ERIC Number: EJ783142
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0885-2006
EISSN: N/A
Full-Day Kindergarten and Student Literacy Growth: Does a Lengthened School Day Make a Difference?
Zvoch, Keith; Reynolds, Ralph E.; Parker, Robert P.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, v23 n1 p94-107 2008
In the context of a quasi-experimental research design, literacy data obtained on students were examined to assess relationships between kindergarten program model (full- vs. half-day) and student literacy outcomes. Application of multilevel modeling techniques to the time series data collected from kindergarteners in economically disadvantaged school contexts in a large southwestern school district revealed that students exposed to a full day of instruction had greater literacy growth than their peers in half-day classrooms. Further examination of the program model results revealed that the relative efficacy of full-day kindergarten tended to be greater in smaller class size environments. These results, if replicated, suggest that full-day kindergarten initiatives targeted toward students from disadvantaged backgrounds may be more successful when implemented in classrooms with relatively small student enrollments. Implications for instructional policy and practice are discussed.
Descriptors: Research Design, Class Size, Disadvantaged Schools, Economically Disadvantaged, Kindergarten, Literacy, School Schedules, Outcomes of Education, Educational Policy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A