TY - JOUR
T1 - Child care and children's peer interaction at 24 and 36 months
T2 - The NICHD study of early child care - NICHD early child care research network
AU - Appelbaum, Mark
AU - Batten, Dee Ann
AU - Belsky, Jay
AU - Booth, Cathryn
AU - Bradley, Robert
AU - Brownell, Celia A.
AU - Burchinal, Margaret
AU - Caldwell, Bettye
AU - Campbell, Susan B.
AU - Clarke-Stewart, Alison
AU - Cox, Martha
AU - Friedman, Sarah L.
AU - Hirsh-Pasek, Karthryn
AU - Huston, Aletha
AU - Knoke, Bonnie
AU - Marshall, Nancy
AU - McCartney, Kathleen
AU - O'Brien, Marion
AU - Owen, Margaret Tresch
AU - Phillips, Deborah
AU - Pianta, Robert
AU - Spieker, Susan
AU - Vandell, Deborah Lowe
AU - Weinraub, Marsha
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care were examined to determine how children's experiences in child care were related to peer competence at 24 and 36 months of age, after controlling for the effects of family and child characteristics. Peer competence was assessed using mother and caregiver ratings as well as observations of children with their peers in child care, and at 36 months from observations of dyadic play with a familiar peer. Consistent, albeit modest, relations were found between child-care experiences in the first 3 years of life and children's peer competencies. Positive, responsive caregiver behavior was the feature of child care most consistently associated with positive, skilled peer interaction in child care. Children with more experience in child-care settings with other children present were observed to be more positive and skilled in their peer play in child care, although their caregivers rated them as more negative with playmates. Children who spent more hours in child care were rated by their caregivers as more negative in peer play, but their observed peer play was not related to the quantity of care. Child-care experiences were not associated with peer competence as rated by mothers or as observed in dyadic play with a friend. Maternal sensitivity and children's cognitive and language competence predicted peer competence across all settings and informants, suggesting that family and child-care contexts may play different, but complementary roles in the development of early emerging individual differences in peer interaction.
AB - Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care were examined to determine how children's experiences in child care were related to peer competence at 24 and 36 months of age, after controlling for the effects of family and child characteristics. Peer competence was assessed using mother and caregiver ratings as well as observations of children with their peers in child care, and at 36 months from observations of dyadic play with a familiar peer. Consistent, albeit modest, relations were found between child-care experiences in the first 3 years of life and children's peer competencies. Positive, responsive caregiver behavior was the feature of child care most consistently associated with positive, skilled peer interaction in child care. Children with more experience in child-care settings with other children present were observed to be more positive and skilled in their peer play in child care, although their caregivers rated them as more negative with playmates. Children who spent more hours in child care were rated by their caregivers as more negative in peer play, but their observed peer play was not related to the quantity of care. Child-care experiences were not associated with peer competence as rated by mothers or as observed in dyadic play with a friend. Maternal sensitivity and children's cognitive and language competence predicted peer competence across all settings and informants, suggesting that family and child-care contexts may play different, but complementary roles in the development of early emerging individual differences in peer interaction.
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U2 - 10.1111/1467-8624.00361
DO - 10.1111/1467-8624.00361
M3 - Article
C2 - 11699683
AN - SCOPUS:0035459327
SN - 0009-3920
VL - 72
SP - 1478
EP - 1500
JO - Child development
JF - Child development
IS - 5
ER -