This study investigated the verbal interactions directed to toddlers within child care settings. The primary purpose of the study was to determine the quality of verbal interactions available to toddlers during natural, daily routines while attending child care; more specifically, to determine if a difference existed for toddlers developing typically versus those developing atypically. The participants included 36 toddlers (26 typical and 10 atypical) and 23 child care providers in four child care settings. Coded observations similar to those originally developed by Girolametto, Hoaken, Weitzman and Van Lieshout (2000a) in their work investigating patterns of adult-child interactions were utilized to gather the data. Data were gathered in naturally occurring daily routines such as free play, book sharing/reading, and gross motor/outdoor time. Data were organized into three broad categories – directives, interaction-promoting, and language modeling – based upon contribution to language development. These three dependent variables were analyzed using a negative binomial regression model. Results indicated no significant group differences of quality of verbal interactions used by care providers with toddlers developing typically versus toddlers developing atypically. The predominant form of verbal interaction available to all toddlers was directive in nature, contributing very little to language development. Interaction-promoting forms of verbal interaction which contribute most to language production occurred the least. Supplemental analysis was completed regarding providers’ degrees and years of experience related to utterance types used. This research, although based on a small sample size, supports a concern for quality of verbal interactions and language stimulation available to toddlers in child care settings and has implications for school readiness and academic success. / Department of Special Education

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The utilization of center-based child care services by working and student parents has increased dramatically over the last two decades, and has been accompanied by an equally strong interest, among the public and researchers alike, in the establishment and maintenance of quality caregiving in center-based care. This study addresses the leadership characteristics of administrators of quality child care centers. The intent of the study is to add to the existing knowledge concerning the role that the child care center administrator has in maintaining the delivery of high quality child care by the teaching-caregiving staff. Two factors were investigated: the leadership style of the administrator; and the organizational climate of the center, which is both directly and indirectly influenced by the administrator. Four child care centers were selected as the cases to be examined. The information about leadership style and organization climate was gathered through the use of semi-structured interviews with the administrators, the Leadership Style Assessment Tool, the Early Childhood Work Environment Survey, and SYMLOG Group Average Field Diagrams. From this study, the leadership characteristics that the administrators of high quality child care centers shared in common were that they employed a balanced leadership style that utilized different approaches depending on the situation. The administrators in this study chose a mostly female approach to their job which seemed to create very healthy, responsive, and supportive work environments for the teacher-caregivers. The work environments that these leaders have created tend to unify the staff members who work there in a positive direction. These high quality child care centers are, in one word, friendly. The leaders of these provide staff with strong supervisor support, opportunities for professional growth, and an appropriate physical setting in which to do their work. These factors are strongly related to findings about high quality early childhood education in the research, and this study has provided additional support for these findings.

Perceptions of the experience of flow, a concept introduced by Csikszentmihalyi (1975), was examined among child care employees. Teachers (N=192) of 4-year-old children ranked their perceived skills, perceived challenges, happiness, and relaxation on ten activities that typically occur during a day at a child care center. Discrepancy scores were computed by subtracting the challenge rating from the skill rating for each activity, while flow scores were computed as the absolute value of the discrepancy scores. Happiness and relaxation scores were summed to compute a sense of well-being score for each activity. Paired t-tests indicated that respondents, as a group, perceived their skills as exceeding the challenges on all ten of the activities (p<.0001). A series of 2-way ANOVAS with four levels of child development education and three levels of experience revealed that education was significantly related to an increase in (a) perceived skills and perceived challenges with teaching activities F(3,185)=3.38, p<.05 and F(3,185)=3.09, p<.05, (b) perceived challenges in relationship activities F(3,188)=2.80, p<.05, and (c) perceived skills on routine activities F(3,187)=3. 11, p<.05. Years of work experience with children was significantly related to a positive sense of well-being during teaching activities F(2,185)=6.52, p<.05. Paired t-tests indicated that (a) perceived challenges in teaching activities were significantly greater than for relationship activities (p<.05) and routine activities (p<.001); (b) challenges in relationship activities were significantly higher than for routine activities (p<.0001); (c) perceived skills in relationship activities were significantly greater than for routine activities (p<.001); and (d). discrepancy scores between skills and challenges in the relationship and teaching activities were significantly less (higher flow) than for routine activities. Kendall's Tau coefficients showed that perceived skills and sense of well-being for each activity correlated with job satisfaction (p<.01). Kendall's Tau coefficients between perceived skills and sense of well-being were moderate to moderately low (p<.001). One-way ANOVAS found subjects who rated their challenges higher than skills on relationships had a lower sense of well-being than subjects who rated their skills and challenges as equal or their skills greater than the challenges (p<.05). Multiple regression showed sense of well-being as the best predictor of job satisfaction (r²=.25). The best predictor of well-being was skills in relationships (r²=. 13). / M.S.

Twenty-four teachers completed questionnaires and demographic data forms to describe the types of books they chose most often, where they got them, how they selected them, and how important they felt it was to expose children to good literature. A criteria sheet was used to describe the types and currency of books in each center. The teachers used a variety of sources to select and obtain books. Most teachers knew how literature aids some aspect of development. Every type of book was represented in all collections, but poetry and wordless picture books were least represented.

This study examined a neglected area in long term care and adult day care research: staff development. The specific purposes of this study were to describe the provision of a comprehensive staff development program in adult day care centers in Virginia in order to (a) differentiate those centers providing only the minimum required inservice training from those centers providing more comprehensive staff development programs and (b) define what meaning is placed upon staff education programs by center administrators. A mail survey design was used for this study. The questionnaire developed for the study has three sections: (a) center characteristics, (b) staff characteristics, and (c) the meaning of staff development. Quantitative analysis was conducted on the first two sections while qualitative analysis was used to examine the final section. A conceptual model for adult day care staff development programs was also developed for the study. The model was used to compare the staff development programs across adult day care centers in Virginia. The sample included all licensed adult day care center administrators in Virginia (n=43). The total response rate for this survey was 88%. Results were discussed in terms of the provision of staff development programs, as well as the meaning that was placed on staff development by the responding center administrators. The results showed that much importance is placed upon staff development programs by the center administrators and they follow through with this by providing a well rounded staff development program for their staff. / Master of Science

Behavioral skills training (BST) packages have been successful in increasing change agents’ correct implementation of various procedures. The current study evaluated the effects of a brief BST package to train daycare teachers to implement incidental teaching procedures with toddlers. The brief BST consisted of a set of written instructions, a two-minute video model, rehearsal, and feedback during session. Results demonstrated that teachers increased their correct implementation of incidental teaching procedures following training. In addition, two of the three toddlers increased the frequency of signs to request attention.