Caregiver and Teacher Use of Evaluation and the Development of Latino Preschooler’s Socio-Emotional Skills

Letter from the Editor
Staff Articles

• Epigenetic effects of Maternal Behavior… Sounds a lot like Attachment Theory
• Mean Kids, Mean Moms?
• Problematizing Perfectionism: A Closer Look at the Perfectionism Construct
• Food Allergy and Bullying: The Implications for Parents of Children with Food Allergies
• Child Maltreatment and Resilience in the Academic Environment

Submissions

• The Role of Consumer Satisfaction in Psychiatric Care
• The Many Treatment Methodologies for Phobias: Finding the Best Fit
• The Effect of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on the Ability to Recognize Facial Expressions
• The Female/Athlete Paradox: Managing Traditional Views of Masculinity and Femininity
• Socio-emotional Interventions: The Efficacy of Socio-Emotional Interventions in Head Start Classrooms
• Comparing the type of trauma and the severity of PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents

Abstracts

• The Role of Community Connection for Immigrant Youth’s School Engagement
• Household Economic Shock and the Academic Experiences of College Women
• Sexual Minority Identity Development, Onset of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior, and HIV Risk Outcomes
• Parent-Child Interactions in Behavioral Treatment of Selective Mutism: A Case Study
• Children’s Fictional Narratives: Gender Differences in Storytelling
• Risk-Taking Behaviors in First Generation Immigrant Adolescents: The Role of Acculturative Stress and Social Support
• Promoting the Mathematics Achievement of Economically Disadvantaged Latino and African American Students: Understanding the Roles of Parental Involvement and Expectations
• Caregiver and Teacher Use of Evaluation and the Development of Latino Preschooler’s Socio-Emotional Skills

Staff and Writer Biographies

• Staff Bios
• Contributor Bios

National statistics show that the majority of Latino children enter kindergarten without the skills necessary for school success. Although these basic school readiness skills include literacy and numeracy, socio-emotional abilities, such as self-regulation and learning behaviors, are also necessary for a successful transition into kindergarten. Language interactions at home and school during the preschool years are critical contexts for the development of these skills. The present study examined the influence of caregivers’ and teachers’ language use on children’s socioemotional development. Forty Latino preschoolers, their caregivers, and Head Start teachers participated in this two-year longitudinal study. At the beginning of Year 1, caregiver-child and teacher-child naturalistic language interactions were recorded. At the end of Head Start years, children’s socio-emotional skills were assessed through teacher and investigator assessments. Language interactions were transcribed and verified using a standardized system, and coded for evaluative language (e.g., talk about emotions and intentions). Results show that mothers’ evaluative language was predictive of children’s positive learning behaviors only for the first year of Head Start, whereas teachers’ evaluation predicted levels of self-regulation during the first and second year. Results are discussed in relation to the independent and joint contributions of both home and school for children’s development of school readiness skills.