Examining early relationships in Head Start: Relations among risk, relationships, child characteristics, and social and academic outcomes

Quality teacher-child and teacher-parent relationships may function to protect young high-risk children from developing poor social and academic outcomes. The current study uses Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory to conceptualize the relationships between risk, teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality, and children's social and academic competence. The objectives of the study were to: a) investigate whether teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality moderates the effects of maternal education on children's social and academic competence, and b) examine the associations among child characteristics and teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality. Data were collected from 805 Head Start children, their parents, and their classroom teachers. When controlling for children's gender and age, maternal education significantly predicted children's academic outcomes, and teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality significantly predicted children's social and academic competence. When controlling for child gender and age, teacher-child closeness and teacher-child conflict moderated the relationship between maternal education and children's letter naming. Child gender was associated with teacher-child closeness and conflict, and child age was associated with teacher-parent relationship quality. Overall, the findings suggest that teacher-child relationship quality may function as both a risk and a protective factor in the development of young high-risk children's outcomes. The results have important implications for research, policy, and practice in promoting school readiness in Head Start children.