Kindergarten Teachers' Practices Related to the Transition to School: Results of a National Survey

Abstract

A national sample of 3,595 kindergarten teachers reported on their use of 21 practices related to the transition of children into kindergarten in the 1996-1997 academic year and 15 barriers to implementing transition practices. Use of practices related to the transition into kindergarten was nearly universal; the most frequently reported practice (talking with the child's parent after school starts) was employed by 95% of the sample. Practices that involve in-person contacts with children or families were reportedly among those used least often, as were practices that involve contacting children or families before the start of school. The most frequently reported practices were those that take place after the start of school and/or involve low-intensity, generic contact (e.g., flyers, brochures, group open houses). As schools (or districts) became increasingly urban and had higher percentages of minority and/or low-SES students, teachers reported personal contacts less often, and low-intensity school contacts occurring after school had started were more common. The most commonly reported barriers to transition practices were class lists being generated too late, lack of support for summer work, and lack of a district plan for the transition into kindergarten. Teachers reported family-related barriers with increasing frequency as schools became more urban and had a higher percentage of minority students, or were located in high-poverty districts. Each finding revealed important aspects of whether the nation's kindergartens are "ready" and suggested a range of policy and practice implications.