Examining variation in the quality of instructional interaction across teacherdirected activities in head - Article abstract and findings

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

High-quality instructional interaction, where teachers converse with children to build higher-order thinking, conceptual understanding, and advanced language, predicts positive outcomes for preschoolers. Classrooms serving low-income children typically show lower levels of such instruction, yet it may be especially important. This study examines variation across Head Start activity types and links activity context to observed instructional interaction quality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Importance of instructional interaction for low-income children

Importance of considering context

Original Article Examining variation in the quality of instructional interaction across teacherdirected activities in head Journal of Early Childhood Research 1–17 © The Author(s) 2020 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/1476718X20942956](DOI: 10.1177/1476718X20942956)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/1476718X20942956)[journals.sagepub.com/home/ecr](journals.sagepub.com/home/ecr) start classrooms Janna Fuccillo Kook Education Development Center, USA Daryl B Greenfield University of Miami, USA Abstract 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. Keywords early childhood education, early learning, early years practitioners, science, talk and interaction Introduction A key feature that distinguishes high-quality early education from average early education is an emphasis on the quality of instructional interaction between teachers and children—interactions Corresponding author: Janna Fuccillo Kook, Education Development Center, 43 Foundry Avenue, Waltham, MA 02453, USA. Email: [jkook@edc.org](jkook@edc.org) that support the development of higher order thinking skills, conceptual understanding, and advanced language skills (Pianta et al., 2106). More specifically, high-quality instructional interactions include asking children “why” and “how” questions that encourage analytic thinking, engaging children in back-and-forth exchanges to deepen understanding and metacognition, and maintaining frequent conversation using challenging vocabulary. Research supports this definition of quality, showing that children in preschool classrooms characterized by a greater emphasis on higher order thinking skills show greater gains in achievement (Curby et al., 2009) . Although instruction focused on rote skills related to letters and numbers have their place in supporting school readiness, children’s higher order thinking skills are a stronger predictor of later academic achievement compared with their mastery of these basic skills (Snow and Oh, 2010) . Several lines of research have provided evidence that high-quality instructional interaction is especially important for low-income children, such as those served by Head Start. This evidence comes from experimental research on classroom-based interventions (e.g. Feagans and Fendt, 1991; Wasik and Hindman, 2011), book-reading interventions (Collins, 2016; Hammer and Sawyer, 2016; Huebner and Meltzoff, 2005; Valdez-Menchaca and Whitehurst, 1992), and also observational research conducted in Head Start as well as public preschool programs and elementary schools, including et

FAQs

What does the study focus on?

It examines how the quality of instructional interaction varies across different teacher-directed activity types in Head Start classrooms.

Which activity types were associated with higher instructional interaction quality?

Science activities and storybook reading showed higher quality instructional interaction than circle time, controlling for teacher and classroom factors.

How were instructional interactions measured?

Quality was assessed using the Instructional Support domain of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah