Profiles of Child Developmental Dimensions in Kindergarten and the Prediction of Achievement in the First and Second Grades of Primary School

Abstract

A successful transition from kindergarten to 1st grade requires a positive combination of multiple dimensions of child competence. Using latent class analysis, we simultaneously examined the academic skills, work attitude, and social/behavioral competence of a large sample of Dutch kindergarten children to identify profiles of kindergarten competence. We tested the predictive power of the profiles by means of multivariate multilevel analyses with language, arithmetic, and work attitude scores as outcome variables. Research Findings: Five profiles of children with distinctive combinations of skills were identified. The results showed that the profile solution forms a significant basis on which to predict later performance. In particular, children in the 2 profiles with the highest kindergarten competence levels perform significantly better in Grade 1 than children with less advantageous skill sets, an effect that tends to increase in magnitude at the end of Grade 2. Practice or Policy: We suggest a practical validation of these profiles to be used as tools for tailoring learning opportunities in kindergarten according to children's skill sets.