Children's School Readiness Research Articles

Assessment of the Development of Fine Motor Skills, Balance Function and Static Kinetic Stability in Elementary Schoolchildren

Background: Assessment of the development of fine motor skills (FMS), static balance (SB), and static kinetic stability (SKS) in elementary schoolchildren reflects the extent of their school readiness. Objective: To evaluate the development of children at the initial stage of systematic learning. Materials and methods: Fine motor skill tests were conducted in 117 children using a modified “Little House” technique; static balance was tested in 150 children using the stork pose balance test, and static kinetic stability was tested in 147 children by analyzing stability of the body standing while rotating around the vertical axis. Results: We established that fine motor skills were age appropriate in only 19.0 % (95 % CI: 8.9–29.1 %) of first and 17.0 % (95 % CI: 7.4–26.5 %) of second-year pupils. Low static kinetic stability was observed in 37.5 % (95 % CI: 25.6–49.4 %) of first graders and 38.8 % (95 % CI: 30.9–46.7 %) of second graders. The level of static balance was below the average in 65.7 % (95 % CI: 54.3–77.0 %) of first graders and 37.3 % (95 % CI: 26.9–47.8 %) of second graders. Developmental delays in FMS, SB and SKS were 1.2–3.9 times more frequent in boys than in girls. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the development of FMS, SKS and SB in contemporary elementary schoolchildren is below the average level. The results may become the basis for elaboration of appropriate preventive programs and technologies in order to improve school readiness in children.

Moving to The Beats: The Effect of Dance Education on Early Self-Regulation

Self-regulation in children is an important thing that needs to be prepared from an early age. Besides affecting children's school readiness, this also makes it easier for children to have good academic achievements. This study aims to determine the influence of moving to the beat of early childhood self-regulation. This research was conducted on kindergarten group B students in East Jakarta. The research method used is a quasi-experiment method with a sample of 20 students. The data collection technique uses observations by analysing paired t-test statistical data. The results of the study explained that there was a significant effect of moving to the beat of early childhood self-regulation. The significance level is 0.000 < 0.05, which means that H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted, this indicates a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test. For further research, it is recommended to look at the influence of other factors on early childhood self-regulation.
 Keywords: Beats, Early childhood, Moving, Self-Regulation

To What Extent Can Community-based Playgroup Programmes Targeting Low-income Children Improve Learning Outcomes Prior to Entering the Reception Year in South Africa? A Quasi-experimental Field Study

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Community-based playgroups in low-and-middle-income countries increase access to early learning at lower cost than centers. However, evidence of effectiveness is limited. The effects of one, two, or three playgroup sessions per week on children’s performance on the Early Learning Outcome Measure (ELOM) (n = 112; baseline M = 55.32 months) were investigated using a quasi-experimental design. Data on children’s home learning environments was obtained from primary caregivers, and program staff provided information on playgroup characteristics. Multilevel modeling demonstrated significant differences between programs in ELOM score improvement over eight months participation (F = 6.48; p = .01); Fisher LSD Post Hoc pairwise comparisons indicated that three session playgroups produced significantly greater gains than two and one session models (p < .01). ELOM Total scores at baseline, and the quality of children’s interactions with adults and peers, predicted growth in ELOM Total scores by endline. Baseline age, height-for-age, child-practitioner ratio, and caregiver time for activities with their children, predicted growth in certain ELOM domains at endline. Practice or Policy: Until provision of quality center-based provision is realized, our findings indicate that well-designed community-based playgroups of sufficient dose, have the potential to improve learning outcomes and school readiness in children from poor households.

The Relationship between Physical Activity, Self-Regulation and Cognitive School Readiness in Preschool Children.

(1) Background: Limited research exists on the pathways through which physical activity influences cognitive development in the early years. This study examined the direct and indirect relationships between physical activity, self-regulation, and cognitive school readiness in preschool children. (2) Method: Participants (n = 56) aged 3–5 years were recruited from the PLAYCE study, Perth, Western Australia. Physical activity was measured using 7-day accelerometry. Self-regulation was measured using the Head Toes Knees and Shoulders task and cognitive school readiness was assessed using the Bracken School Readiness Assessment. Baron and Kenny’s method was used for mediation analysis. (3) Results: After adjustment for socio-demographic factors, total physical activity was positively and significantly associated with cognitive school readiness (B = 0.16, SE = 0.07, p ≤ 0.05). Moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was positively and significantly associated with self-regulation (B = 0.3, SE = 0.13, p ≤ 0.05) and cognitive school readiness score (B = 0.20, SE = 0.09, p ≤ 0.05). Self-regulation was found to be a partial mediator of the relationship between MVPA and cognitive school readiness. (4) Conclusion: These findings highlight the direct and indirect association between preschool children’s physical activity, self-regulation, and cognitive school readiness. Further research is needed to determine the causal relationships between young children’s physical activity and cognitive development, over time.

Factors Related to School Readiness in Children: A Cross-Sectional Analytic Study of Elementary School Children in Manado

Objectives&#x0D; School readiness is an overall condition of someone which makes him/her ready to give response or answer in a certain way to various situations. This study aims to determine the factors related to school readiness.&#x0D; Methods&#x0D; This is an analytic observational study with cross-sectional design, conducted at 4 elementary schools in Malalayang district, Manado, Indonesia between August – November 2018 (n=150). The significant value used is p &lt;0.01. Data wasanalyzed using SPSS for Windows version 23.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; Of 150 subjects there were 109 children who were ready for school and 41 children who were not ready for school. Of the five factors studied, it was found that stunted affected school readiness (OR 21.6; 95% CI: 6.68-70.32, p&lt;0.000), maternal education status affected school readiness (OR 4.1; 95% CI: 1.75-9.63, p&lt;0.001), socio-economic status affects school readiness (OR 5.1; 95% CI: 2.35-11.11, p&lt;0.000), and preschool affect school readiness (OR 6.8; 95% CI: 3.1-14.9, p&lt;0.0001). In multivariate analysis, there were three factors that had an association with school readiness, namely height, preschool participation and socioeconomic status (OR 34.4; 95% CI: 7.19-166.6, p&lt;0.001, OR 6.5; 95% CI: 2.28-18.55 p&lt;0.0001, OR 4.8l; 95% CI: 1.59-14.92 respectively).&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; There were associations between height, maternal education status, socio-economic status and participation in preschool with school readiness. There was no association observed between the employment status of mothers and school readiness. Height of the children was strongly associated with school readiness.

Maternal and paternal insensitivity, adaptive engagement, and school readiness skills among economically disadvantaged children: A dynamic approach

The transition to kindergarten is considered as one of the most significant developmental milestones in childhood. Although the significance of parental caregiving for child school readiness is well documented, it remains relatively unknown how dynamic interplay of maternal and paternal caregiving unfolds over time to promote school readiness, mediated by child characteristics. The present study used observed parent-child interactions to examine how maternal and paternal insensitivity across 24 to 36 months were similarly or differentially manifested in shaping school readiness in language and self-regulation skills among children from low-income families. Further, we tested whether children's adaptive engagement mediated the relations between parental insensitivity and school readiness. To these ends, this study used extant data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Study (N = 453 families of mothers, fathers, and children; 51% girls). Latent difference score model revealed commonality in the similar effects of mothers and fathers on child early language, linking both maternal and paternal insensitivity at 24 months to poorer vocabulary skills in children at age 5. Additional findings showed specificity in the differential effects of maternal and paternal insensitivity on child functioning, such that maternal insensitivity predicted deficits in children's vocabulary and self-regulation skills indirectly through poorer child engagement, whereas paternal insensitivity directly predicted children's poorer self-regulation skills. The findings highlight the longitudinal processes of early maternal and paternal insensitivity with common and differential implications for school readiness.

The Role of Parents in Children's School Readiness

The aim of this research was to examine parental practices aimed at supporting children’s school readiness in social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic and self-care domains. A case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The study group of the research included 25 participants. The participants were determined with the maximum variation sampling type of purposive sampling method. A semi-structured interview form consisting of two parts was used as the data collection tool in the research. The findings obtained in the study were analysed with the content analysis method. The research findings revealed that for supporting children’s school readiness in social terms, parents performed practices related to friend relationships, social activities, educational activities, family interaction and giving responsibility, while for emotional support, they engaged in oral communication, emotional support, spending time and doing activities. It was revealed that for supporting children’s school readiness in cognitive terms, number activities, book reading, games and oral activities were performed; for language support, conversation, book reading, games and feedback were practised; while for support in terms of self-care, practices aimed at fostering habits, giving responsibility and being a role model were carried out.

Reducing Poverty-Related Disparities in Child Development and School Readiness: The Smart Beginnings Tiered Prevention Strategy that Combines Pediatric Primary Care with Home Visiting

This paper describes the Smart Beginnings Integrated Model, an innovative, tiered approach for addressing school readiness disparities in low-income children from birth to age 3 in the United States through universal engagement of low-income families and primary prevention in pediatric primary care integrated with secondary/tertiary prevention in the home. We build on both public health considerations, in which engagement, cost and scalability are paramount, and a developmental psychopathology framework (Cicchetti & Toth, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines 50:16–25, 2009), in which the child is considered within the context of the proximal caregiving environment. Whereas existing early preventive models have shown promise in promoting children’s school readiness, the Smart Beginnings model addresses three important barriers that have limited impacts at the individual and/or population level: (1) identification and engagement of vulnerable families; (2) the challenges of scalability at low cost within existing service systems; and (3) tailoring interventions to address the heterogeneity of risk among low-income families. Smart Beginnings takes advantage of the existing platform of pediatric primary care to provide a universal primary prevention strategy for all families (Video Interaction Project) and a targeted secondary/tertiary prevention strategy (Family Check-Up) for families with additional contextual factors. We describe the theory underlying the Smart Beginnings model, some initial findings from its recent application in two cities, and implications for changing social policy to promote school readiness beginning during very early childhood.

Widening the focus of school readiness for children with disabilities in Malawi: a critical review of the literature

ABSTRACT In recent years, school readiness has become increasingly contested by early childhood researchers resulting in a lack of agreement on how it should be conceptualised and assessed, particularly in relation to children with disabilities. This article responds to some of these arguments by carrying out a critical examination of the literature surrounding early childhood education and care, assessment procedures, and cultural background in relation to school readiness. Evidence from the review revealed that there are few assessment instruments that capture the contextual aspects of children’s early learning and development, such as their cultural background, linguistic diversity or level of impairment or disability. We draw on the evidence to propose a holistic model of school readiness that can be used to help us to understand the transition of children with disabilities into primary educational settings in a low-income country in sub-Saharan Africa. We conclude that children’s assessment instruments should provide an accurate yet nuanced picture of children, within their context, alongside information that can support them into primary school. In doing this, it is vital to use contextual measures that are inclusive of children with different abilities and consider the constraints that may prevent them from going to school.

School readiness and academic achievement of children with hearing impairment: A South African exploratory study

Background: Children with hearing impairment may be at risk of not achieving the necessary school readiness because of the link between hearing impairment and academic achievement. However, early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) can improve potential outcomes for these children.Aim: As part of a bigger study titled ‘Communication and school readiness abilities of hearing-impaired preschool graduates: Exploring outcomes of early intervention preschool programs in Gauteng’, the aim of this study was to describe the school readiness and academic achievement of children with hearing impairment through retrospective record reviews of EHDI preschool records and Grade 3 teachers’ survey.Setting: The study was conducted in Gauteng, South Africa, where two EHDI preschool centres participated in the study.Methods: Eight children identified with hearing impairment and enrolled in EHDI preschools were included in the study, along with their Grade 3 teachers. Data collection was conducted through a self-developed teacher questionnaire and record reviews of the children’s preschool files. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.Results: Three children (n = 8) obtained age-appropriate school readiness results and were subsequently enrolled in mainstream schools. Five children (n = 8) did not exhibit age-appropriate school readiness and were subsequently enrolled in remedial schools and schools for Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN).Conclusion: These preliminary findings demonstrate that through EHDI, children with hearing impairment are allowed to develop the school readiness required to experience academic success. Factors influencing outcomes within the South African context need to be explored in order for South Africa to benefit maximally from EHDI initiatives.

School (Un)readiness of Children Born Very Prematurely and Its Relation to the Attentional System: Evidence from the Posner Cuing Paradigm Study

ABSTRACT Research Findings: For early prevention of academic difficulties, it is crucial to identify developmental trajectories of preterm children with focus on the efficiency of basic cognitive processes. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize school readiness of children born before 32 weeks of gestation and to investigate its potential relationship with the efficiency of attentional system. Thirty-four children born very prematurely, and 37 full-term children took part in the two-stage study. Both groups were recruited from the same urban area and children were of Polish nationality. They were tested twice: at 5th year of age (the efficiency of attentional system) and at 6th year of age (school readiness). The analyses revealed that at the age of 5 children born very prematurely exhibit less efficient attentional alerting and orienting. Further, the efficiency of attentional orienting of very preterm children was found to be a significant predictor of their auditory, language and visuo-spatial functions, and their socio-emotional development. Whereas the efficiency of the attentional orienting together with the executive aspect of attentional system predicted fine motor skills in this cohort. Practice or Policy: School readiness of very preterm children can be explained by these children’s efficiency of orienting and executive attentional mechanisms. Early interventions to improve attentional capabilities may strengthen school skills and positivelyimpact academic achievements of very preterm children.

A Parenting Skills Programme to Enhance School Readiness of Grade R Learners in South Africa: A Social Work Perspective

Parenting plays a determining role in the development of school readiness. Socio-economic adversity often has a detrimental effect on the quality of parenting, which in turn has a negative impact on the school readiness of children. Intervention research was done to develop and implement a parenting skills programme for parents of Grade R learners in two resource-poor communities in South Africa. The findings indicate that parents can improve in the important areas of parenting, namely, the quality of the parent–child relationship, parent–child interaction, and creating a home-learning environment that could enhance the school readiness of their Grade R children. Social workers are in the ideal position to implement such a parenting skills programme. It will be part of their preventive work to limit later psychosocial problems in clients linked to lack of schooling, behavioural problems and unemployment.

Family routines and practices that support the school readiness of young children living in poverty

Despite established linkages between family routines and practices with aspects of school readiness, our understanding of these linkages would be further enhanced with research that: measures school readiness skills and behaviors across multiple domains; examines family routines and practices comprehensively; and is sufficiently generalizable to preschool-age children living in poverty. This study investigated the family routines and practices of newly enrolled Head Start attendees and explored connections between routines and practices and children's school readiness at preschool entry across 5 developmental domains: cognitive, physical, language, social-emotional, and approaches to learning. Utilizing the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2009 cohort, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed 5 distinct factors that characterize the underlying relationships between family routines and practices children experience. Specifically, family routine and practice patterns included: (1) implementing learning- and literacy-focused activities; (2) implementing art activities and playing games; (3) engaging in community activities; (4) avoiding unhealthful foods; and (5) consuming healthful foods. Regression results revealed the factors related to implementing art activities and playing games and implementing learning- and literacy-focused activities are the most consistent predictors of school readiness outcomes across all domains measured. Using a nationally representative sample of entering Head Start attendees, findings suggest that family routines and practices may serve as protective factors for young children living in poverty and support their school readiness across multiple key readiness domains.

Summer Preschools for Syrian Refugee and Host Community Children in Turkey: A Model of Contextually Sensitive Early Intervention

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study evaluated the impacts of the Summer Preschools Program on 5-to-6-year-old Syrian refugee and local children from vulnerable communities of Turkey. Developed as a community-based contextually sensitive early intervention model, the program aimed to promote developmental well-being and school readiness of children from forced displacement and abject poverty backgrounds by supporting cognitive, language, and socioemotional development prior to primary school. A skill-based preschool education curriculum was implemented with 2620 children for 10 weeks at 140 classrooms in Southeastern Anatolia region across the war-torn border zone with Northern Syria. The study included 711 children in quasi-experimental design and pursued a multi-measure evaluation approach in seven early development domains. ANCOVA analyses revealed that after controlling for pretest scores, the intervention group scored significantly higher than the control group on posttest measures of preliteracy and prenumeracy, receptive and expressive language, and emotion-regulation skills. Additionally, there was a significant increase in social competence skills and decrease in internalizing/externalizing behavior problems. Intervention resulted in substantial improvements with mostly medium-to-large effect size. Overall, results suggest the effectiveness of the Summer Preschools as a compensation intervention strategy that can foster developmental well-being, school readiness, and resilience of children exposed to early life adversities. Practice or Policy: With its conceptual framework, intervention content, and implementation structure, the Summer Preschools model can inform support services and education policies of countries grappling with refugee influx.

Results of School Competence of Roma Children

The paper focuses on the school readiness of Roma children and the results in individual verified areas. In the first part we will briefly explain the basic monitored areas of school competence, in the second part we will evaluate the results we found by diagnosing preschool children, in the end, we will evaluate the results and point out the impact of identified difficulties on school success.

PENERAPAN PSIKOEDUKASI TENTANG PENGETAHUAN KESIAPAN SEKOLAH ANAK TERHADAP IBU UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMANDIRIAN ANAK

The importance of mother's skills towards children is needed so that children become independent. In this case, efforts are needed to improve maternal parenting skills. One of the efforts that can be done is the provision of psychoeducation about knowledge of school readiness for mothers. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether there is an effect of child independence after the mother is given knowledge about psychoeducation. The mothers who were given the knowledge about Psychoeducation were 30 people who were the guardians of Hasanuddin Kindergarten students. The research data was collected with a focus on the children's independence scale and school readiness scale, because the research data was not normally distributed, the data analysis used in this study was Non Parametic Wilcoxson. From the results of the analysis, the value of t count is 0.015 and the value of sig. of 0.988 which means that there is no difference in the independence of the child before the mother is given psychoeducation and after being given psychoeducation.

Language Skills of Children With and Without Mathematics Difficulty.

Purpose Language is an important skill required for children to succeed in school. Higher language skills are associated with school readiness in young children and general mathematics performance. However, many students with mathematics difficulty (MD) may be more likely to present difficulties with language skills than their peers. The purpose of this report was to compare the language performance of children with and without MD. Method We compared child vocabulary, morphology, and syntax between first- and second-grade children (N = 247) classified as with or without MD, controlling for child working memory. Results Children with MD (n = 119) significantly underperformed compared with their peers (n = 155) on all language measures. The largest difference between children with and without MD was in syntax. Conclusions Children with MD present poorer language skills than their peers, which aligns with previous research linking the importance of syntax with mathematics learning. More research is needed to better understand the complex links between language skills and mathematical development.

DIFFERENCES IN YOUNG CHILDREN'S PROBLEM BEHAVIOR, PEER INTERACTION, AND SCHOOL READINESS ACCORDING TO THE PRESENCE OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS SYMPTOMS

This study examined whether there is a difference in children's psycho-social development variables according to the presence of children's atopic dermatitis symptoms, and analyzed the relationship among variables. This study aims to explore the differences in young children's problem behavior, peer interaction, and school readiness according to the presence of atopic dermatitis symptoms and to investigate the relationship among variables. A total of 1502 children whose are aged six years were considered as subject for this study out of which 232 children’s had atopic dermatitis symptoms and the remaining 1270 did not have this symptoms. The research instruments were used the children problem behavior scale, peer interaction scale, and school readiness scale. In the research results, it was found that the level of problem behavior internalization and externalization in the children with atopic dermatitis symptoms was higher than that of no-symptom children. Meanwhile, according to the presence or absence of atopic dermatitis symptoms, it was found that there was no difference between peer interaction and preschool school readiness. In addition, the externalization variable of the problem behavior of children with atopic dermatitis symptoms was found to have a negative effect on school readiness, and peer interaction was found to have a positive effect on school readiness. Children with symptoms of atopic dermatitis can be studied advance by taking this study as the basic data for guiding them also for coping the psychological developmental problem.

School Readiness for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Critical Gaps and Call for Research

Students who enter kindergarten without school readiness skills are more likely to demonstrate academic, behavioral, and social struggles during school. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are particularly at risk for underdeveloped school readiness skills, which can undermine academic achievement and result in poor long-term outcomes. The purpose of this article is to synthesize literature that aligns with a widely used Office of Head Start’s model of school readiness, applied to children with ASD, and to present critical gaps in research and opportunities for practice that may improve school readiness in this population. Research in this area may ultimately help to enhance service delivery that improves preparation for school and, therefore, later academic and long-term life outcomes for students with ASD.

The effects of teacher–child racial congruence, child race, and emotion situation knowledge on teacher–child relationships and school readiness

AbstractWe examined whether teacher–child racial congruence and child race moderated the association between children's emotion situation knowledge and the dimensions of teacher–child relationship quality (i.e., closeness, conflict, and dependency). We also investigated these dimensions as mediators linking emotion situation knowledge and later school readiness. Participants were 303 White and African American preschoolers and their teachers who were also racially diverse. For White preschoolers, teacher–child closeness was more likely and teacher–child conflict and dependency were less likely when their teachers matched them in race. For African American children, teacher–child conflict and dependency were more likely when their teachers matched them in race. Emotion situation knowledge and teacher–child closeness were positively related to later school readiness. Findings are discussed in the context of recommendations for policies and practices encouraging culturally responsive, equitable, and positive social–emotional instructional approaches that motivate, support, and sustain positive teacher–child relationships in early childhood classrooms.