ΤEACHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS AND CHILDREN’S LITERACY IN KINDERGARTEN AND PRIMARY SCHOOL: Α LITERATURE REVIEW

Theofili Moisidou

Abstract


Teacher-child relationship remains a topic of great interest, as it is known that affects substantially children’s personal and social well-being. Various research efforts have been done in order to examine the interaction between teacher and students, and how the quality of this interaction affects the developmental process of the child. Existing data demonstrate the important role of a supporting school environment on child’s academic skills improvement, especially with regard to language and literacy and mathematics. High-quality teacher-child relationships were closely associated with improved academic performance, and children were motivated to participate in learning processes. On the other hand, conflictual teacher-child relationships could lead to lower levels of academic skills and in some cases with behavior problems. This article aims to review the current literature on this topic, focusing on the role of teacher-child relationship on affecting child’s literacy skills. Finally, we discuss the results of the studies, highlighting further gaps in existing evidence and proposing futures perspectives in research.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

DOI

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahnert, L., Pinquart, M., & Lamb, M. E. (2006). Security of children's relationships with nonparental care providers: A meta‐analysis. Child development, 77(3), 664-679.

Baker, J. A. (2006). Contributions of teacher–child relationships to positive school adjustment during elementary school. Journal of school psychology, 44(3), 211-229.

Basow, S. (2004). The hidden curriculum: Gender in the classroom. Praeger guide to the psychology of gender, 117-131.

Blair, C. (2002). School readiness: Integrating cognition and emotion in a neurobiological conceptualization of children's functioning at school entry. American psychologist, 57(2), 111.

Blair, C., McKinnon, R. D., & Family Life Project Investigators. (2016). Moderating effects of executive functions and the teacher–child relationship on the development of mathematics ability in kindergarten. Learning and instruction, 41, 85-93.

Burchinal, M., Vandergrift, N., Pianta, R., & Mashburn, A. (2010). Threshold analysis of association between child care quality and child outcomes for low-income children in pre-kindergarten programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(2), 166-176.

Buyse, E., Verschueren, K., Doumen, S., Van Damme, J., & Maes, F. (2008). Classroom problem behavior and teacher-child relationships in kindergarten: The moderating role of classroom climate. Journal of School Psychology, 46(4), 367-391.

Camarata, S., & Woodcock, R. (2006). Sex differences in processing speed: Developmental effects in males and females. Intelligence, 34(3), 231-252.

Chatterji, M. (2006). Reading achievement gaps, correlates, and moderators of early reading achievement: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) kindergarten to first grade sample. Journal of educational psychology, 98(3), 489.

Curby, T. W., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Ponitz, C. C. (2009). Teacher–child interactions and children’s achievement trajectories across kindergarten and first grade. Journal of educational psychology, 101(4), 912.

Dickinson, D. K., & Caswell, L. (2007). Building support for language and early literacy in preschool classrooms through in-service professional development: Effects of the Literacy Environment Enrichment Program (LEEP). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22(2), 243-260.

Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., ... & Sexton, H. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental psychology, 43(6), 1428.

Ewing, A. R., & Taylor, A. R. (2009). The role of child gender and ethnicity in teacher–child relationship quality and children's behavioral adjustment in preschool. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24(1), 92-105.

Foster, E. M., Dodge, K. A., & Jones, D. (2003). Issues in the economic evaluation of prevention programs. Applied Developmental Science, 7(2), 76-86.

Fuhs, M. W., & McNeil, N. M. (2013). ANS acuity and mathematics ability in preschoolers from low‐income homes: Contributions of inhibitory control. Developmental science, 16(1), 136-148.

Furrer, C., & Skinner, E. (2003). Sense of relatedness as a factor in children's academic engagement and performance. Journal of educational psychology, 95(1), 148.

Gallagher, K. C., Kainz, K., Vernon-Feagans, L., & White, K. M. (2013). Development of student–teacher relationships in rural early elementary classrooms. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28(3), 520-528.

Gregoriadis, A., & Grammatikopoulos, V. (2014). Teacher–child relationship quality in early childhood education: the importance of relationship patterns. Early Child Development and Care, 184(3), 386-402.

Gregoriadis, A., & Tsigilis, N. (2008). Applicability of the Student—Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) in the Greek Educational Setting. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 26(2), 108-120.

Gregoriadis, A., Tsigilis, N., Grammatikopoulos, V., & Kouli, O. (2016). Comparing quality of childcare and kindergarten centres: The need for a strong and equal partnership in the Greek early childhood education system. Early Child Development and Care, 186(7), 1142-1151.

Guo, Y., Connor, C. M., Yang, Y., Roehrig, A. D., & Morrison, F. J. (2012). The effects of teacher qualification, teacher self-efficacy, and classroom practices on fifth graders' literacy outcomes. The Elementary School Journal, 113(1), 3-24.

Hajovsky, D. B., Mason, B. A., & McCune, L. A. (2017). Teacher-student relationship quality and academic achievement in elementary school: A longitudinal examination of gender differences. Journal of school psychology, 63, 119-133.

Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2001). Early teacher–child relationships and the trajectory of children's school outcomes through eighth grade. Child development, 72(2), 625-638.

Henricsson, L., & Rydell, A. M. (2004). Elementary school children with behavior problems: Teacher-child relations and self-perception. A prospective study. Merrill-palmer quarterly, 50(2), 111-138.

Hill, N. E., Castellino, D. R., Lansford, J. E., Nowlin, P., Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., & Pettit, G. S. (2004). Parent academic involvement as related to school behavior, achievement, and aspirations: Demographic variations across adolescence. Child development, 75(5), 1491-1509.

Howes, C. (2000). Social‐emotional classroom climate in child care, child‐teacher relationships and children’s second grade peer relations. Social development, 9(2), 191-204.

Howes, C., Phillipsen, L. C., & Peisner-Feinberg, E. (2000). The consistency of perceived teacher–child relationships between preschool and kindergarten. Journal of School Psychology, 38(2), 113-132.

Hughes, J. N. (2011). Longitudinal effects of teacher and student perceptions of teacher-student relationship qualities on academic adjustment. The Elementary school journal, 112(1), 38-60.

Hughes, J., & Kwok, O. M. (2007). Influence of student-teacher and parent-teacher relationships on lower achieving readers' engagement and achievement in the primary grades. Journal of educational psychology, 99(1), 39.

Iruka, I. U., Burchinal, M., & Cai, K. (2010). Long-term effect of early relationships for African American children’s academic and social development: An examination from kindergarten to fifth grade. Journal of Black Psychology, 36(2), 144-171.

Jerome, E. M., Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2009). Teacher–Child Relationships from Kindergarten to Sixth Grade: Early Childhood Predictors of Teacher‐perceived Conflict and Closeness. Social Development, 18(4), 915-945.

Keiley, M. K., Lofthouse, N., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A., & Pettit, G. S. (2003). Differential risks of covarying and pure components in mother and teacher reports of externalizing and internalizing behavior across ages 5 to 14. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31(3), 267-283.

Kiuru, N., Aunola, K., Torppa, M., Lerkkanen, M. K., Poikkeus, A. M., Niemi, P., ... & Nurmi, J. E. (2012). The role of parenting styles and teacher interactional styles in children's reading and spelling development. Journal of School Psychology, 50(6), 799-823.

Koomen, H. M., & Hoeksma, J. B. (2003). Regulation of emotional security by children after entry to special and regular kindergarten classes. Psychological Reports, 93(3_suppl), 1319-1334.

Koponen, T., Salmi, P., Eklund, K., & Aro, T. (2013). Counting and RAN: Predictors of arithmetic calculation and reading fluency. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(1), 162.

Ladd, G. W., Birch, S. H., & Buhs, E. S. (1999). Children's social and scholastic lives in kindergarten: Related spheres of influence?. Child development, 70(6), 1373-1400.

Liew, J., Chen, Q., & Hughes, J. N. (2010). Child effortful control, teacher–student relationships, and achievement in academically at-risk children: Additive and interactive effects. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(1), 51-64.

Ly, J., Zhou, Q., Chu, K., & Chen, S. H. (2012). Teacher–child relationship quality and academic achievement of Chinese American children in immigrant families. Journal of school psychology, 50(4), 535-553.

Maldonado‐Carreño, C., & Votruba‐Drzal, E. (2011). Teacher–child relationships and the development of academic and behavioral skills during elementary school: A within‐and between‐child analysis. Child Development, 82(2), 601-616.

Martin, C. L., & Ruble, D. N. (2010). Patterns of gender development. Annual review of psychology, 61, 353-381.

Mashburn, A. J., & Pianta, R. C. (2006). Social relationships and school readiness. Early education and development, 17(1), 151-176.

Mashburn, A. J., Hamre, B. K., Downer, J. T., & Pianta, R. C. (2006). Teacher and classroom characteristics associated with teachers’ ratings of prekindergartners’ relationships and behaviors. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 24(4), 367-380.

McCormick, M. P., & O'Connor, E. E. (2015). Teacher–child relationship quality and academic achievement in elementary school: Does gender matter?. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(2), 502.

McCormick, M. P., O'Connor, E. E., & Horn, E. P. (2017). Can teacher-child relationships alter the effects of early socioeconomic status on achievement in middle childhood?. Journal of school psychology, 64, 76-92.

McCormick, M. P., O'Connor, E. E., Cappella, E., & McClowry, S. G. (2013). Teacher–child relationships and academic achievement: A multilevel propensity score model approach. Journal of school psychology, 51(5), 611-624.

Meehan, B. T., Hughes, J. N., & Cavell, T. A. (2003). Teacher–student relationships as compensatory resources for aggressive children. Child development, 74(4), 1145-1157.

Melby-Lervåg, M., Lyster, S. A. H., & Hulme, C. (2012). Phonological skills and their role in learning to read: a meta-analytic review. Psychological bulletin, 138(2), 322.

Murray, C. (2009). Parent and teacher relationships as predictors of school engagement and functioning among low-income urban youth. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 29(3), 376-404.

Murray, C., & Greenberg, M. T. (2001). Relationships with teachers and bonds with school: Social emotional adjustment correlates for children with and without disabilities. Psychology in the Schools, 38(1), 25-41.

Nagin, D. S., & Tremblay, R. E. (2001). Analyzing developmental trajectories of distinct but related behaviors: a group-based method. Psychological methods, 6(1), 18.

Nelson, J. R., Benner, G. J., Lane, K., & Smith, B. W. (2004). Academic achievement of K-12 students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Exceptional children, 71(1), 59-73.

Neuman, S. B. (2008). Changing the Odds for Children at Risk: Seven Essential Principles of Educational Programs that Break the Cycle of Poverty: Seven Essential Principles of Educational Programs that Break the Cycle of Poverty. ABC-CLIO.

Nock, M. K., & Kazdin, A. E. (2002). Examination of affective, cognitive, and behavioral factors and suicide-related outcomes in children and young adolescents. Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology, 31(1), 48-58.

O’Connor, E., & McCartney, K. (2007). Examining teacher–child relationships and achievement as part of an ecological model of development. American Educational Research Journal, 44(2), 340-369.

Pakarinen, E., Lerkkanen, M. K., Poikkeus, A. M., Rasku-Puttonen, H., Eskelä-Haapanen, S., Siekkinen, M., & Nurmi, J. E. (2017). Associations Among Teacher–Child Interactions, Teacher Curriculum Emphases, and Reading Skills in Grade 1. Early Education and Development, 28(7), 858-879.

Peisner-Feinberg, E. (1999). The Children of the Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study Go to School. Technical Report.

Pianta, R. C. (1999). Enhancing relationships between children and teachers. American Psychological Association.

Pianta, R. C. (2001). Student–teacher relationship scale–short form. Lutz, FL: Psycho-logical Assessment Resources.

Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. (1999). The Transition to Kindergarten. A Series from the National Center for Early Development and Learning. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company, Maple Press Distribution Center, I-83 Industrial Park, POB 15100, York, PA 17405.

Pianta, R. C., & Stuhlman, M. W. (2004). Teacher-child relationships and children's success in the first years of school. School psychology review, 33(3), 444.

Pianta, R. C., Hamre, B., & Stuhlman, M. (2003). Relationships between teachers and children. Handbook of psychology.

Pianta, R. C., Nimetz, S. L., & Bennett, E. (1997). Mother-child relationships, teacher-child relationships, and school outcomes in preschool and kindergarten. Early childhood research quarterly, 12(3), 263-280.

Raver, C. C. (2005). Emotions Matter: Making the case for the role of young children’s emotional development for early school readiness. 2002; 16 (3): 3-18. SRCD Social Policy Report.

Ready, D. D., LoGerfo, L. F., Burkam, D. T., & Lee, V. E. (2005). Explaining girls’ advantage in kindergarten literacy learning: Do classroom behaviors make a difference?. The Elementary School Journal, 106(1), 21-38.

Roza, S. J., Hofstra, M. B., van der Ende, J., & Verhulst, F. C. (2003). Stable prediction of mood and anxiety disorders based on behavioral and emotional problems in childhood: A 14-year follow-up during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(12), 2116-2121.

Sabol, T. J., & Pianta, R. C. (2012). Recent trends in research on teacher–child relationships. Attachment & human development, 14(3), 213-231.

Saft, E. W., & Pianta, R. C. (2001). Teachers' perceptions of their relationships with students: Effects of child age, gender, and ethnicity of teachers and children. School Psychology Quarterly, 16(2), 125.

Silinskas, G., Pakarinen, E., Niemi, P., Lerkkanen, M. K., Poikkeus, A. M., & Nurmi, J. E. (2016). The effectiveness of increased support in reading and its relationship to teachers' affect and children's motivation. Learning and Individual Differences, 45, 53-64.

Silver, R. B., Measelle, J. R., Armstrong, J. M., & Essex, M. J. (2005). Trajectories of classroom externalizing behavior: Contributions of child characteristics, family characteristics, and the teacher–child relationship during the school transition. Journal of School Psychology, 43(1), 39-60.

Spieker, S. J., Nelson, D. C., Petras, A., Jolley, S. N., & Barnard, K. E. (2003). Joint influence of child care and infant attachment security for cognitive and language outcomes of low-income toddlers. Infant Behavior and Development, 26(3), 326-344.

Spilt, J. L., Hughes, J. N., Wu, J. Y., & Kwok, O. M. (2012). Dynamics of teacher–student relationships: Stability and change across elementary school and the influence on children’s academic success. Child development, 83(4), 1180-1195.

UNESCO, (2004). The Plurality of Literacy and its implications for Policies and Programs. Education Sector Position Paper, 13

Wasik, B. A., Bond, M. A., & Hindman, A. (2006). The effects of a language and literacy intervention on Head Start children and teachers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(1), 63.

White, K. M. (2013). Associations between teacher–child relationships and children's writing in kindergarten and first grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28(1), 166-176.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.1666

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2018 Theofili Moisidou

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2023. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.


This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).