Importance of Contingent Responding

A significant amount of research has been conducted concerning teacher-child relationships in the classroom. This relationship is very complex and referred to as a dyadic system with psychological, biological, cultural, and temporal components (Hamre, Hatfield, Pianta, Jamil, 2014). Teachers can nurture this developing relationship by effectively engaging children in contingent responding or feedback loops. These exchanges consist of teachers asking children to explain their thinking and continuing to ask questions as children describe specific situations or events. Contingent responding helps establish behavioral expectations and foster language development. Increasing feedback loops in the classroom creates a platform for cognitive scaffolding that teachers can use as a developmental tool.