Longitudinal Associations of First-grade Teaching with Reading in Early Primary School

The present study examined the longitudinal associations between first-grade teaching practices and children's reading skills development from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Using the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM), the teaching practices of 32 Finnish teachers were observed in Grade 1. Students' (N = 359) word recognition and sentence reading skills were assessed yearly from Grade 1 to Grade 3. The person-oriented analysis identified three profiles of teaching practices in Grade 1: child-centred teaching style, teacher-directed teaching style, and a mixed child-centred and teacher-directed teaching style. Furthermore, the results showed that children whose Grade 1 teachers used the mixed child-centred and teacher-directed style showed faster reading skills development than those who were taught with the teacher-directed style. These findings provided evidence that teachers' use of both child-centred and teacher-directed practices in the first school year promotes the best development of children's reading skills in early school years.