Caregiver and Teacher Use of Evaluation and the Development of Latino Preschoolers Socio-Emotional Skills Lauren Scarola Department of Applied Psychology

Acknowledgements Dr. Gigliana Melzi Dr. Adina Schick The LFIP Research Team The Undergraduate Department of Applied Psychology Grant for Student Research

Entering Formal Schooling Environments For preschoolers to adjust successfully to the demands of formal schooling, school readiness skills must be developed. Unfortunately, 35% of children do not enter kindergarten with the necessary skills. The largest percentage of children who are at risk for experiencing these difficulties are Latino. Academic Skills Non- Academic Skills Lack of school readiness skills Difficulty adapting to kindergarten Pattern of school failure

Latino Preschoolers Latinos are the fastest growing immigrant community in the United States. Latino children enter kindergarten with less developed academic school readiness skills. Less is known about non-academic school readiness skills.

High Levels of Regulatory Skills Emotional & Behavioral Regulation High levels of behavioral and emotional regulation are crucial for success in kindergarten environments. High tolerance for frustration Management of behaviors and impulses Easy adjustment to new situations Advanced Learning Behaviors Listening attentively Following directions Patience in classroom activities Higher Academic Achievement

Low Levels of Regulatory Skills Emotional & Behavioral Regulation High levels of behavioral and emotional regulation are crucial for success in kindergarten environments. Difficulty focusing Defiance Poor behavioral control Maladaptive Learning Behaviors Emotional outbursts Tantrums Calling Out Lower Academic Achievement

Socio-Emotional Competence Behavioral & Emotional Regulation Academic Achievement

Socio-Emotional Competence Behavioral & Emotional Regulation Everyday Conversation in Various Contexts Socio- Emotional Competence Academic Achievement Everyday conversations occur in numerous contexts including: Peer interactions Play groups Caregiver modeling Conversations with caregivers

Narratives as a Conversational Context Narrative sharing has been linked to non- academic aspects of school readiness including: Self-concept Understanding of theory of mind Emotional competence Evaluation in narratives is particularly important for development of socio- emotional competence. Evaluation is a narrators provision of subjective information that goes beyond basic referential information and calls attention to details the narrator deems important.

The dog fell out the window with a jar on his head. The boy watched him from his window. Referential Information

The silly dog jumped out the window with a jar on his head. Oh no! The boy watched him from his window. He was worried the dog would get hurt. Evaluative Information

The Preschool Context Extant research examining the relation between narrative evaluation and socio-emotional skills has focused on the home context. Preschools are an important, yet overlooked context for children's development of socio-emotional skills.

Research Objectives & Questions Narrative Evaluation Narrative Evaluation Caregivers Teachers Caregivers Narrative Evaluation Teachers Narrative Evaluation Childrens Socio-Emotional Skills Childrens Socio-Emotional Skills Childrens Socio-Emotional Skills Childrens Socio-Emotional Skills End of first year of Head StartEnd of second year of Head Start The present study examined the relation between caregiver and teacher use of evaluation during a book sharing interaction and childrens socio-emotional skills across the two Head Start years. Three main questions guided the present study:

Children (N = 40) 40 Latino children (20 girls; 20 boys) their caregivers and Head Start teachers participated in the study. Children were on average 43 months old ( SD = 2.71). 53% of children spoke Spanish and 47% spoke English.

Caregivers (N = 40) Caregivers ranged in age from 21 to 59 years ( M = 29, SD = 7.52). Caregivers age of immigration was 12 years old ( SD = 10.53).

Teachers (N = 11) Teachers ranged in age from 31 to 71 years ( M = 48.83, SD = 10.92). Teachers age of immigration was 7 years old ( SD = 11.18). 25% of teachers earned a bachelors level degree and 75% earned a masters level degree or higher. Head Start instructors worked as lead teacher for an average of 12 years ( SD = 7.02).

Caregivers and teachers were asked to share a wordless picture book about a boy, a dog and his frog used in narrative research. Fall 2009 Spring 2010 Spring 2011 Procedure & Measures Childrens caregiversChildrens teachers

Fall 2009 Spring 2010 Spring 2011 Procedure & Measures Childrens non- academic school readiness were assessed by teachers and investigators using two measures. Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale (PLBS; McDermott, Green, Francis & Sttott, 2002) α =.93 Assessor's Report from The Preschool Self Regulation Assessment (PSRA; Raver et al, 2011) α =.96

Fall 2009 Spring 2010 Procedure & Measures Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale (PLBS; McDermott, Green, Francis & Sttott, 2002; α =.93) Assessor's Report from The Preschool Self Regulation Assessment (PSRA; Raver et al, 2011; α =.96) Childrens non- academic skills were assessed using the same measures as in Spring 2010, with an additional measure of effortful control. Spring 2011

Procedure & Measures Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale (PLBS; McDermott, Green, Francis & Sttott, 2002; α =.93) Assessor's Report from The Preschool Self Regulation Assessment (PSRA; Raver et al, 2011; α =.96) Childrens non- academic skills were assessed using the same measures as in Spring 2010, with an additional measure of effortful control. Spring 2011 The Preschool Self Regulation Assessment: Snack Delay (PSRA; Raver et al, 2011; α =.93)

Other Emotion Intention Story World Evaluation Narrative Evaluation Real World Evaluation Conjecture Coding of Narrative Evaluation

Research Question 1: How do caregivers and teachers use evaluation in their narrations of wordless picture books?

Caregiver & Teacher Use of Evaluation

* t (38) = p <.05 t (38) = p <.05 *

Research Question 2: How does caregivers and teachers use of evaluation predict childrens socio-emotional skills in Year 1?

YR 1: Demographics & Socio-Emotional Outcomes Childs Language Caregivers Age of Immigration Teachers Age of Immigration Teachers Age PLBS Motivation-.33*.40*-.33*.08 PLBS Persistence-.35*.44** PLBS Attitude-.41**.42**-.42**.07 PLBS Total-.39*.47**-.37*.13 Attention Control-.34*.39* Positive Emotion * * p <.05, ** p <.005

YR 1: Evaluation & Socio-Emotional Outcomes Caregivers Story World Evaluation Caregivers Real World Evaluation Teachers Story World Evaluation Teachers Real World Evaluation PLBS Motivation.37* PLBS Persistence PLBS Attitude PLBS Total.35* Attention Control.40* * Positive Emotion * p <.05 ( B =.11, p <.05, R 2 =.10), ( B =.21, p <.05, R 2 =.09) ( B =.19, p <.05, R 2 =.13 )( B =.54, p <.05, R 2 =.16)

Research Question 3: How does caregivers and teachers use of evaluation predict childrens socio-emotional skills in Year 2?

YR 2: Demographics & Socio-Emotional Outcomes Childs Gender Childs Language Caregivers Age of Immigration People in Home Teachers Age PLBS Motivation.46**-.34*.33* PLBS Persistence.40*-.39*.40**.30.31* PLBS Attitude.39*-.39**.48**.29.34* PLBS Total.43**-.40*.41** Attention Control ** Positive Emotion **.06 Snack Delay * * p <.05, ** p <.005

YR 2: Evaluation & Socio-Emotional Outcomes Caregivers Story World Evaluation Caregivers Real World Evaluation Teachers Story World Evaluation Teachers Real World Evaluation PLBS Motivation PLBS Persistence PLBS Attitude PLBS Total Attention Control Positive Emotion Snack Delay *.21 * p <.05 ( B =.01, p <.05, R 2 =.11 )

Summary of Results & Discussion Teachers used more total and story world evaluation than caregivers. For the first year of Head Start, caregivers story world evaluation was predictive of childrens positive learning behaviors and self regulatory skills. Supports previous research on narrative sharing between caregiver and child. For the first year of Head Start, teachers real world evaluation was also predictive of childrens self regulatory skills. Suggests that there is a combined contribution from home and school. For the second year of Head Start, teachers story world evaluation was predictive of childrens self regulatory skills.

Conclusions & Future Directions The present study served as an important first step in identifying the importance of independent and joint influences of home and school discourse practices on childrens development of non-academic school readiness skills. Further examination of various home and classroom discourse practices is needed, especially as these relate preschool childrens development of socio-emotional competencies. Future research should also explore other factors that might be related to Latino childrens non-academic school readiness skills.

Questions? Thank You!