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Mediation model between fall problem behavior and spring academic skills through disconnected peer interactions and disruptive peer interactions (for girls only).
Source publication
Given theoretical and empirical support for the importance of peer play within the preschool classroom to early learning, the present study tested the hypothesis that associations between teacher-reported problem behavior and academic skills were mediated by difficulties in peer play (disruptive and disconnected play), for a representative sample (...
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Citations
... It is also possible that children's social competence plays an important role in these associations. Previous studies have suggested that preschoolers with higher social competence also had higher language abilities (Bulotsky-Shearer et al., 2014;Qi et al., 2006) and closer teacher-child relationships (Wu et al., 2018). Thus, future studies should consider analyzing social competence as an important mediator of the association between language and teacher-child relationships. ...
The value of positive teacher‐child relationships for child development is well established for preschool‐ and school‐age children, but little is known regarding children under the age of 3. The current study examined the links between teacher‐child relationship, stability of care, and toddlers’ expressive vocabulary. It also examined whether the associations between the expressive language and the teacher‐child relationship differ depending on the stability of care. Participants of the study were 212 toddlers (50.9% boys) and 36 teachers. Expressive vocabulary skills were assessed individually across two waves, and relationship quality was reported by teachers in the second wave. Results suggested that closeness was associated positively with expressive vocabulary, whereas neither conflict nor dependency were associated with vocabulary. Prior expressive vocabulary also positively predicted closeness, particularly for children with less stable relationships with teachers. Moreover, children who stayed with the same teacher were more likely to have closer, more dependent, and less conflictual relationships with them.
... 1,2 Successful engagement with parents, teachers, and peers promotes the development of many skills essential for emotional regulation, problem solving, empathy, cognition, and language. [3][4][5] Given that learning is closely associated with socially mediated interaction in preschool children, unrecognized or undervalued social and emotional problems not only affect overall development but also impact on their readiness for kindergarten or elementary school, and potentially cause serious lifelong developmental issues, premature mortality, and adult socioeconomic status. 1,6 However, early identification of and service provision to infants and toddlers with social-emotional/behavioral problems have lagged far behind advances in early identification and service provision for delays in cognition, language, and motor development. ...
Background
The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Toddlers (DECA-T), which is one of the few standardized, norm-referenced behavioral rating scales related to young children’s mental health, resilience, and social-emotional development, was developed for toddlers aged between 18 and 36 months.
Objective
The aim of this study was to test the clinimetric properties of the Chinese (Traditional) version of the DECA-T (C-DECA-T) using a classical test theory analysis and an item response theory analysis.
Methods
Seventy-five community-based toddlers aged from 18 to 36 months and 50 clinic-based participants recruited in hospitals in northern Taiwan participated in this study. Social-emotional competence was assessed by the C-DECA-T and children’s behavior problems were rated via the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5 to 5 (CBCL/1.5–5). Homogeneity of the C-DECA-T was assessed by Mokken analysis; sensitivity and specificity were assessed via receiver operating characteristic curve.
Results
The results showed the C-DECA-T demonstrated good test–retest reliability (r=0.8) and high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). Inter-rater reliability between father and mother was fair (ICC = 0.46). Convergent validity of the CBCL/1.5–5 total behavior problems (r=−0.26) demonstrated acceptable psychometric performance. The overall measure of the sampling adequacy of the C-DECA-T assessed by principal component analysis was 0.93. Mokken scale analysis showed the 36-items of the C- DECA-T formed a weak unidimensional scale (Hs=0.35), supporting its construct validity. The area under curve of the C-DECA-T in prediction of social-emotional disturbance was 0.70. The optimal cutoff of the Total Protective Factor score of the C-DECA-T was a T score of 40.1 (T40.1), with a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 68%. Item 2 (“show affection for a familiar adult”) and item 33 (“calm herself/himself”) provide a good amount of information for the assessment of social-emotional strength and needs of a toddler in clinical practice.
Conclusion
The C-DECA-T showed good psychometric properties. Our findings of high internal consistency of the three subscales and total score of the C-DECA-T suggest symptom manifestation of social-emotional competence and needs in Taiwanese toddlers is not culturally different from American toddlers. The clinimetric properties of the C-DECA-T examined by a classical test theory analysis approach and an item response theory analysis approach suggest that the C-DECA-T is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring social-emotional strength and needs in the population in Taiwan.
... Well-established findings have suggested children's low language skills, problem behaviour, poor social skills are all related (Anthony et al., 2005;Bulotsky-Shearer, Romero, Bell, & Carter, 2014;Dearing, McCartney, & Taylor, 2006;Qi, Kaiser, & Milan, 2006;Yew & O'Kearney, 2015). Specifically, a growing body of research conducted with children from low-income families provides concurrent and longitudinal evidence for the link between poor language skills and elevated rates of problem behaviour (Bornstein, Hahn, & Suwalsky, 2013;Horowitz, Westlund, & Ljungberg, 2007;Hughes & Ensor, 2009;Long, Gurka, & Blackman, 2008;Qi et al., 2006). ...
The purpose of the study was to explore whether gender or ethnicity moderated the links between language skills and teacher ratings of problem behaviour and between language and social skills in 386 English-speaking Hispanic and European American preschool children from low-income families. The Preschool Language Scale-4 was administered individually to each child participant. Teachers completed the Child Behavior Checklist/11/2–5 and the Social Skills Rating System for each participant. Results indicated that gender or ethnicity did not moderate the relationships between language skills and problem behaviours. However, the association between language skills and social skills was influenced by gender or ethnicity.
... Children observed with better Task Orientation were reported as having less conflict with the teacher and fewer problem behaviors in the classroom. Children's task engagement may help children avoid problem behav- iors and increase their academic achievement (Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2014), which likely improves how teachers see the child. In addition, children in this study observed Note. ...
This study extended existing work on the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (inCLASS), established as a measure of preschool-age children’s observed interactions in the four domains of Teacher Interactions, Peer Interactions, Task Orientation, and Negative Engagement. Our sample included kindergarten-age children (N = 117; mean age = 5.53 years) in 11 classrooms in four schools from a low-income community. We had three aims: (a) examine the inCLASS’ applicability in this new sample, (b) examine associations with teacher reports of children’s social skills and learning behaviors, and (c) identify characteristics at the time point, child, and classroom levels that contribute to inCLASS scores. We found limited variability in scores for each of the four inCLASS domains, with scores related to teacher reports of children’s skills as expected. Children’s inCLASS scores were highly variable from one observation time point to the next, and time point, child, and classroom characteristics differentially contributed to their scores. Implications for observational assessment are discussed.
... There has been also emphasis on the effects of negative peer play on externalizing behavior (e.g., Silver, Measelle, Armstrong, & Essex, 2010) lack of motivation, passivity, and inattention (e.g., Coolahan, Fantuzzo, Mendez, & McDermott, 2000) and difficulties in literacy and language (e.g., Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Carter, & Dietrich, 2014). The quality of play with peers has also been investigated as a mediator, for example in the relation between problem behavior and academic outcomes (e.g., Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2012;Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2014). ...
Few studies have focused on the importance of peers for child language development in the preschool years. The aim of this study was to assess whether peer expressive language skills predict language ability of preschool-aged children attending Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers. Data from the Behavior Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study (BONDS) were used, including 539 children in 57 centers. Peer expressive language at age two was not, on average, associated with child’s language ability at age four. However, belonging to a peer group with better language skills seemed to attenuate language differences due to educational background. Implications for researchers and policy makers are discussed, namely with regards to the importance of mixed ability classes and instruction strategies aimed at raising the overall competence in the peer group and not only of the less skilled students.
... As such, future studies are needed in order to examine potential intermediary factors (i.e., mediators and moderators) in the associations between early symptoms of social anxiety and subsequent academic adjustment. For instance, findings from recent studies suggest that negative peer interactions mediate the associations between internalizing behaviors and academic outcomes in preschool-aged children (Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2012;Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2014). ...
... Coolahan, Fantuzzo, Mendez, and McDermott (2000) found that children who interacted more positively with peers also showed more positive learning-related behaviors and peer relationships. Recent studies further showed that both teacher ratings of learning-related behaviors and positive play behaviors mediate, or can buffer against, the relationships between problem behaviors and academic achievement in Head Start classrooms (Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2014;Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2012;McWayne & Cheung, 2009). These findings suggest that developing positive learning-related behaviors and/or the ability to form interactive play interaction can lower the negative impacts of problem behaviors on academic achievement. ...
... This measure was positively correlated with children's social skills measured by the teacher rating form of SSRS questionnaire (Gresham & Elliott, 1990) (p < 0.05), and had a positive correlation with learning-related behaviors (p < 0.001) and a negative correlation with problem behaviors (p < 0.05). These correlations support previous studies that children with better social skills and learningrelated behaviors engaged in more interactive play, while children with problem behaviors often struggle with positive peer interaction (e.g., Bulotsky-Shearer et al., 2014;Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell et al., 2012;Hanish et al., 2008). The consistent findings with the previous studies suggest that our teachers were good informants of children's social interaction in the classrooms. ...
... Perhaps gender differences were more significant if the quality of peer interaction had been considered. It is also likely that gender may play a more important role in moderating the relationship between peer interaction and other factors (e.g., Bulotsky-Shearer et al., 2014). Future research can further investigate the qualitative differences of peer interaction between boys and girls and gender moderation effects. ...
Peer interaction contributes strongly to children’s development and learning, but the processes by which peer interaction is shaped in preschool classrooms, particularly classrooms in rural communities, are largely unknown. This study aimed to examine the patterns of peer interaction in rural preschool classrooms as a way to extrapolate how children influence each other in their day-to-day social interaction. Included in this study were 270 preschoolers (Mean age = 53 months, SD = 3.2) from 61 preschool classrooms located in rural communities that primarily served children from low-income families. Results of actor-partner interdependence models demonstrate significant homophily effects of children’s learning-related behaviors and language and literacy skills, after accounting for gender and problem behavior homophily. The similarity of learning-related behaviors between a dyad mediated the relationship between their problem behaviors and the frequency of peer interaction. Children’s language and literacy skills were similar to the skills of their peers with whom they interacted more often toward the end of the academic year. These findings have implications for understanding and improving peer interaction in rural preschool classrooms.
... Existing pre-K studies of associations between social behaviors and academic learning have involved children from a range of ethnicities, the vast majority of whom were African American (e.g., Arnold, 1997;Arnold et al., 2012, Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2014Escalón & Greenfield, 2009;Lonigan et al., 1999, McWayne & Cheung 2009Qi & Kaiser, 2004). This is not entirely surprising given the relatively large proportion of African American children that have been historically served in pre-K programs (Schweinhart, 2004). ...
... In contrast, receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary were statistically significant predictors of internalizing problem behaviors. This is similar in some ways to Bulotsky-Shearer et al. (2014), who also reported relations between preschoolers' internalizing behaviors and academic outcomes. However, they did not use beginning-of-year academic measures, relying instead on fall measures of internalizing behaviors to predict academic outcomes assessed in the following spring. ...
... However, internalizing behaviors remained predictive of program-specific measures of expressive and receptive vocabulary, each of which was directly aligned with a shared book-reading curriculum taught throughout the school year. Bulotsky-Shearer et al. (2014) observed that internalizing problem behaviors predicted lower academic performance at the end of kindergarten. However, they did not use specific language-related outcome measures, opting instead to use a composite measure of children's emergent literacy, numeracy, and problem solving competence. ...
This study examined relations between problem behaviors and early learning outcomes among 138 children in dual language pre-K programs who were identified at the beginning of the school-year to be at risk for difficulties in early language and literacy development. Children’s expressive and receptive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and conceptual thinking skills were assessed at the beginning of pre-K and again at the end of the school year. Their problem behaviors (externalizing, bullying, hyperactivity, and internalizing) were assessed midyear via teacher ratings. With the exception of internalizing problem behaviors, bivariate correlations indicated virtually no associations between children’s entry-level academic skills and mid-year ratings of problem behaviors. However, multilevel models controlling for student- and teacher-level variables revealed that mid-year ratings of problem behaviors were statistically significant predictors of poor outcomes on several vocabulary-related measures administered at the end of pre-K.
... For example, teacher positivity and a childcentered environment were linked with more instances of observed on-task behavior in kindergarten classrooms across several states (Pianta, La Paro, Payne, Cox, & Bradley, 2002). Research also suggests that children in well-organized and managed classrooms exhibit greater engagement (Bohn, Roehrig, & Pressley, 2004;Bruner, 1996;de Kruif, McWilliam, Ridley, & Wakely, 2000;Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2009). ...
... Just as teachers may be important in setting positive classroom tone, teachers' behaviors can establish an organizationally supportive environment that supports children's work. Children's ability to actively engage with tasks can help avoid problem behaviors and promote academic achievement (Bulotsky-Shearer, Bell, Romero, & Carter, 2013;McClelland et al., 2006). ...
Objective: Language learning through computer games has been suggested to enhance language abilities compared with traditional learning methods. Training in language skills may also improve self-control and reduce problematic behaviors in children and adolescents. We hypothesized that computer game-based language training could be more effective than classical language instruction. Furthermore, we propose that the enhanced language skills obtained through computer game language training could correspond with improvements in problematic behaviors within this group. Materials and Methods: This was an 8-week crossover trial consisting of 4 weeks of gaming rounds and 4 weeks of control rounds for two groups. Wise-Ax English is a casual digital game developed for English vocabulary education targeting Korean children. The game incorporates 500 English words selected from a pool designated by the Korean Ministry of Education. The study included 38 Korean students. At the 4-week and 8-week marks, all students were assessed with English competency tests. Results: Over 80% of the participants expressed satisfaction with the digital game-based English education, noting significant improvements in their English abilities compared with those achieved using traditional English classes. During the gaming rounds, children with problematic behaviors demonstrated improvement in test scores relative to their peers without such behaviors. Conclusion: The educational game Wise-Ax English can effectively enhance English language skills among Korean elementary school students. Notably, the effectiveness of Wise-Ax English was more pronounced in students exhibiting higher levels of problematic behavior and anxiety.
