Targeting the Transition to Kindergarten: Academic and Social Outcomes for Children in the Gearing up for Kindergarten Program

Autor/inn/en	Brotherson, Sean E.; Hektner, Joel M.; Hill, Brent D.; Saxena, Divya
Institution	Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE)
Titel	Targeting the Transition to Kindergarten: Academic and Social Outcomes for Children in the Gearing up for Kindergarten Program
Quelle	(2015), (8 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Early Childhood Education; Kindergarten; School Readiness; Transitional Programs; Child Development; Individual Characteristics; Parent Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; Program Effectiveness; Academic Ability; Reading Aloud to Others; Parent Role; Experimental Groups; Control Groups; Comparative Analysis; Preschool Education; Learning Activities; Parent Education; Parent Surveys; Questionnaires; North Dakota + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Early childhood; Education; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik; Readiness for school; School ability; Schulreife; Kindesentwicklung; Personality characteristic; Personality traits; Persönlichkeitsmerkmal; Elternverhalten; Lehrerverhalten; Parental role; Elternrolle; Pre-school education; Vorschulerziehung; Lernaktivität; Parents education; Elternbildung; Elternschule; Fragebogen
Abstract	In the world of early childhood care and education, the preparation of children to enter school successfully and perform well in their learning environments has become a subject of significant interest and concern (McLanahan, 2005). The term "school readiness" is generally used to describe the process of ensuring that children are prepared by parents and society for a successful school experience. Clearly defined, school readiness embraces the combination of knowledge, skills, and behaviors that a child should learn and be able to do as they enter the school environment. Areas of a child's growth and well-being that receive attention in school readiness include physical abilities and motor development; social and emotional development; motivation and desire for learning; cognitive development and early academic skills; creativity and imagination; and language and literacy development (Minnesota Department of Education, 2007). While a variety of early education programs exist ranging from Head Start to other models, the authors are interested in the outcomes associated with a family-centered intervention that brings parents and pre-kindergarten children together to advance school readiness and parent education. This program is entitled the Gearing Up for Kindergarten program and to date only a single study has examined its influence on parent outcomes. The purpose of this study was to gather information on basic demographics of program participants, parent perceptions of the general value and impacts of the program related to child school readiness, and teacher perceptions of the impacts of the program related to child school readiness. The essential question for study was how program participants in Gearing Up for Kindergarten compare to children in a non-experimental group on selected school readiness outcomes as assessed by both parents and teachers. Results indicate that the Gearing up for Kindergarten program appears to be effective at increasing the academic skills of children, making them better prepared to start kindergarten. The program is also related to increases in the amount of reading parents do with their children, which undoubtedly plays a role in the increased academic readiness seen in their children. Figures are appended. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness. 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. Tel: 202-495-0920; Fax: 202-640-4401; e-mail: inquiries@sree.org; Web site: http://www.sree.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01