Interpersonal interactions during childhood form the foundation for development and learning (Tomasello, 2014; Vygotsky, 1962, 1978). Numerous studies have documented the impact of interactions between preschool teachers and preschool-aged children between 3 and 6 years of age (e.g., Denham et al., 2003; Hamre, Hatfield, Pianta & Jamil, 2013).…

Maternal responsive and directive speech to children at ages 0;10 and 2;0 was investigated by applying a procedure frst introduced by Flynn and Masur (2007) to a new language community (Finnish). The issues examined were consistency and stability over time, and also the role of responsiveness and directiveness in child linguistic development at…

Principles of a dynamic, dyadic systems view of mother-infant face-to-face communication, which considers self- and interactive processes in relation to one another, were tested. The process of interaction across time in a large low-risk community sample at infant age 4 months was examined. Split-screen videotape was coded on a 1-s time base for…

Ethnographic methods are used to investigate infant--toddlers relationships in an early childhood setting. The metaphorical and emotionally based concepts of holding [Winnicott, D. W. (1960). "The theory of the parent-infant relationship." "International Journal of Psychoanalysis," 41, 585-595.] and container: contained [Bion,…

Background: Identifying risk and protective factors for language development informs interventions for children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Maternal responsive and intrusive communicative behaviours are associated with language development. Mother-child interaction quality may influence how children use these behaviours in language…

The concept of bidirectionality represents a process of mutual influence between parent and child, whereby each influences the other as well as the dyadic relationship. Despite the widespread acceptance of bidirectional models of influence, there is still a lack of integration of such models in current research designs. Research on…

This single case study was undertaken to explore how an infant head teacher meets the needs of the infants, who express their desire to be cared for, in their caring encounters. Natural daily interactions between infants and the teacher were observed for approximately 10 weeks. Through the qualitative data analysis, the results of this study…

A team of facilitators describe the process and content of portfolios they create for families attending weekly playgroup sessions based on the philosophy and practices of the Parents Interacting with Infants (PIWI) model. The parent-child portfolios are a form of authentic assessment and highlight children's development within the context of…

Family environment plays a very important role in early child development and the availability of stimulating material in the early years of a child's life is crucial for optimising development. The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory is one of the most widely used measures to assess the quality and quantity of…

When their infants were 6 months of age, mothers were assessed for self-efficacy (low, moderate, and high illusory control) and knowledge of infant development to determine their impact on mothers' behavioral sensitivity and affect during a feeding task at 9 months (N=70). Mothers' sensory sensitivity to digital images of infants' negative and…

This study examined the stranger reactions of 18-month-old children in three types of mother/stranger social contexts: (1) no interaction, (2) conversation only, or (3) playing cards. The results showed differential responding by condition, suggesting that 18-month-olds are sensitive to the background context of social encounters.

Infants aged 9, 14, 20 and 24 months were observed looking at picture books with their mothers. The integration of pointing with verbal and visual behaviors together with activities pertaining to the task, such as page turning, are described. (Author/JMB)

Examines reciprocity in caregiver-child interactions by assessing 24 infants and their mothers with regard to temperament and maternal behavior, respectively. Results suggested that the more difficult the child temperamentally, the less the maternal responsiveness. (JMB)

Experimental social histories were created for 22 6-month-old infants by providing structured interactions with three different adults (a distal interactor, a proximal interactor, and a neutral interactor) over a three-week period. Infants' social preferences (looking and approaching) for each of the interactors were then compared. (Author/JMB)

This document reports the case of 2-year-old girl who demonstrated verbal ability at home but who communicated through nonverbal means in the preschool classroom setting. Baseline data was collected by classroom observation for approximately 32 minutes per day during a 6-day period using an interaction process analysis format. Verbal and nonverbal…