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Children's Behavior During Teacher-Directed and Child-Directed Activities in Head Start

University of New Mexico, hqi{at}unm.edu

Ann P. Kaiser

Vanderbilt University

Stephanie Milan

University of Connecticut

The sociallbehavioral characteristics of 63 preschool children with low and high language abilities were observed for 60 min during teacher-directed structured activities and 60 min during child-directed unstructured activities in Head Start classrooms. Children with low language were observed to have significantly higher rates of disruptive behavior and negative responses, fewer initiations to peer interactions, and shorter durations of engagement than children with high language. Boys with low language abilities were more likely to be disruptive than girls with either low or high language abilities. Teachers praised children with low language significantly less often than children with high language. These findings suggest that children with lower language abilities are at greater risk for problem behaviors and poor social skills than children with higher language abilities.

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