Examining variation in the quality of instructional interaction across teacher-directed activities in head start classrooms

2020 ◽  
pp. 1476718X2094295
Author(s):  
Janna Fuccillo Kook ◽  
Daryl B Greenfield

High-quality instructional interaction, in which teachers engage children in conversations that support the development of higher order thinking skills, conceptual understanding, and advanced language skills, is associated with positive outcomes for preschool children. Classrooms serving low-income preschoolers tend to have lower levels of this kind of instruction and yet research suggests that it may be particularly important for these children. The aim of this study was to examine variation in the quality of instructional interactions in Head Start classrooms across different types of teacher-directed activities. Twenty-four Head Start classrooms were observed across four activity types (circle time, math activities, science activities, and storybook reading), and quality of instructional interaction was assessed using the Instructional Support domain of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Science activities and storybook reading were associated with higher quality instructional interaction compared with circle time, controlling for teacher characteristics and classroom contextual factors. Math activities were not associated with higher quality instructional interaction compared with circle time. Science and storybook reading may be natural entry points for supporting higher quality instructional interaction in Head Start classrooms.

Author(s):  
Taeeung Kim ◽  
Minju Kim ◽  
Chang-Yong Jang ◽  
Nam-Gyeong Gim

Head Start is a nationwide developmental program for low-income families. This study aimed to investigate the association between the Head Start program and children’s BMI status, as well as their quality of life with respect to socioecological obesogenic factors. This cross-sectional study employed the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K) in which the data were collected in 2007 and analyzed in 2019. Propensity-score matching analysis was performed to examine the association between the Head Start program and children’s BMI status, as well as the quality of life, controlling for socioecological obesogenic factors. A total of 3753 children (representing 1,284,209 at the population level) were recruited in this study (mean age: 13.69 years; girls: 49.42%). In the final matched model, the program did not have a statistically significant effect on children’s obesity. Fewer African American children participated in school-sponsored activities, perceived themselves as overweight, lived in a household with fewer family members, had less strict TV regulations, and were more likely to be overweight than their counterparts. Outcomes suggest that multiple dimensions of sociological obesogenic factors including individual, parental, familial, and community support factors affect the weight of children from low-income families and should be considered when establishing behavioral and policy interventions to thwart the childhood obesity epidemic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-56
Author(s):  
Sai Polineni

In the words of Jack Shonkoff, Director of Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child: the quality of the foundation built in early childhood, whether it is strong or fragile, affects future development, health, learning and economic success. With a strong foundation, babies move easily through more and more complex learning stages. And “although it’s never too late to learn new skills since the brain never stops developing, it’s just harder and less effective to build on a weak foundation than it is to get development right the first time”. This speaks to the growing trend and continuation of a national and international effort to restructure our orphanages and homes to better suit the proper developmental needs of children. In conjunction with these changes, the United States government has also increased its focus on improving early childhood education and interactions for those in communities usually bereft of these opportunities. One such program, Head Start, was created in 1965 to prepare low-income students for elementary school. It has evolved and changed over the last five decades and now faces a key juncture that will determine its future. 


2004 ◽  
Vol 171 (4S) ◽  
pp. 101-102
Author(s):  
Tracey L. Krupski ◽  
Arlene Fink ◽  
Lorna Kwan ◽  
Sarah Connor ◽  
Sally L. Maliski ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Pressler ◽  
Carissa DeHoyos ◽  
Kelly Haas ◽  
Molly Metzger ◽  
Christine Li-Grining ◽  
...  

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 137 (Supplement 3) ◽  
pp. 491A-491A
Author(s):  
Nicole I. Flores ◽  
Philippe Friedlich ◽  
Mandy Belfort ◽  
Douglas L. Vanderbilt ◽  
Roberta Williams ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 265-271
Author(s):  
Jyotishna Mudaliar ◽  
Bridget Kool ◽  
Janice Natasha ◽  
Judith McCool

Introduction: A barrier to local investigator-led research in low income settings, is the limited availability of personnel with appropriate research skills or qualifications to conduct the type of research required for evidence-informed policy making to improve access and quality of health care. In response to this, Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences in Fiji, collaborated with academics based at the University of Auckland, New Zealand to deliver a series of research capacity development workshops in Fiji. Methods: Participants who attended any of the nine workshops (n=123) were contacted via email to take part in a brief survey regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of the research capacity building workshops. Of the possible 123 participants, 80% (n=76) completed the questionnaire.  Results: Findings demonstrate that the majority of participants reported that they had gained research skills from the workshops (75%) including proposal development skills (68%) and knowledge of appropriate research methods (59%). Furthermore, 70% agreed that the workshops built their research confidence.  Since attending a workshop, 18% of respondents had successfully applied and received funding for research grants and/or fellowships.  Barriers to conduct research included workload (75%), lack of research knowledge, experience or skills (51%), and lack of institutional support (41%). Suggestions for future workshops included: more focus on data analysis, regular courses rather than ‘one offs’, and preparation of research findings (e.g. publications). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that research workshops of this nature may increase individual research capabilities but sustained, locally led initiatives, backed by institutional and supplementary technical support are essential.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-129
Author(s):  
Lelly Oktafiana ◽  
Iis Holisin ◽  
Himmatul Mursyidah

This study aims to describe the quality of the 2018 Mathematics National Examination (UN) in the HOTS types at the junior high level in terms of the level of validity, reliability, problem differentiation power, level of difficulty and distractor. This type of research is a descriptive study. The research was conducted at SMP Muhammadiyah 4 Surabaya and SMP Negeri 13 Surabaya for students in class VIII. The data collection technique used is a test. The test was taken from the 2018 math UN questions in odd semester VIII grade material including HOTS type. The number of UN mathematics questions in 2018 in the odd semester VIII class material consisted of 12 questions with 25% including LOTS types and 75% including HOTS types. The results showed: (1) 100% valid test questions, (2) high question reliability, (3) good problem differentiation power, (4) the difficuly level of the question 77,77% categorized as moderate and 2 question 22,23% are categorized as difficult, (5) there are 2 questions with one of the answer options do not work.


Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
I Re Heo ◽  
Ho Cheol Kim ◽  
Tae Hoon Kim

Background and Objectives: preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is a common spirometric pattern that causes respiratory symptoms, systemic inflammation, and mortality. However, its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its associated factors remain unclear. We aimed to identify these HRQOL-related factors and investigate the differences in HROOL between persons with PRISm and those with normal lung function. Materials and Methods: we reviewed the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2008 to 2013 to evaluate the HRQOL of persons with PRISm, as measured while using the Euro Quality of Life-5D (EQ-5D) and identify any influencing factors. PRISm was defined as pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) <80% predicted and FEV1 to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio (FEV1/FVC) ≥0.7. Individuals with FEV1 ≥80% predicted and FEV1/FVC ≥0.7 were considered as Controls. Results: of the 27,824 participants over the age of 40 years, 1875 had PRISm. The age- and sex-adjusted EQ-5D index was lower in the PRISm group than in the control group (PRISm, 0.930; control, 0.941; p = 0.005). The participants with PRISm showed a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension (p < 0.001), diabetes (p < 0.001), obesity (p < 0.001), low physical activity (p = 0.001), ever-smoker (p < 0.001), and low income (p = 0.034) than those in the control group. In participants with PRISm, lower EQ-5D index scores were independently associated with old age (p = 0.002), low income (p < 0.001), low education level (p < 0.001), and no economic activity (p < 0.001). Three out of five EQ-5D dimensions (mobility, self-care, and usual activity) indicated a higher proportion of dissatisfied participants in the PRISm group than the control group. Conclusions: the participants with PRISm were identified to have poor HRQOL when compared to those without PRISm. Old age and low socioeconomic status play important roles in HRQOL deterioration in patients with PRISm. By analyzing risk factors that are associated with poor HRQOL, early detection and intervention of PRISm can be done in order to preserve patients’ quality of life.


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