The associations of emotion knowledge and teacher–child relationships to preschool children's school-related developmental competence

This study examined the relative contributions of emotion knowledge and teacher–child relational variables to school competence. Seventy-four economically and ethnically diverse preschoolers (40 boys, 34 girls) completed an emotion knowledge task and a standardized school competence measure. Classroom teachers and their assistants rated the children's school competence and reported on the quality of their relationships with each child. After accounting for demographic variables, emotion knowledge was directly associated with children's performance on the standardized school competence measure. However, teacher-reported school competence of the children was predicted by both positive and negative teacher–child relationship variables. The association between teacher–child closeness and teacher-reported school competence was mediated by emotion knowledge.