Exploring stability and change in preschool teachers\u27 shared book reading verbal language profiles across one semester

This study explored preschool teachers\u27 verbal language profiles during shared book reading sessions. The verbal language profiles were comprised of a combination of instructional and management strategies both at the fall and winter time points. Latent profile and transition analyses were used to explore the profiles identified in the study\u27s sample. Results indicated that unique language profiles exist in the preschool classroom and can be distinguished by (1) relatively low quantity of language used, (2) combination of higher and lower complexity instructional strategies paired with lower complexity management strategies, (3) combination of higher and lower complexity instructional strategies paired with higher complexity management strategies, and (4) a high frequency of lower instructional and management strategies. Teachers were more likely to move to a different profile from fall to winter than remain in the same profile. Teachers\u27 background characteristics (i.e., amount of formal education, years of teaching experience, and degree focus) predicted profile inclusion but did not predict change versus stability in profile. Implications for future research are discussed