The role of teaching practices in the development of children’s interest in reading and mathematics in kindergarten

► Children in different kindergarten classrooms differ in their interest in academic subjects. ► Teaching practices predict children’s interest in reading and math. ► In child-centered classrooms children show more interest in reading and math. This study examined the extent to which teaching practices observed in kindergarten classrooms predict children’s interest in reading and mathematics. The pre-skills in reading and mathematics of 515 children were measured at the beginning of their kindergarten year, and their interest in reading and mathematics were assessed in the following spring. A pair of trained observers used the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM; Stipek & Byler, 2004) to observe the teaching practices used by 49 kindergarten teachers. The results revealed that in classrooms in which the teachers placed greater emphasis on child-centered teaching practices than on teacher-directed practices, the children showed more interest in reading and mathematics.