An investigation of the effects of preschool educational setting on kindergarten readiness

Abstract

There has been an ongoing debate as to what is the most beneficial environment for children during their pre-kindergarten years to prepare them for kindergarten. A review of literature showed that there is a debate as to what is considered kindergarten ready depending on what the educators and parents are most concerned with, academics or social/emotional growth. The review was extended to examine the history of kindergarten readiness, the changing dynamics of families that may influence the pre-kindergarten setting, and what teachers view as the most and least preferred qualities of children entering kindergarten. The review also included what skills are considered developmentally appropriate for children aged five to possess. However, it was found that much of the research in this area is outdated. The present study included a sample of beginning kindergarten children from three elementary schools. The sample was obtained from schools in Western Wisconsin. Their pre-kindergarten setting was identified and correlated with their performance on kindergarten readiness screeners. The results of the study showed some differences in pre-educational setting based on their performance on kindergarten readiness screeners. The results also indicated that some children performing well on certain items on the screeners also performed better on other items. Implications for educators and parents are discussed, followed by a presentation of limitations of the present study, and directions for future research.