Relating Quality of Center-Based Child Care to Early Cognitive and Language Development Longitudinally

How quality of center-based child care relates to early cognitive and language development was examined longitudinally from 6 to 36 months of age in a sample of 89 African American children. Both structural and process measures of quality of child care were collected through observation of the infan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child development 2000-03, Vol.71 (2), p.339-357
Main Authors: Burchinal, Margaret R., Roberts, Joanne E., Riggins, Jr, Rhodus, Zeisel, Susan A., Neebe, Eloise, Bryant, Donna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Age Factors
Biological and medical sciences
Black American people
Black people
Black Youth
Characteristics
Child
Child care
Child Care - standards
Child care centres
Child Day Care Centers - standards
Child Development
Child Development - physiology
Child Language
Child, Preschool
Classroom observations
Cognition - physiology
Cognition and Language
Cognitive Development
Day Care
Day care centers
Day Care Effects
Day Care Quality
Developmental psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Infants
Influences
Language Acquisition
Language development
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Modeling
Multilevel models
Newborn. Infant
Poverty
Preschool Children
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Sex Differences
Teacher education
Toddlers
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Summary:How quality of center-based child care relates to early cognitive and language development was examined longitudinally from 6 to 36 months of age in a sample of 89 African American children. Both structural and process measures of quality of child care were collected through observation of the infant classroom. Results indicated that higher quality child care was related to higher measures of cognitive development (Bayley Scales of Infant Development), language development (Sequenced Inventory of Communication Development), and communication skills (Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales) across time, even after adjusting for selected child and family characteristics. In addition, classrooms that met professional recommendations regarding child:adult ratios tended to have children with better language skills. Classrooms that met recommendations regarding teacher education tended to have girls with better cognitive and receptive language skills. These findings, in conjunction with the growing child-care literature, provide further evidence that researchers and policymakers should strive to improve the quality of child care to enhance early development of such vulnerable children.
ISSN:0009-3920
1467-8624
DOI:10.1111/1467-8624.00149