Low-cost teacher-implemented intervention improves toddlers’ language and math skills

Dorthe Bleses; Peter Jensen; Pauline Slot; Laura Justice

doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.03.001

Low-cost teacher-implemented intervention improves toddlers’ language and math skills

Dorthe Bleses^*, Peter Jensen, Pauline Slot, Laura Justice

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The first years of life are foundational for children's cognitive and social–emotional development and to subsequent development in a variety of domains. In many countries, an increasing number of toddlers is enrolled in early childhood education (ECE) programs, which can facilitate early development. However, the quality of these programs is often mediocre. The present study represents a large-scale randomized control trial (87 childcare centers and 1116 toddlers) designed to elevate the quality of instruction in ECE programs serving toddlers. We show that a low-cost 20-week intervention providing teachers with sequence and scope and supportive tools to be more explicit and intentional in their interactions with children resulted in positive, mainly medium- to large-sized effects on targeted language and math skills.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	64-76
Number of pages	13
Journal	Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Volume	53
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.03.001
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2020

Funding

This research was supported from a grant by TrygFonden (project number 21865). We wish to thanks the participating municipalities, teachers, and children.

Keywords

ECE quality
Language, math, and socio-emotional outcomes
RCT study
School readiness intervention
Toddler classrooms

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.03.001

1-s2.0-S0885200620300235-mainFinal published version, 1.03 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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Low-cost teacher-implemented intervention improves toddlers’ language and math skills

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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