Preschoolers' school readiness profiles and the teacher-child relationship: A latent transition approach

This study used latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of children who displayed similar underlying school readiness skills at the beginning of the school year, as well as to examine whether these children transitioned across readiness profiles over the course of the school year. The sample included 899 preschool children (mean age = 53.91 months). Measures consisted of fall and spring assessments of children's math, science, executive functioning, behavior, and approaches to learning. Latent profile analyses yielded a three-profile solution at both time points. Within each profile, children performed similarly across math, science, and executive functioning assessments. Ratings of behavior and approaches to learning differentiated from the other assessments in two of the profiles. Latent transition analyses indicated that profiles were moderately stable over the course of the year. Logistic regression analyses revealed that child background characteristics and the teacher-child relationship were associated with profile transition.