CHILDCARE QUALITY IS BASED ON INTERACTION

Cana Meltem Kazakci
​Co-Founder, Class Proxima

​In the realm of early childhood education, be it Montessori, Waldorf, or play-based learning, a prevailing factor fundamentally influencing children's development is their interactions.

​The significance of these interactions in shaping learning and development is evident through research findings, especially in the context of classroom interactions between teachers and their students, which serve as potent indicators of educational quality.

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Extensive studies, encompassing large-scale, longitudinal research and randomized controlled experiments, have delved into the various markers of educational quality, such as structural elements, physical environment features, and teacher-student and peer interactions. The outcomes consistently underscore the unique and positive associations between children's interactions with teachers and their learning progress.

It is crucial to establish a positive and nurturing bond between students and teachers as it fosters a comfortable and secure classroom atmosphere. This socially interactive environment plays a pivotal role in promoting the development of robust language skills, creativity, social intelligence, and self-assurance in children.

Moreover, researchers emphasize the vital role of intentional, emotionally supportive, and responsive interactions and instruction in enhancing children's cognitive abilities and knowledge. As such, high-quality teacher-child interactions have a profound impact on children's social-emotional and academic development.

Indeed, the quality of interaction with the teacher holds the key to children's overall development. The more teachers engage with their students, the more pronounced the child's progress becomes.

An essential aspect to consider is the measurement of these interactions, for as Robert Pianta, Jason Downer, and Bridget Hamre aptly stated, "Teacher-student interactions are the best measure of early education quality." Interactions encompass how educators approach, respond to, communicate with, and support children across all domains.

To aid teachers in enhancing the quality of interactions in the classroom, Class Proxima has developed a cutting-edge technology that automatically measures the level, quality, and duration of interactions during class. Leveraging the power of AI, this technology provides teachers with valuable statistics on classroom interactions, enabling them to make informed adjustments to learning environments and activities.

Through objective feedback and data-driven insights, teachers can effectively elevate the standard, quality, and duration of interactions in the classroom. This win-win technology ensures that as teachers interact more with children, the latter's developmental progress is optimally nurtured.