Research Paper on "Correlation of Kindergarten Readiness and Kindergarten Achievement"

Research Paper 20 pages (5572 words) Sources: 15

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Correlation of Kindergarten Readiness and Kindergarten Achievement

The correlation between early childhood education and development programs and academic achievement in later life is well documented. For example, children who have attended kindergarten in either public or private setting consistently score at statistically significantly higher rates than children without kindergarten experience on a wide range of standardized tests, including composite ACT scores, math ACT scores, English ACT scores, science ACT scores, and cumulative grade point averages (Prince, Hare & Howard, 2001). Less clear, though, is the precise correlation between children's readiness to make the transition into school at the kindergarten level and their academic performance early on and thereafter. In an era characterized by schools that are struggling to satisfy numerous unfunded mandates at the federal, state and local levels, identifying opportunities to improve the delivery of educational services represents a timely and relevant enterprise. To this end, this study seeks to better understand the correlation between kindergarten readiness and kindergarten achievement in the United States today.

Problem Statement

The problem to be considered by this study concerns the need for improved ways of measuring pupils' readiness to enter kindergarten so that they can be provided with appropriate placement and teachers who possess the requisite training and experience these youngsters will need to succeed in school and in their later lives. While the challenges are great, the need too is great and the potential payoffs are enormous. According to La Paro, Rimm-Kaufman and Pianta (2006), "Much attention has been given to the ways in which the transition to kindergarten marks children's entrance into formal schooling and constitutes a change in educational experiences and philosophies for young children. Most existing work on school transition emphasizes the kindergarten year; in fact, kindergarten experiences are reported to set the trajectory for school success" (p. 189).

This point is also made by Meyer (2001) who notes that, "Many of the earliest kindergartens in the United States served the purpose of easing the acculturation of newly arrived immigrant children. Later, the purpose became easing the child's transition from home to the more formal aspects of the elementary school. For some children, the transition purpose continues to be important" (p. 161). Although many young children entering kindergarten have some experience with similar instructive formats by virtue of their participation in various preschool programs, Dail and McGee (2008) note that even for these children, "Making the transition from preschool to kindergarten is a milestone in a young child's life, and it does not always go smoothly" (p. 305). Indeed, the growing body of evidence clearly points to the criticality of a successful transition into kindergarten in promoting future academic and social success. According to Dail and McGee:

Transition into kindergarten has long been recognized as one of the most important events in the lives of children and their families. It is a time of change and new opportunities, when children encounter the challenges of learning in a more formal setting. In kindergarten, the expectations for behavior, social interactions, and learning differ from those of home or preschool. For most children, a successful transition from home or preschool to kindergarten is critical because the social and academic competencies established in kindergarten provide the basis for their future success in school. (p. 306)

Furthermore, besides their academic readiness, King and Boardman (2006) emphasize that that a number of social skills are also necessary for success in kindergarten. In this regard, King and Boardman note that, "Entering school for the first time at kindergarten is a milestone in children's lives and various social skills have been identified as important for children to possess when starting school. Children [should] be able to complete a number of social skills when commencing kindergarten" (p. 15). The social skills include, but are not limited to, the ability to manage individual belongings and trips to the toilet, wash and dry hands, follow rules and routines, persevere to finish a task, cooperate with other children, take turns, express feelings and emotions, ask questions when they do not understand, try new things they are not sure about, and accept feedback from an adult on their learning or behavior (King & Boardman).

In an effort to provide the needed social and academic skills needed for successful transition into kindergarten, a number of school district across the country are providing a wide range of activities that are intended to assist children and their families in preparing to learn in a new environment. These initiatives are clearly money well spent. For instance, Clark and Zygmunt-Filwalk (2008) emphasize that, "The extent to which new expectations, new relationships, and new competencies are formed in the transition to school has been linked to lasting effects on children's later development. Success in the kindergarten year (in terms of academic, social, and emotional competence) is predictive of later school success" (p. 287). The majority of preparatory programs used for transition into kindergarten, though, are designed around continuity with the types of approaches that were used child care or preschool facilities as well as those used in the early elementary grades, and typically involve children, families, communities, and both preschool and kindergarten teachers collaborating before children's entry into kindergarten (Kraft-Sayre & Pianta, 2000).

Today, though, there remains a lack of consistency in the manner in which such readiness analyses are conducted. According to Calkins and Bellino (1998), "For decades, schools have tested or screened incoming kindergartners. This marks the beginning of the child's educational testing record, and it usually starts as soon as a child is officially registered to enter kindergarten" (p. 252). These initial screening tests, though, have never been meant to identify comprehensive information concerning the readiness of an individual child to enter kindergarten, but have rather been used to determine any salient handicapping conditions that should be taken into account in the child's placement. In this regard, Calkins and Bellino emphasize that, "The goal [of kindergarten screening] was to ensure that a school would be ready to provide any special support or further evaluation a child might need. The point is, the purpose of a kindergarten screening is not to determine 'readiness' for kindergarten" (p. 253).

More recently, though, there has been an emphasis across the country towards assessing young children's readiness to enter school in a "ready to learn" state; nevertheless, these methods continue to vary widely from educational jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and even within school districts themselves (Murphey, 2003). As Murphey points out, "The specific forms these assessments take vary widely, from brief 'screening' tests to comprehensive, in-depth child studies. Likewise, the results of assessments may be used to identify individual children as 'ready' or 'not ready' and thus eligible for particular supports or services; or they may serve as indicators, at an aggregate level, of the success of collaborative community efforts to ensure that all children receive high-quality early care and education" (p. 37). According to Chandler and Lyon (2001), researchers must ensure they use valid measures when seeking to establish correlations. In this regard, these authors note that, "Validity refers to the establishment of evidence that the measurement is actually measuring the intended construct. Measures can be reliable without being valid, but cannot be valid without being reliable" (Chander & Lyon, p. 101).

Likewise, in the assessment of children's readiness to enter kindergarten, whatever factors are used for this purpose must in fact measure what they are supposed to measure. As Murphey emphasizes, "In any case, a challenge for those developing and using 'readiness' assessments is to demonstrate that such measures are in fact valid indices -- that they measure what they purport to measure" (p. 37). There are a wide range of instruments and tests available to help educators assess children's readiness levels for entry into kindergarten; some of the more common tools in use for this purpose today are described further in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Formal Assessment Instruments for Determining Kindergarten Readiness

Instrument

Description

Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals -- Preschool (CELF-Preschool)

The purpose of the test is to assess receptive and expressive language ability and explore language form and content. The test consists of six substests, three receptive language subtests (Linguistic Concepts, Sentence Structure, and Basic Concepts), and three expressive language subtests (Recalling Sentences in Context, Formulating Labels, and Word Structure). The record form includes a "Behavioral Observation Checklist" for recording behaviors observed during testing as well as an item analysis for each subtest to assist in the review of error patterns.

The Boehm Test of Basic Concepts -- Revised

This test surveys the kindergarten through second grade child's understanding of 50 basic relational concepts of position in space, direction, quantity, sequence, time, and size for the purpose of instructional planning. A total score can be obtained, and norms are provided for both Forms C. And D. Of the test. However, the child's performance on each item serves as the major basis for interpretation, with information presented on items by grade, socioeconomic status, and time of year used. The items, in which pictures are named,… READ MORE

How to Reference "Correlation of Kindergarten Readiness and Kindergarten Achievement" Research Paper in a Bibliography

Related Research Papers:

Achievement Gap Research Proposal

Achievement Gap

"Go into any inner-city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach kids to learn.

They know that parents have to parent, that children can't… read more

Research Proposal 20 pages (8980 words) Sources: 35 Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

ELL Language Acquisition in English Language Learners Term Paper

ELL

Language Acquisition in English Language Learners

Significance

Language Acquisition in English Language Learners

The United States is a country of immigrants, and has been since its inception. However, until… read more

Term Paper 30 pages (9381 words) Sources: 25 Style: APA Topic: Language / Linguistics

---

Oral Reading Fluency Final Action Research Paper

Oral Reading Fluency

Final Action Research Paper

The Purpose of this action research is to determine to what extent Tier 2 intervention modeling oral reading strategies will increase oral reading… read more

Research Paper 12 pages (4792 words) Sources: 8 Style: APA Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

Dyslexia of 8-Year-Old Boy Case Study

Case Study 8-year-Old With Dyslexia

Second Grade 8-year-old Dyslexic Child

Brief History of Child

Jefferey (8) a student in the second grade was recognized by his classroom teacher in the… read more

Case Study 7 pages (3291 words) Sources: 10 Style: APA Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

Disproportionality and Disparity in Child Welfare Services White Paper

Disparity…Child Welfare Services REVISED

Disproportionality and disparity are long-standing issues in child welfare. Kirk and Griffith (2008) wrote that studies focused on documenting their existence and describing their features appeared… read more

White Paper 6 pages (1724 words) Sources: 6 Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>