Profiles of Quality: Supports for Book Interactions and Early Writing Activities in Prekindergarten Classrooms

• Main Author: Patrick M. O’Leary
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2017-04-01
• Series: SAGE Open
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017704481

Head Start teachers and their classrooms ( N = 86) were observed to determine the state of quality of the early literacy and language instruction and environments in prekindergarten. Cluster analysis was used to create profiles of prekindergarten teacher and classroom quality across two constructs: Book Supports and Writing Supports. Descriptive results showed that on average, classrooms received low scores for both reading and writing supports. However, cluster analysis revealed four distinct profiles: Profile 1 (High, High), Profile 2 (Low, Low), Profile 3 (Average, Average), and Profile 4 (High, Low). Results implicate a need for greater attention to language and literacy in general, but especially a need for an increase in early writing supports. Implications for person-oriented analysis (as opposed to variable-oriented analysis) and professional development are also discussed.