Louise Deault and Robert Savage
The present study used a nested hierarchical design to assess different aspects of literacy teaching as predictors of change in students’ reading and attention in first grade. Observations of literacy teaching were obtained for n=18 classrooms using the Classroom AIMS Instrument, which assesses different aspects of teaching quality (Classroom Atmosphere, Literacy Instruction, Management and Student Engagement). For students who started the year with strong reading skills, classroom management predicted higher rates of growth in reading comprehension whereas for students with weaker initial reading ability, student engagement predicted greater reading comprehension growth. For students at risk of attention difficulties, the overall quality of the teaching environment predicted growth in listening comprehension. These results are consistent with goodness-of-fit models of the influence of classroom practices on children’s reading and that some classrooms can be a source of resilience for children at-risk of attention problems.