DESCRIPTORS *Classroom Communication; Classroom Environment;

This pilot study examined the treatment of kindergarten children by one student teacher to determine whether there were differences in the teacher's treatment of male and female children. Data were collected by observing and tape recording a kindergarten classroom in which a student teacher interacted with 10 male and 10 female students for a 30-minute time period. Frequency of interaction between the teacher and individual students was noted. The chi-square goodness of fit test was used to analyze the set of observed frequencies. Number of interactions between teacher and students was 49. Results showed that the student teacher interacted more frequently with males (42 times) than with females (7 times). The study includes strategies to alleviate classroom inequities. (MM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document