Pre-K Students Learn Better with Positive Interactions

Article by Phin Upham

More and more studies are coming out on the importance of preschool, including a new study that focuses on the environment of the classroom and the teacher’s behavior. While learning the alphabet is very important for a 4-year-old, having a positive interaction in the classroom might be just as vital to his or her future development, Science Daily reports.

According to a new study, classrooms where teachers display “approving behavior with a positive emotional tone” help children improve self-regulation skills. Dale Farran, senior associate director of the Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College for education and human development, told Science Daily that the research revealed two main points. First, they found a direct link between what happens in the classroom and whether children can improve self-regulation measures. The second point to take away from the study is the different experiences that affect the development of those skills. Farran told the paper that children usually lack self-regulation skills, such as the ability to control their effort or stay on task. However, pre-kindergarten children in classrooms with more positive behaviors made improvements in self-regulation skills and academically. The research also found that behavior disapproval inhibited the child’s growth of self-regulation skills.

Read the entire article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130909130944.htm

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About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. For more info visit Phin Uphan Linkedin Page.