ERIC Number: EJ801279
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jan-1
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-4056
EISSN: N/A
Forty Years of School Readiness Research: What Have We Learned?
Winter, Suzanne M.; Kelley, Michael F.
Childhood Education, v84 n5 p260 Ann 2008
The issue of children's school readiness concerns parents and teachers worldwide. Kindergarten teachers have reported that approximately one-third of U.S. children entering school are ill-prepared to achieve success. Experts also warn that many children are entering school lacking the fundamental skills to achieve academic success. It is well-documented that children of color and those from low-income families are more likely to enter school with fewer of the language, literacy, social, and other skills needed to ensure school success, compared to more advantaged children. While public schools have become more involved in preschool education and elementary schools are serving increasingly younger children, the schools themselves are often ill-prepared to provide learning environments that stimulate children's early learning in developmentally appropriate ways. In the United States, the recent emphasis on accountability for children's progress has perpetuated "push-down" curriculum approaches in elementary schools and the elimination of recess in favor of longer periods of instruction that leave little or no time for young children to learn naturally through play and exploration. After more than 40 years of research examining school readiness, it is timely to reflect on where people are at this point and what they have learned from prior studies. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to delve into the extant research base to examine what research has revealed that may guide and inform current school readiness efforts. The authors will summarize key findings of relevant research, with an emphasis on highly credible, large-scale studies from which one can, with confidence, draw implications for developing school readiness models.
Descriptors: School Readiness, Educational Research, Early Childhood Education, Models, Educational History, Preschool Education, Early Intervention, School Community Relationship, Educational Quality, Educational Environment, Disadvantaged Youth, Teacher Effectiveness, Social Development, Scientific Research, Outcomes of Education, Poverty
Association for Childhood Education International. 17904 Georgia Avenue Suite 215, Olney, MD 20832. Tel: 800-423-3563; Tel: 301-570-2111; Fax: 301-570-2212; e-mail: headquarters@acei.org; Web site: http://www.acei.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A