Head Start Classrooms Research Articles

Profiles of home language environment in Head Start classrooms: Patterns and associated developmental skills for Spanish-English dual language learners

This study utilized nationally representative data from Head Start programs (FACES 2014) to identify profiles of classrooms based on their practices and environments relevant to Spanish-English dual language learners (DLLs). We then compared DLLs’ development across the identified classroom profiles over the preschool year. Finally, we explored whether the potential effect of classroom profiles on early development varies by DLL status, distinguishing between Bilinguals and Emergent Bilinguals. Latent profile analysis identified three classroom profiles: (a) High home language support with a Spanish-speaking lead teacher (High HL, Spanish LT; 34.2%), (b) High home language support with a non-Spanish-speaking lead teacher (High HL, non-Spanish LT; 26.9%), and (c) Low home language support (Low HL; 38.9%). DLLs in High HL, Spanish LT classrooms presented higher teacher-reported social skills than those in Low HL classrooms. Moderation analyses revealed that Bilinguals in High HL, Spanish LT classrooms presented higher social skills and fewer behavioral problems than those in High HL, non-Spanish LT classrooms, and higher approaches to learning skills than those in Low HL classrooms, as reported by teachers. Children's language and math achievement over a preschool year did not differ across classroom profiles. These findings highlight the importance of strong home language support in classroom environments for enhancing DLLs' social-emotional skills and learning behaviors, particularly for Bilinguals.

Much hypothesized, rarely tested: Public preschool attendance predicts executive functioning skills in 3rd grade

Public preschool enhances consequential long-term education, economic, and health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. One much-hypothesized—but rarely tested—explanation is that preschool predicts improved executive functioning (EF) in middle childhood. Our study provides empirical support linking preschool to middle childhood EF. We draw on a large, racially-diverse sample of children from low-income families in Tulsa, OK (N = 685, Mage at 3rd = 8.5 years), home to a nationally-recognized universal public preschool program administered in school-based pre-k and Head Start classrooms. Using propensity score weighting, we compare the 3rd grade EF skills of children who attended school-based pre-k or Head Start to those who did not. School-based pre-k attendance predicts better impulse control and working memory skills in 3rd grade (d = .35–.37); Head Start attendance predicts better working memory (d = .47). This evidence highlights public preschool’s potential to promote the EF skills of diverse children from low-income families into middle childhood.

The math talk learning environment: Testing an early childhood math intervention

Given the importance attributed to math talk, this study sought to test the effects of a Math Talk Learning Environment for exposing children to math talk and whether this effort would improve children's early math skills. The intervention used guided play in small group math games focused on numeracy skills. The analytic sample comprised 95 racially and ethnically diverse children enrolled in Head Start classrooms randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups or the counterfactual. Students in one group engaged in math games while being encouraged to use math language, whereas the other group engaged in the same math games without any explicit math language encouragement. Linear mixed modeling was used to regress children's residualized math gains on condition. Results showed a significant difference in the general math skills and the specific numeracy skills gained by children who participated in the two treatment groups compared to the counterfactual. No significant differences could be detected between the treatment groups; yet, there are indicators that the intervention warrants further investigation. This research parallels prior research and contributes new findings that will inform early childhood practitioners, developmental psychologists, and others interested in applying cognitive science to the classroom. The discussion includes descriptions of the supports required and challenges to fostering young children's mathematical thinking.

Exploring professionalization in early childhood: Reflections from a veteran Head Start teacher

In early childhood education there has long been a focus on “professionalizing the field.” While professionalization initiatives can be well meaning, they can have unintended consequences that exacerbate already existing systemic inequities present in the early childhood workforce, such as restricting opportunities for teachers of color to both progress in their fields and contribute to the knowledge that is often valued in “child-centered” spaces. In this article, the authors explore the consequences of professionalization policies from the perspective of a veteran Head Start teacher, Monae, whose tenure in early childhood started as a child attendee of the Head Start grant that her mother, and several other Black women, implemented in a Midwestern rust-belt city beginning in 1967. Drawing from post-qualitative and narrative methodologies, they foreground Monae's lived experience, as she had a front-row seat to a rising tide of accountability and the ways in which professionalization efforts created structures that limited the participation of many early childhood teachers. The organization that had held the Head Start grant in Monae's community since 1967 failed to meet rising accountability requirements. Monae describes what happened next, when a local district took over the grant. Through these stories, we can learn lessons about how problematic power dynamics and inequitable district policies can weaken the relationships between teachers, families, and Head Start classrooms, as well as between Head Start and the broader community.

Supporting Emergent Writing in Preschool Classrooms: Results of a Professional Development Program

Emergent writing is a key component of early literacy development and contributes to later school success, yet it receives little attention in most preschool classrooms. This paper presents results of a quasi-experimental study of a teacher professional development package that included writing as one of four focal areas. The study was conducted in 15 Head Start classrooms located in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. The participants were 39 lead and assistant teachers and 240 children. Intervention teachers had higher quality writing environments and overall classroom environments, while intervention children showed better outcomes on emergent reading and upper case letter knowledge. Emergent writing was assessed only in the intervention group, where children showed large gains along with changes in code-related skills needed for invented spelling. Results are discussed in terms of recommended practices for early writing instruction and teacher professional development.

Head start classroom demands and resources: Identifying associations with teacher burnout.

Theoretical models of job stress suggest that teachers' experience with burnout occurs, in part, because of an imbalance between job demands and the resources available to meet those demands. Using a diverse sample of 230 Head Start educators, the present study explored how school-based demands (i.e., class size, behavioral challenges) and resources (i.e., school social supports) contributed to teachers' self-reported burnout. Findings revealed that greater social support, specifically leads teachers' relationship with their assistant teacher (TA), was associated with lower ratings of burnout. There was also a significant interaction between classroom behavior problems and TA relationship quality, such that relationship quality reduced burnout in classrooms with low and average levels of behavior problems, but not in classrooms with high levels of behavior problems. Implications of these findings for preschool teacher well-being are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Learning Two Languages: Dual Language Learning Patterns, Predictors, and Outcomes

ABSTRACT This secondary analysis study examined patterns, predictors, and outcomes of dual language learners’ (DLLs’) development in Spanish and English. Research Findings: Latent profile analysis identified three groups of DLLs: Balanced Bilinguals (54%), English-Dominant Bilinguals (25%), and Spanish-Dominant Bilinguals (21%). These groups had fairly comparable Spanish skills at Head Start (HS) entry but showed distinct learning patterns in English and Spanish during the 2.5 years in HS and kindergarten (K), which resulted in group differences in dual-language skills at K. When their home and classroom environments were compared, Balanced Bilinguals had more Spanish exposure than English-Dominant Bilinguals and more English exposure than Spanish-Dominant Bilinguals. Spanish-Dominant Bilinguals generally had more Spanish exposure at home and in the classroom, less English exposure at home, and had parents with lower English proficiency. English-Dominant Bilinguals had fewer home literacy materials in Spanish and had fewer opportunities for Spanish exposure in their first HS classrooms. Balanced Bilinguals presented the highest K achievement; the other two groups showed comparable skills. Practice or Policy: This study demonstrated variations in dual-language learning among DLLs in HS and indicated the need for tailored strategies that address the unique needs of diverse DLLs presenting varying proficiency in their two languages.

Early Childhood Education Teacher Stress: Qualitative understandings and insights

Previous research demonstrates teacher stress to be an impediment to physical and mental well-being, to child outcomes, as well as to the relationship between teacher and child. Teacher stress is reported to take many forms. While working conditions (e.g., low pay, lack of support) may account for some of the teacher stress experienced, distinct teaching stress (i.e., the emotionality of working with young children) is experienced by teachers in early childhood classrooms. Moreover, the current zeitgeist (e.g., COVID-19, lack of economic support, gun violence in schools) additionally burdens teachers making learning directly from teachers the sources of their stress, the means by which they abate that stress, and how they perceive children are affected by their levels of stress imperative. Methods: Adding to the literature in a manner that promotes teacher voices and positionality, the current investigation qualitatively inquired of 6 Head Start (HS) teachers in a mid-Western, urban city-center during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, asking 1) What are HS teachers’ conceptions of stress, and 2) What are the histories, stories, and lived experiences of these teachers which undergird their conceptions. Results: Using techniques of individual and focus group interviews, data were inductively analyzed to reveal HS classrooms operating as a series of competing priorities, each of which, according to the teachers of this investigation, limited the means by which they could attend to their own stress and well-being and to the stress and well-being of students. Conclusions: Implications and recommendations are discussed.

Integration of Food-based Learning With Science in the Preschool Classroom: Implementation Gaps and Opportunities

ObjectiveTo explore Head Start teachers’ use and integration of food-based learning (FBL) with science learning in the Head Start classroom. DesignPhenomenological approach using in-depth semistructured telephone interviews. SettingNorth Carolina Head Start preschools. ParticipantsThirty-five Head Start lead and assistant teachers. Phenomenon of InterestAll interviews were transcribed verbatim. Authors coded interview data for emergent themes. AnalysisEleven primary themes were identified during analysis and inductively organized using the Systems Thinking Iceberg Model. ResultsTeachers described most frequently using FBL during mealtimes. Teachers stated they felt successful when children were engaged and willing to try a new food. However, they struggled to connect food to science concepts. Teachers reported several motivators (eg, improving health) and barriers (eg, food waste) to integrating FBL. Teachers prioritized preparing children for kindergarten, but most teachers did not see how FBL could help them achieve this goal. Conclusions and ImplicationsHead Start teacher professional development programs could impact all 4 levels of the Systems Thinking Model to improve teachers’ perceptions, underlying structures, and mental models regarding integrative FBL. Additional research is warranted to investigate the adoption, implementation, and potential impact of FBL on academic outcomes.

"Talk to me": Parent-teacher background similarity, communication quality, and barriers to school-based engagement among ethnoculturally diverse Head Start families.

Primary caregivers (e.g., parents, grandparents, other family members) from low-income and ethnically minoritized families tend to face a host of barriers when participating in their children's school activities. Research suggests that demographic match and quality communication between caregivers and teachers could support minoritized families' school-based engagement. This study examined the associations among caregiver-teacher demographic match, caregivers' perceived communication quality with the teacher and caregivers' perceived barriers to school-based engagement. Caregivers (n = 565) from 49 Head Start classrooms completed the parent-report versions of the surveys: Barriers to Family Engagement, reporting resource, cultural/relational, and program/context barriers to school-based engagement; and Family-Teacher Communication, reporting communication quality with their children's lead and assistant teachers (n = 102). Caregivers and teachers also completed demographic surveys to provide information about their family background, such as race/ethnicity, primary language, and education level. Multilevel modeling results showed that among the three demographic match variables (i.e., race/ethnicity, primary language, formal education), only language match was associated with caregivers' perception of fewer cultural/relational barriers. Latine and Black non-Latine caregivers reported more cultural/relational and program/context carriers than White, non-Latine caregivers. Finally, caregivers who perceived better communication with their children's teachers reported fewer cultural/relational and program/context barriers. Primary language match and high-quality communication between families and teachers appear essential in creating a welcoming preschool environment that could alleviate some of the barriers to engagement typically faced by ethnically minoritized and low-income families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Parents’ vocabulary instruction with preschoolers during shared book reading

Dialogic reading during shared book reading between adults and children is an effective way to promote vocabulary acquisition. However, there is limited research on what strategies parents are spontaneously using during book reading sessions, which are important to understand for optimizing parent training in dialogic reading. The current study investigates what strategies parents are currently using to teach vocabulary to their children and what parts of speech and tier of vocabulary they choose to discuss. The current study recruited low-income parents and their preschool-age (42–65 months), typically developing children from Head Start classrooms in the United States. Twenty-seven adults filmed themselves at home reading Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees to their child, given the instruction to read as they normally would. The videos were coded looking at a dialogic reading framework: CROWD and PEER. Child behaviors and the vocabulary discussed were included in the coding. Results show that although there is a large amount of variability between parents in their use of strategies during shared book reading, in general, parents are using very few dialogic reading strategies to explicitly teach vocabulary. However, parents’ use of dialogic reading strategies was significantly correlated with child extratextual talk. When they did provide instruction, parents discussed mostly tier 1 nouns and verbs, rather than tier 2 words which are necessary for academic success. These results reinforce the need for parent training on interactive reading strategies.

Adding family math to the equation: Promoting Head Start preschoolers’ mathematics learning at home and school

Differences in children's mathematics knowledge are evident at kindergarten entry, favoring children who have greater access to economic resources. Fostering preschoolers’ mathematics learning at home and in classroom settings, through games and other developmentally appropriate activities, is of great interest to educators, early childhood leaders, and policymakers. This cluster randomized trial examined the effects of a naturalistic, game-based mathematics intervention implemented in Head Start classrooms and examined whether including a family math component added value. A total of 573 children (64% Hispanic; 60% multilingual) were included from 66 classrooms which were randomly assigned to Classroom Math (CM), Classroom Math + Family Math (CM+FM), or business-as-usual (BAU). Results indicated that the family math component did add value to the classroom-based intervention as CM+FM resulted in a significant positive impact on children's mathematics knowledge relative to BAU, but CM alone did not. For preschoolers age 50+ months, both interventions had significant effects on children's mathematics knowledge relative to BAU, but CM+FM had a stronger effect (d = .36). The number of math games played was significantly associated with higher mathematics scores and the number of family math mini-books returned had a significant impact on children's spring scores, over and above the number of games played. The CM+FM intervention also had a significant effect on teachers’ instructional practice (d =.79). Adding a family math component to a game-based classroom intervention resulted in positive impacts for preschoolers and seems to be an effective, ecologically valid intervention that fosters early mathematical competencies.

Teachers' Language Use in Multilingual Head Start Classrooms: Implications for Dual Language Learners.

Dual language learners (DLLs) are sensitive to teachers' language influence in early childhood classrooms. In this mixed methods study incorporating 53 teachers from 28 preschools in Northern California, we investigated the characteristics of teachers' language use in preschools teaching Chinese-English and Spanish-English DLLs. We further examined the links of teachers' language use to the DLLs' expressive vocabulary in English and their heritage language (HL), controlling for home language exposure and other confounding variables. Finally, we conducted interviews with teachers to understand how they make meaning of their daily language practices. The sample of children consisted of 190 Chinese-English (N = 125) and Spanish-English (N = 65) DLLs (mean age = 48.3 months; 48% females). The teacher survey showed that most teachers spoke two or more languages and used a mix of English and their HL during their interactions with DLLs. The results of random-intercept models showed that teachers' language use did not uniquely predict children's vocabulary, controlling for family-level factors. However, the teachers with more years of teaching DLLs oversaw children with a higher HL vocabulary. The interview data revealed that teachers employ several strategies to communicate with DLLs and support HL maintenance. Our study reveals the multilingual backgrounds of preschool teachers and the rich language strategies they implement in multilingual classrooms. Future directions concerning the quality and development of teachers' language use are discussed.

“Nací Hablando Los dos”: Young Emergent Bilingual Children’s Talk About Language and Identity

ABSTRACT This article examines young children’s perceptions and ideas about their emergent bilingualism drawing on data from an ethnographic case study of the language development of a Head Start classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine the language practices of 4-year-olds in a bilingual (Spanish/English) classroom. The findings discussed in this paper focus on the children’s understanding of the language(s) they speak and how they come to understand the complex interactions of their languages, identity and the contexts within which they use them. Examples of children’s conversations where they explicitly discuss and articulate their knowledge of language demonstrate that young children are both capable of discussing their bilingualism and are developing an understanding of the intersections between language(s) and identity. These findings build on previous work that emphasizes the importance of examining language ideologies in early childhood classrooms and has implications for how to support young emergent bilinguals.

Questions that Fuel the Mind: Exploring the Associations between Teacher-Child Higher-Level Interaction and Preschoolers’ Development of Executive Functions

ABSTRACT Recent research has provided mixed evidence on the promise of classroom-based interventions for supporting young children’s development of executive functions (EF). To advance intervention efforts, it is necessary to identify specific types of interactions that might support the development of EF in early childhood. Through a correlational design, this study explores the relationship between higher-level, teacher-child interaction in Head Start classrooms and children’s EF. Higher-level interaction was measured using both global and fine-grained approaches. Children completed task-based assessments targeting individual components of EF at the beginning and end of a preschool year. Research Findings: Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that the frequency of teachers’ higher-level questions was significantly associated with a spring composite EF score and spring cognitive flexibility, controlling for fall scores and other covariates. A global measure of higher-level interaction was negatively associated with spring inhibitory control, controlling for fall scores. Neither measure of higher-level interaction was associated with spring working memory. Practice and Policy: This study has methodological implications for the value in measuring teacher-child interaction using more fine-grained approaches in order to reveal important associations with child outcomes. In relation to practice, this study suggests that intervention efforts to support teachers’ use of higher-level interaction strategies may support children’s development of EF.

A new look at teacher interactional quality: Profiles of individual teacher–child relationship and classroom teaching quality among Head Start students

ABSTRACT Research Findings: and Practice Preschool teachers’ relationships with children are a critical component of classroom quality. We draw from a sample of N = 2,114 children attending Head Start to examine child-centered profiles of experiences across two dimensions of classroom interaction quality that are often considered separately: individual teacher–child closeness and conflict, and classroom-level instructional and emotional support. Findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in Head Start children’s experiences, as the profiles differed on individual conflict, and classroom emotional and instructional support. The largest profile was characterized by a positive emotional climate and low instructional support. Higher teacher distress was associated with the highest-quality and the highest conflict profiles. The results also revealed early evidence for gender and race and ethnicity-based disadvantages in Head Start classroom experiences. Practice or Policy: Measures of ECE quality must consider teacher-child relationships. Teacher well-being is tied to classroom and individual interactions; findings suggest teachers and child may benefit from strategies that support teachers’ well-being.

Fostering Dual Language Learners’ Participation in Head Start Classroom Conversations Through Code-Switching in Whole Group and Small Group Settings

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Children’s oral language skills lay the foundation for later literacy and can be fostered through responsive conversations with teachers. However, such conversations are rare in preschool, particularly between teachers and dual language learners (DLLs), or students who speak a minoritized language at home. DLLs benefit when their home language is used and instruction is provided in small groups, but few studies have explored the degree to which preschool teachers code-switch, or alternate between languages within a single group context. This study draws on 10 transcribed video-recorded observations of Head Start preschool classrooms to describe five teachers’ flexible use of Spanish and English with their Spanish-English DLL students across whole and small group contexts. DLL students’ language use was examined to explore the role of group context and teacher code-switching in fostering DLLs’ participation in classroom conversations. While relative Spanish use varied widely, all teachers code-switched more frequently in small group than in whole group. The 25 DLL students spoke more, took longer turns, and used more Spanish in small group versus in whole group. Practice or Policy: Our results suggest that teacher code-switching and small group instruction create contexts that are conducive to DLLs’ participation in classroom conversations.

Predictors of Parent-Teacher Relationship Quality in Head Start Classrooms

The ability for parents and teachers to work together serves as a foundation for a collaborative and effective parent-teacher relationship (Clarke et al., 2009). The quality of this relationship contributes to children’s school readiness and social competence (Halgunseth et al., 2009). Identifying factors that are related to positive parent-teacher relationships in early childhood settings is necessary to support positive child outcomes. The current study aims to identify teacher characteristics that may be related to effective parent-teacher relationships by exploring predictors of parents’ comfort in disclosing family information and parents’ perceptions of their classroom teachers’ practices and responsiveness. Professional characteristics (i.e. education, training, and professional development) and demographic background has the potential to increase awareness and understanding of family backgrounds (King et al., 2003) and may predict variability in classroom practices. Such results would support future interventions and provide insight on continued professional development efforts on supporting the parent-teacher partnership.

How the Amount of Teacher Spanish Use interacts with Classroom Quality to Support English/Spanish DLLs’ Vocabulary

ABSTRACT Research Findings: We examined the amount of preschool lead/assistant teachers’ English/Spanish language use and relations between quality of teacher-child interactions, and Dual Language Learners’ (DLLs) English/Spanish bilingual vocabulary in 31 English-medium Head Start classrooms. Measures in this study included (a) children’s conceptual English/Spanish bilingual receptive and expressive vocabulary, (b) classroom quality via systematic observation, (c) video coding of the amount of utterances of teacher Spanish use in classrooms, and (d) a set of child- and teacher-level covariates. Results showed that Spanish was used much less than English by both teachers and DLLs. DLLs spoke more Spanish than teachers and directed most Spanish to peers. For high levels of Emotional Support, teachers’ Spanish use was significantly negatively associated with English/Spanish bilingual expressive and receptive vocabulary. For low levels of Emotional Support and high levels of Instructional Support, higher amounts of teachers’ Spanish use were significantly positively associated with higher levels of children’s English/Spanish bilingual expressive and receptive vocabulary. Practice or Policy: Emotionally-supportive practices may enable monolingual teachers to facilitate their DLLs’ learning through creatingrelationships that may counteract strain from language barriers. Spanish instruction provides asupportive effect for DLLs and may contribute to closing English language andliteracy disparities between DLLs and English-speaking peers.

Inhibitory Control, Student-Teacher Relationships, and Expulsion Risk in Preschools: An Indirect Effects Path Analysis.

Identifying factors related to expulsion risk is of great need due to the high and disparate rates of young children routinely excluded from preschool classrooms. This study aimed to explore the pathways to expulsion risk among a sample of 88 preschool children from 22 Head Start classrooms. Data were collected on children’s inhibitory control using the Child Behavior Questionnaire, the closeness subscale of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale, and on children’s overall expulsion risk using the Preschool Expulsion Risk Measure. Direct pathways from children’s inhibitory control and student–teacher closeness to expulsion risk were significant. Results indicated that student–teacher closeness mediated the relationship between children’s inhibitory control and expulsion risk, indicating the importance of supporting positive relationships in preschool classrooms to disrupt pathways to expulsion. Implications for practices and future research to prevent expulsion are discussed.