Pre-K Children Benefit from Positive Interactions

Article by Phineas Upham

Young children with teachers who display approving behavior in the classroom improve self-regulation skills, Science Daily reports. According to a new study conducted by researchers at the Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College for education and human development, this type of behavior by the teacher might be equally or more important to the child’s future than learning the alphabet or numbers.

According to the article, the study reveals that children who learn in a classroom with positive affective interactions have better cognitive learning skills. The children in the study improved both in classroom regulation and academically. The bottom line, according to senior associate director Dale Farran, is that children are going to learn better in classrooms with more “positively welcoming messages.” Farran told Science Daily that, “Reducing disapproval and increasing approval are work for the teacher.” She added, “The teacher must anticipate what’s coming up and not redirect after the fact. It’s a more subtle kind of planning that takes a lot of skill on the part of teachers.”

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

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About the Author: Phineas Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact him at Phineas Uphan Linkedin Page.