This study investigated the relations among preschool teachers’ behavior management, children’s task
orientation, and children’s emergent literacy and language development, as well as the extent to
which task orientation moderated the relation between teachers’ behavior management and children’s
emergent literacy and language development. Participants included 398 children and 67 preschool
teachers from preschool programs serving an at-risk population. Teachers’ behavior management
was observationally assessed and children’s task orientation was measured via teacher-report. Children’s language and emergent literacy skills were directly assessed in the fall and in the spring of
the preschool year. Hierarchical linear models were used to predict children’s residualized gain in
emergent literacy and language (i.e., Spring scores with Fall scores as covariates) from their task orientation and their teachers’ behavior management. Task orientation and behavior management each
positively predicted children’s emergent literacy development, but not language development. There
was a significant interaction between teachers’ behavior management and children’s task orientation
in predicting children’s language development, such that high scores on both variables were associated with the most optimal language outcomes. Implications for research and early education are
discussed.
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