Abstract
Quality teacher-child interactions are characteristic of effective classrooms resulting in benefits for all children, but may be particularly important for children from low-income families. The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of Illinois Head Start teachers related to how I am Moving, I am Learning (IMIL) could improve the quality of their instruction as measured by the Classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS®), an observation instrument used to assess the quality of teacher-child interactions across three broad domains and their supporting dimensions. While the study found that early childhood professionals perceive IMIL as a meaningful resource, additional research is needed to substantiate the preliminary findings as well as to guide training initiatives that would help Head Start professionals to make the connection between IMIL and the CLASS®.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the West Virginia University Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the funding that supported this research. The authors thank Dr. Linda Carson, Choosy Kids, LLC, Sue Gaon of Lakeshore Learning, and the teachers and staff who participated in this study.
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Allar, I., Jones, E. & Bulger, S. Using I am Moving, I am Learning to Increase Quality Instruction in Head Start Classrooms. Early Childhood Educ J 46, 93–102 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0843-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0843-0