Preschool interactive peer play mediates problem behavior and learning for low-income children
Highlights
► Models tested whether interactive peer playmediated problem behavior and learning. ► Participants included 507 Head Start children across 46 classrooms. ► Models provided evidence for full mediation. ► Early problem behavior and learning outcomes were fully mediated by peer play. ► Mediation of these associations was the same for boys and girls.
Section snippets
Developmental ecological and resiliency framework to guide inquiry
The developmental ecological model provides a useful framework for examining low-income children's problem behavior and interactive peer play experiences within proximal contexts that support children's learning. This model recognizes: (a) the influence of proximal contexts such as the preschool classroom on children's adaptive and problem behavior (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998); and (b) the dynamic transactions between the demands of proximal contexts (such as social interactions with peers)
Preschool problem behavior and learning
Substantial research provides evidence that classroom problem behavior negatively influences children's ability to engage in positive peer interactions (Bulotsky-Shearer et al., 2010, Fantuzzo, 2003, Fantuzzo, 2005, Merrell, 1995) and to develop behaviors that are conducive to learning (Domínguez Escalón and Greenfield, 2009, Fantuzzo, 2005, McWayne and Cheung, 2009, Normandeau and Guay, 1998). Classroom problem behavior has been associated with academic difficulties in mathematics and literacy
Preschool interactive peer play skills and learning
Interactive peer play skills are conceptualized as strength-based, prosocial behaviors that promote positive engagement in peer interactions such as initiative, problem solving, helping other children, and showing creativity during play (Fantuzzo, Coolahan, Mendez, McDermott, & Sutton-Smith, 1998). Positive peer play interactions are seen as naturally occurring opportunities within the preschool classroom and mechanisms through which early skills in the cognitive domain can be supported,
Identifying mechanisms: Classroom problem behavior and early learning
The literature reviewed provides evidence to suggest direct associations between (a) preschool externalizing and internalizing problem behavior and learning outcomes; and (b) interactive peer play skills and learning outcomes. However, still unclear are the mechanisms through which problem behavior influences learning within the preschool classroom. A series of studies suggest that there may be domain-general skills (such as approaches to learning and social competence) through which problem
Moderating effects of sex
Developmental research suggests that it may be important to consider whether associations among problem behavior, interactive peer play skills, and learning outcomes, depend on children's sex. Preschool studies document differences in these constructs, with girls rated as displaying less problem behavior, more interactive peer play skills, and higher language skills than boys (Bulotsky-Shearer et al., 2010, Chen, 2010, Coolahan et al., 2000, Qi et al., 2006). These differences may be due to
The current study
The purpose of the present study was to extend previous research by examining the following research questions within a structural equation modeling framework, for a large representative sample of Head Start children: (a) Do preschool interactive peer play competencies mediate associations between early externalizing and internalizing problem behavior and learning outcomes? (b) Is the mediating mechanism different for boys and girls? We employed assessments of interactive peer play skills and
Participants
Participants included 507 children across 46 classrooms enrolled in a large urban school district Head Start program in the northeast who were representative of the entire program. Participating classrooms were involved in a district-wide initiative to improve the quality of assessments within the Head Start program and were randomly selected to be representative of the six geographic clusters in the school district. All teachers who were invited agreed to participate in the study. At the time
Descriptive statistics
To ensure data were normally distributed, all variables were examined for outliers, homoscedasticity, and kurtosis. No assumptions were found to be violated. Descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations of all variables, are provided in Table 1. Bivariate correlations between all variables are shown in Table 2. Bivariate correlations among exogenous latent and observed variables can be found in Table 3.
Children who receive T scores on the ASPI equal to or greater than 65
Discussion
The present study advances the knowledgebase by examining whether preschool interactive peer play skills mediated associations between early classroom externalizing and internalizing problem behavior and learning outcomes for low-income children. Guided by a developmental, ecological, and resiliency framework, the study identified an important mechanism (interactive peer play skills) through which early problem behavior affected learning in Head Start classrooms. We employed a rigorous
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