Previous research finds that children experience a range of school readiness challenges (e.g., Chartier, Walker, & Naimark, 2010;Zill, 1999). Such challenges vary by children's gender, temperament, and participation in school-based interventions (e.g., Mullola et al., 2011; Bramlett, Scott, Rowell, 2000). However, the examination of child temperament, gender, and children's participation in school-based, temperament programming has been minimal. This study explores the role of child temperament profiles and child gender on children's standardized academic outcomes following participation in a school-based, temperament intervention. Study participants included 324 kindergarten students attending urban, low-income schools. A multivariate regression analysis explored associations among child temperament profile, gender, and academic performance. Cautious and male kindergarten intervention participants attained higher standardized mathematics and literacy scores than their non-intervention participating counterparts.
<p>Teacher-child relationship quality and child temperament have been associated with children’s school adjustment and academic performance. However, few studies explore the influence of both child temperament and teacher-child relationship quality on children’s academic development. This study investigates the role of teacher-child relationships on kindergarten children’s temperament and academic performance. Study participants were comprised of 324 kindergarten students, attending 22 schools in urban, low-income communities. A multivariate regression analysis was used to explore whether teacher-child relationships moderate or mediate the association between child temperament and academic performance. The study reinforces previous findings that conflictual teacher-child relationships inhibit children’s academic performance and close teacher-child relationships promote children’s academic performance. For cautious children, close teacher-child relationships moderate mathematics performance. For high maintenance children, conflictual teacher-child mediate children’s critical thinking. The findings have implications for teacher training, on-going teacher development, and the promotion of early academic development for children at-risk for underachievement.</p>
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