisson et leur nécessitée accentuée dans la formation professionnelle des personnes prenant soin d'enfant, y compris durant la formation pré‐emploi et la formation continue. Bien que la formation au changement de couches soit souvent confinée aux préoccupations en matière de santé les résultats suggèrent que les interactions spécifiques personne prenant soin de l'enfant‐enfant durant cette routine de soin peut soutenir ou entraver le bien‐être et l'implication des enfants dans le moment. La réaction des personnes prenant soin de l'enfant aux signaux des enfants dans ce contexte peut accroître les opportunités qu'ont les enfants de s'impliquer dans des relations bidirectionnelles et soutenir le bien‐être des enfants.
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG
Interaktionen zwischen Säuglingen, Kleinkindern und ihren Betreuer:innen während des Wickelns: Reaktivität der Betreuungsperson, Wohlbefinden und Beteiligung des Kindes
Die Ergebnisse dieser empirischen Untersuchung liefern neue Informationen über die Bedeutung der Interaktionen von Betreuer:innen während Pflegeroutinen. Dabei liegt der Fokus darauf, inwiefern das Windelwechseln für die Beteiligung sowie das Wohlbefinden von Säuglingen und Kleinkindern eine Unterstützung sein kann. Die vorliegende Korrelationsstudie umfasste 144 Beobachtung von separaten Wickelzyklen, an denen 31 Betreuer:innen mit 74 Säuglingen und Kleinkindern in 30 Säuglings‐ und Kleinkindgruppen in einer Stadt im mittleren Westen der USA beteiligt waren. Basierend auf diesen Beobachtungen wurde festgestellt, dass die Reaktivität der Betreuer:innen signifikant mit der Beteiligung und dem Wohlbefinden der Kinder assoziiert ist. Ermutigung durch die Betreuer:innen war ebenfalls signifikant mit dem kindlichen Wohlbefinden, aber nicht mit der kindlichen Beteiligung assoziiert. Die Ergebnisse der Studie deuten darauf hin, dass das Verhalten der Betreuer:innen während des Wickelns, insbesondere Reaktivität und Ermutigung, wichtige proximale Prozesse in den Moment‐zu‐Moment‐Interaktionen zwischen Betreuungsperson und Kind sind. In der Säuglingspflege sollten daher Reaktivität und Ermutigung während der Pflegeroutine in den Vordergrund gerückt werden. Außerdem sollten sie einen Schwerpunkt in der Ausbildung von KiTa‐Betreuer:innen darstellen, einschließlich vor‐ und nachbereitender Schulungen. Aktuell sind Schulungen zum Wickeln oft auf gesundheitliche Belange beschränkt. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse deuten allerdings darauf hin, dass spezifische Interaktionen zwischen Betreuungsperson und Kind während dieser Pflegeroutine das kindliche Wohlbefinden und die Beteiligung des Kindes in diesem Moment unterstützen oder behindern können. Das Eingehen der Betreuer:innen auf die kindlichen Signale in diesem Kontext kann den Kindern eine Gelegenheit bieten, sich in bidirektionalen Beziehungen zu üben und somit das kindliche Wohlbefinden fördern.
抄録
おむつ替え時の保育者と乳幼児・幼児の相互作用:保育者の応答性と子の幸福と関わり
この実証研究では成果として、乳幼児と幼児の関わりと幸福を支援する上で、日常的な世話、特におむつ替え時の保育者との相互作用の重要性についての新しい情報を提供する。この相関研究は、米国中西部のある都市の乳幼児と幼児の30教室で、74人の乳幼児と幼児を担当する31人の保育者による144の独立したおむつ交換サイクルの観察を含む。これらの観察によると、保育者の応答性が、子の関わりや子の幸福と有意に関連していた。保育者の行動の別の特徴である保育者の励ましは、子の幸福と有意な関連性があったが、子の関わりとは相関しなかった。研究の結果は、保育者のおむつ替え時の行動、特に応答性と励ましが、保育者と子の間の瞬間瞬間の相互作用において、不可欠な近接過程であると示唆している。このように、日常的な世話の時の応答性と励ましは、乳幼児を世話する場では重視されるべきである。そして、保育者の前研修や実地訓練を含めて、専門性の発達の中心であるべきである。おむつに関係するトレーニングがしばしば健康懸念に限定される一方で、結果は、日常的な世話の時の特定の保育者‐子の相互作用はその瞬間の子の幸福と関わりを支えたり妨げたりしている可能性があると示唆している。この文脈における子どもからのサインに対する保育者の応答性は、双方向の関係性への関わりを経験し、子どもの幸福を支える子どもの機会を強化するであろう。
摘要
这项实证研究的结果提供了看护者有关护理程序中 (特别是换尿布) , 用以帮助婴幼儿参与度和健康度的互动的重要性的新信息。这项相关研究涉及在美国中西部城市的30个婴幼儿教室中, 由31位看护者对74名婴幼儿进行的144个单独的换尿布周期的观察。基于这些观察, 发现看护者的响应与儿童参与度、儿童健康度显著相关。看护者行为的另一个特征, 即看护者的鼓励, 与儿童健康度显著相关, 但与儿童参与度无关。研究结果表明, 看护者在换尿布过程中的行为, 特别是响应和鼓励, 是看护者与儿童之间即时互动的重要近体过程。因此, 在婴儿护理机构中应强调护理程序中的响应和鼓励, 并将其作为看护者专业发展的重点, 包括岗前和在职培训。虽然与换尿布有关的培训通常只限于健康方面的考虑, 但研究结果表明, 在这一护理程序中, 特定的看护者与儿童之间的互动可能会帮助或阻碍儿童的健康度和参与度。在这种情况下, 看护者对儿童暗示的响应可能会增加儿童练习参与双向关系以及帮助儿童健康的机会。
ملخص
تفاعلات الرضع والأطفال مع مقدمي الرعاية أثناء وضع الحفاظات: استجابة مقدم الرعاية ورفاه الطفل ومشاركته
توفر نتائج هذا البحث التجريبي معلومات جديدة حول أهمية تفاعلات مقدمي الرعاية أثناء روتين الرعاية ، وتحديدا تغيير الحفاضات ، في دعم مشاركة الرضع والأطفال الصغار ورفاهيتهم. شملت هذه الدراسة الارتباطية ملاحظات على 144 دورة حفاضات منفصلة من قبل 31 من مقدمي الرعاية مع 74 رضيعا وطفلا صغيرا في 30 فصل دراسي للرضع والأطفال الصغار في مدينة في الغرب الأوسط الأمريكي. واستنادا إلى هذه الملاحظات، تبين أن استجابة مقدمي الرعاية كانت ترتبط ارتباطا كبيرا بمشاركة الطفل ورفاهيته. وهناك سمة أخرى لسلوك مقدمي الرعاية، وهي تشجيع مقدمي الرعاية، ترتبط ارتباطا كبيرا برفاهية الطفل، ولكن ليس بمشاركته. تشير نتائج الدراسة إلى أن سلوكيات مقدمي الرعاية، وعلى وجه التحديد الاستجابة والتشجيع، أثناء وضع الحفاظات هي عمليات حيوية في التفاعلات اللحظية بين مقدم الرعاية والطفل. وبالتالي، ينبغي التأكيد على الاستجابة والتشجيع في روتينات الرعاية في سياق رعاية الرضع وأن يكونا محورا للتطوير المهني لمقدمي الرعاية، بما في ذلك التدريب قبل الخدمة وفي أثناءها. وفي حين أن التدريب المتعلق بوضع الحفاظات يقتصر في كثير من الأحيان على الشواغل الصحية، فإن النتائج تشير إلى أن التفاعلات المحددة بين مقدمي الرعاية والأطفال أثناء روتين الرعاية
Given the importance of health to educational outcomes, and education to concurrent and future health, cross-systems approaches, such as the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) ...framework, seek to enhance services typically in K-12 settings. A major gap exists in cross-systems links with early care and education serving children birth to age 5. Both pediatric health systems and early family and child support programs, such as Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS), seek to promote and optimize the health and wellbeing of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. Despite shared goals, both EHS/HS and pediatric health providers often experience challenges in reaching and serving the children most in need, and in addressing existing disparities and inequities in services. This paper focuses on infant/toddler services because high-quality services in the earliest years yield large and lasting developmental impacts. Stronger partnerships among pedicatric health systems and EHS programs serving infants and toddlers could better facilitate the health and wellbeing of young children and enhance family strengths and resilience through increased, more intentional collaboration. Specific strategies recommended include strengthening training and professional development across service platforms to increase shared knowledge and terminology, increasing access to screening and services, strengthening infrastructure and shared information, enhancing integration of services, acknowledging and disrupting racism, and accessing available funding and resources. Recommendations, including research-based examples, are offered to prompt innovations best fitting community needs and resources.
The present study examined predictors and pathways relevant to children's dosage in Early Head Start (EHS) using the dataset from the Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Study (Baby FACES; ...Vogel & Boller, 2009–2012). Dosage was defined in two ways: (a) leaving EHS early, before age eligibility ended, and (b) the total length of EHS enrollment. This study first examined factors predicting children's dosage of EHS with a particular focus on parent-caregiver relationships captured when children were age 1. Second, this study examined a potential mediational role of family involvement on the association between parent-caregiver relationships and EHS dosage, controlling for child and family characteristics. Findings showed that children from families with higher risks were more likely to leave EHS early and were enrolled in EHS for less time. Children were less likely to leave EHS early when their caregivers reported positive relationships with parents when children were age 1. However, the length of EHS enrollment was not predicted by parent-caregiver relationships as reported either by parents or caregivers. Findings from mediation models showed that caregiver-reported positive parent-caregiver relationships were associated with the higher level of family involvement during EHS which, in turn, predicted both lower rates of early leaving and longer length of EHS enrollment. These results indicate that promoting initial positive parent-caregiver relationships and encouraging family involvement in EHS may be important for maximizing children's EHS dosage, which has been shown to be beneficial for the development of children in EHS.
•Parent-caregiver relationships perceived by caregivers directly predicted low rates of early leaving.•Families with higher risks were more likely to leave EHS early and were enrolled in EHS for less time.•The mediational role of family involvement between parent-caregiver relationships and children’s dosage in EHS was found.
Exposure to teachers and teaching-related activities is vital for young children’s learning. When COVID-19 closed schools, teachers responded with a mix of live- and prerecorded lessons and ...one-on-one communication with students, which necessitated shifts in planning time. The current study identifies pre-COVID predictors of time teachers devoted to each of these teaching-related activities to illuminate actionable levers for supporting educators during widespread educational disruption. Teachers with higher prepandemic job commitment devoted more overall time to pandemic-induced remote teaching. Teachers’ prepandemic executive functioning and observed classroom instructional and organizational quality—features of successful teachers during normal times—predicted more during-pandemic time remote teaching, while teacher older age and having more high-needs students was associated with less remote teaching time. These results contribute to an emerging literature that spotlights potential promising avenues for supporting teachers via professional development during normal times as well as in future widespread educational disruptions.
The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of and relationship between responsive feeding practices used during early childhood education (ECE) mealtimes and high-quality teaching ...practices and teacher characteristics. We found variation in teachers’ use of responsive feeding practices. Teachers were more often observed using role modeling than supporting eating self-regulation. Programs that implemented family style meal service had a generally higher use of responsive feeding practices. Overall, we found positive associations between high-quality teaching practices and responsive feeding practices. Teachers’ Head Start status was associated with teaching practices and role modeling during mealtime. Teachers’ education and salary were associated with high-quality teaching practices. This study highlights the possible training needs for teachers related to responsive feeding practices and the need to expand classroom quality assessment to incorporate classroom routines. Finally, this study sheds light on the importance of building better interdisciplinary partnerships to support teachers during mealtimes and to improve ECE mealtime practices in order to help promote optimal outcomes for children in all areas of development.
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