Early Childhood Research Quarterly 25 (2010) 251–266 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Early Childhood Research Quarterly Caregiver involvement in infant peer interactions: Scaffolding in a social context Shannon Tierney Williams ∗ , Ann M. Mastergeorge, Lenna L. Ontai Department of Human and Community Development, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, United States article info Article history: Received 1 June 2007 Received in revised form 20 November 2009 Accepted 25 November 2009 Keywords: Child care Peer interaction Scaffolding Infancy abstract Establishing positive peer relationships is integral to children’s social development and is linked to a variety of long-term outcomes and life skills. The present study provides an in-depth examination of the ways in which child care providers guide young chil- dren in their early social experiences with peers during infancy, when social competence with peers is first being developed. Findings documented multiple avenues through which child care providers help to scaffold infants’ naturally occurring social encounters with their peers, including creating opportunities for peer interaction, preventing and inter- rupting peer interaction, communicating to children about their peers and peer relations, providing direct instructions and rules for peer interaction, and modeling social behavior during group interactions. Scaffolding strategies were categorized as adult-centered, child- centered, and group-based. Results also revealed some specific effects of scaffolding on infant social competence with peers over a 6-month time period. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The relationships young children develop with their adult caregivers unfold within multiple environmental contexts (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998) and are associated with the development of peer relations and social skills both within early childhood (Campbell, Lamb, & Hwang, 2000; Howes, Hamilton, & Matheson, 1994; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network (NICHD ECCRN, 1998, 2001a, 2001b); Peisner-Feinberg et al., 1999) and later during the school years (Cowan, Johnson, Measselle, Cowan, & Ablow, 2002; NICHD ECCRN, 2003a, 2004a, 2004b; Peisner-Feinberg et al., 2001). However, to date there is little understanding of how adult caregivers guide young children to develop the skills necessary for social success, particularly during the infant and toddler years when the foundations of social competence are just emerging. Given the rising number of infants and toddlers in out-of-home child care (NICHD ECCRN, 2005; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1997, 2000), it is important for researchers to examine young children’s social experiences in this context and to study the ways in which caregivers guide and scaffold young children’s early social encounters with their peers. The current study therefore investigates the ways in which adult caregivers scaffold infants’ naturally occurring social encounters with their peers in group-based child care settings. The focus of this study is on infancy, as this period represents the developmental phase during which the foundations for social competence with peers are first being established. ∗ Corresponding author at: Department of Human and Community Development, University of California, Davis, Hart Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, United States. Tel.: +1 541 788 7188; fax: +1 541 383 3211. E-mail address: stwilliams@ucdavis.edu (S.T. Williams). 0885-2006/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.11.004