Kindergarten Year Research Articles

Acquisition of Letter Naming Knowledge, Phonological Awareness, and Spelling Knowledge of Kindergarten Children at Risk for Learning to Read

This study measures letter naming, phonological awareness, and spelling knowledge in 2,100 kindergarten students attending 63 schools within a large, urban school district. Students were assessed across December, February, and May of the kindergarten year. Results found that, by May, 71.8% of students had attained full letter naming knowledge. Phonological awareness emerged more slowly with 48% of students able to reliably segment and blend phonemes in words. Spelling development, a measure of phonics knowledge, found that, by May, 71.8% of students were in the partial-alphabetic phase. A series of regression analyses revealed that by the end of kindergarten both letter naming and phonological awareness were significant predictors of spelling knowledge (b = .332 and .518 for LK and PA, resp.), explaining 52.7% of the variance.

Ecuadorian kindergartners’ numerical development: contribution of SES, quality of early mathematics education, and school type

Abstract This study aimed at analyzing the development of Ecuadorian children’s early numerical abilities during the Kindergarten year in relation to their SES, the quality of their early mathematics education, and the attended school type. 179 Ecuadorian Kindergartners (18 classrooms, 6 classrooms per school type) were offered a standards-based early numeracy test at both the start and the end of the Kindergarten year. In all classrooms, the quality of early mathematics education was assessed twice via the COEMET instrument. Results first showed rather low scores on the early numeracy test, with only 50% (at the start) up to 70% (at the end) of the items solved correctly, along with large inter-individual differences in these scores. Second, the quality of early mathematics education in the participating classrooms was also rather low. Third, children’s early numerical abilities at Kindergarten entry, SES, and school type predicted children’s early numerical abilities at the end of the school year. The quality of early mathematics education did not contribute to children’s numerical development. We critically discuss our findings in view of optimizing the quality of Ecuadorian early mathematics education as a stepping stone towards enhanced numerical development.

Childcare experiences and early school outcomes: The mediating role of executive functions and emotionality

AbstractThe current study examined whether young children's executive functions and emotionality are related to childcare experiences and whether they work as mediators explaining the associations between childcare experiences and early school outcomes. Findings from a national sample of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 990) revealed that centre‐based care experiences and childcare quality positively predicted preschool children's executive functions, which then were linked to their academic skills and social skills in preschool and kindergarten years. Childcare hours were negatively related to executive functions. Further, childcare experiences did not predict children's emotionality, which was related to their social skills. Overall, childcare experiences, of higher quality, more structure and less hours, were modelled as predicting early school outcomes directly as well as indirectly through executive functioning.Highlights A mediated model of childcare experiences and early school outcomes through executive functions and emotionality is proposed. SEM analysis revealed that high‐quality, center‐type, and non‐excessive care experiences predicted executive functions, which then predicted academic and social outcomes, None of the childcare characteristics predicted emotionality while emotionality predicted social outcomes. Executive functions can be stimulated by high‐quality, structured care experiences and need to be a target of early learning and intervention.

Proč moje děti nechodí do mateřské školy. Přístup rodičů, jejichž rozhodování neomezuje socioekonomické znevýhodnění

The study presented here aims to understand why some parents from ordinary middle-class families do not send their preschool children to kindergarten or send them only very irregularly. Data from indepth interviews with mothers, which was obtained as part of the longitudinal monitoring of six families from the Liberec region during the pre-school year and commencement of compulsory education, was subjected to a content analysis. The analysis identified four main themes: a strong protective family style of education; compensating for problems experienced during the parents’ own childhood; mistrust that the kindergarten will ensure the child’s comprehensive development, and early scholarization. The results are discussed with regard to the enactment of compulsory attendance of the pre-school year of kindergarten.

Perception of the cursive handwriting movement in writers and pre-writers

The objective of this study was to confirm the existence of knowledge relating to the cursive writing movement for French pupils in 3rd year of kindergarten, 2nd grade and 5th grade of elementary school. 141 pupils were asked to watch a visual presentation of cursive handwriting to determine whether they were able to detect violations of two rules of handwriting: continuity and sequentiality of the cursive handwriting movement. Our results showed progressive development of the understanding of characteristics of the cursive handwriting movement, with different developmental trajectories of knowledge for the different rules. The ability to detect continuity of the cursive writing movement developed earlier than the ability to detect sequentiality. Correct decisions were not always accompanied by correct justifications, which developed more slowly than detection of rule violations.

Innovation - the key for developing countries

The current economic state of most developing countries portrays low-income levels of their citizens. This is due to several factors, of which lack of innovative thinking is fundamental. Typically, innovative thinking usually starts with developing creativity at the early childhood stage. Therefore, the developmental stages of children, i.e., during their years in kindergarten, must be structured in such a way to enhance innovative thinking. This article looks at innovation being a key to advancing developing countries when incorporated in educational curriculums. Specifically, the information and communication technologies (ICTs) educational curriculum of Ghana, a developing country, is analysed and compared to curriculums from the UK. Finally, ways to improve the acquisition of cognitive skills, using specialised learning aids in Ghana's ICT educational curriculum, to transform students' innovative thinking processes are proposed.

Addition in kindergarten: The role of mothers’ and teachers’ language

ABSTRACTData from a longitudinal investigation were used to examine the effects of mothers’ and teachers’ language on children’s developing mathematical competencies during the kindergarten year. Specifically, 1) mothers’ use of metamemory talk, or references to the process of remembering, and 2) teachers’ use of cognitive processing language (CPL), or instruction that encourages deep levels of processing and metacognition, were related to students’ addition skills in kindergarten. The findings indicated that while maternal metamemory talk was associated with children’s mathematical competencies at school entry, teachers’ use of CPL was associated with the amount of growth that students demonstrated across the year, especially regarding strategy use. The results highlight the need for additional research that examines students’ academic trajectories longitudinally as a function of the language to which they are exposed at home and school.

Effects of the Tennessee Prekindergarten Program on children’s achievement and behavior through third grade

This report presents results of a randomized trial of a state prekindergarten program. Low-income children (N = 2990) applying to oversubscribed programs were randomly assigned to receive offers of admission or remain on a waiting list. Data from pre-k through 3rd grade were obtained from state education records; additional data were collected for a subset of children with parental consent (N = 1076). At the end of pre-k, pre-k participants in the consented subsample performed better than control children on a battery of achievement tests, with non-native English speakers and children scoring lowest at baseline showing the greatest gains. During the kindergarten year and thereafter, the control children caught up with the pre-k participants on those tests and generally surpassed them. Similar results appeared on the 3rd grade state achievement tests for the full randomized sample – pre-k participants did not perform as well as the control children. Teacher ratings of classroom behavior did not favor either group overall, though some negative treatment effects were seen in 1st and 2nd grade. There were differential positive pre-k effects for male and Black children on a few ratings and on attendance. Pre-k participants had lower retention rates in kindergarten that did not persist, and higher rates of school rule violations in later grades. Many pre-k participants received special education designations that remained through later years, creating higher rates than for control children. Issues raised by these findings and implications for pre-k policy are discussed.

A double dose of disadvantage: Language experiences for low-income children in home and school.

There is a virtual consensus regarding the types of language processes, interactions, and material supports that are central for young children to become proficient readers and writers (Shanahan et al., 2008). In this study, we examine these supports in both home and school contexts during children’s critical transitional kindergarten year. Participants were 70 children living in 2 different communities: neighborhoods of concentrated poverty (i.e., poverty rates over 40%) and borderline neighborhoods (i.e., poverty rates of 20–40%). From an ecological perspective, our goal was to examine the quantity and quality of knowledge-building supports in these contexts, and their relationship to children’s school readiness outcomes. Interactive parent-child tasks were designed to elicit child-directed language in the home, while naturalistic observations in the kindergarten classrooms captured teachers’ child-directed language. Children living in concentrated poverty were more likely to experience language of more limited complexity and diversity in both home and kindergarten contexts as compared to children living in borderline communities. We argue that the “double dose of disadvantage” in the language supports children receive at home and at school may affect their school readiness in significant, yet distinct, ways. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Preschool Examination in Baden-Wuerttemberg: Results of a Survey by Local Health Authorities

German federal states conduct preschool examinations of children, to assess risks to their success in school. In 2009, step 1 of the preschool examination (ESU) in the German federal state Baden-Wuerttemberg (BaW) was preponed to the second-to-last year of kindergarten (age 4-5) to gain enough time for developmental interventions. Procedures and practice of ESU by local health authorities (HAs) in step 1 and step 2 (last year of kindergarten) were analyzed to infer strengths, weaknesses and requirements for change in the current ESU format. The staff of 38 local HAs completed an extensive questionnaire on basic data, resources, acceptance, cooperation, content, methods and effects of ESU and enhanced their responses in free-text comments. The questionnaire was based on the statewide, standardized procedures of the ESU. In step 1, a median number of 2091 children were examined per HA. In step 2, the median number of children was 192. Staff resources were rated as insufficient by some HAs. ESU was rated as indispensable or helpful by most HAs. Much emphasis was placed on communication with parents and kindergarten teachers. ESU was performed completely or largely in accordance with the state-wide standards. Some changes in developmental screening were desired. Ratings of kindergarten teachers and parental questionnaires were regarded as helpful. According to HA estimates, about 20% of children suffer from health or developmental problems that are relevant to success in school, especially language problems. Information on developmental interventions following ESU is often missing. According to HAs, conducting step 1 of the ESU earlier, i. e. in the second-to-last year of kindergarten, has been a success and this change is well accepted. It seems sensible to further refine ESU screening methods and questionnaires. Feedback on developmental interventions following ESU should be the rule. Step 2 of the ESU in the last year of kindergarten should focus on children with special needs and their parents and teachers.

Growth of phonemic awareness and spelling in a second language

ABSTRACT Previous studies have examined the predictive significance of the level of phonemic awareness in L2 spelling, but have left the role of phonemic awareness growth relatively unexplored. The aims of the present study were to examine (1) the growth trajectory of phonemic awareness in the kindergarten years; and (2) the unique contribution of initial levels and growth of phonemic awareness in L2 spelling, with other important cognitive-linguistic predictors statistically controlled. One hundred and forty-one Chinese ESL children were followed for one year during which their phonemic awareness was assessed four times, at three-monthly intervals. Spelling was assessed at Time 5, which was 12 months after the beginning of the study. Non-linear growth of phonemic awareness was observed. With age, non-verbal intelligence, letter name knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, syntactic awareness, word reading statistically controlled, both the initial levels and growth of phonemic awareness predicted L2 spelling at T5. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Working Together: Communication Between Stakeholders During the Transition from Early Intervention to School for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The transition to school can be a complicated process for families of children with exceptionalities (Janus, Lefort, Cameron, & Kopechanski, 2007). Little is known about the transition to school specifically for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). The aim of this study was to examine the communication that occurred among early intervention (EI) providers, parents, and teachers before and during the child’s first year of kindergarten. Thematic analysis was used to analyze six sets of parent interviews, pre- and post-transition, three interviews with EI providers, and three interviews with teachers of the deaf. Participants from each group described factors that facilitated or hindered the transition to school for D/HH children. Findings were interpreted through the framework of ecological systems theory, which indicate that high-intensity transition support and fluid communication facilitated the transition and fostered positive relationships among those involved in the child’s transition to school.

Different Measures of Print Exposure Predict Different Aspects of Vocabulary

AbstractThe authors examined whether different measures of print exposure assess the same underlying concept and how these different measures relate to vocabulary breadth and depth. One hundred forty‐seven students attending the third year of kindergarten in Jining, China, were assessed on nonverbal IQ, vocabulary breadth and depth, and their knowledge of book titles. Parents also participated in the study by filling out a questionnaire on the frequency of shared book reading and the number of children's books at home, recording their daily parent–child reading activities (diary), and completing the children's title and author recognition checklists. Results of exploratory factor analysis indicated that the measures of print exposure were loading on three interrelated factors. The items measuring the frequency of shared book reading at home along with diary formed one factor, the children's title recognition checklist and number of children's books at home formed a second factor, and children's knowledge of book titles formed a third factor. In addition, the results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that whereas all factors accounted for unique variance (3–6%) in vocabulary breadth, only children's knowledge of book titles predicted vocabulary depth, after controlling for children's age, parents’ education and income, and children's nonverbal IQ. Taken together, these findings suggest that different measures of print exposure may capture different aspects of print exposure and that these aspects may exert a different role in vocabulary breadth and depth.

Cognitive precursors of word reading versus arithmetic competencies in young Chinese children

Word reading and arithmetic calculation are foundational to higher level reading (e.g., text comprehension) and mathematics (e.g., fraction), respectively. The present study aims to examine the similarities and differences in the cognitive precursors of word reading and arithmetic competencies in young Chinese children. A total of 75 Hong Kong Chinese children were tested first in the fall (T1) and then in the spring (T2) of their third kindergarten years. Competencies in Chinese word reading, including both single- and double-character word reading, and arithmetic calculation, including nonsymbolic arithmetic, arithmetic word problems, and written arithmetic, were assessed at both T1 and T2. Phonological awareness, orthographic awareness, rapid automatized naming (RAN), spatial perception, and spatial visualization were assessed at T1. The results showed that phonological awareness predicted later competencies in word reading and symbolic arithmetic, specifically arithmetic word problems and written arithmetic. RAN was predictive of later competencies in word reading and nonsymbolic arithmetic. Orthographic awareness was associated with later competencies in word reading but not arithmetic. Visual-spatial skills predicted later competencies in arithmetic word problems but not word reading. The findings suggest that similarities and differences both exist in the cognitive underpinnings of Chinese word reading and arithmetic competencies at a young age.

A comparison of narrative skill in Spanish-English bilinguals and their functionally monolingual Spanish-speaking and English-only peers

Purpose: The Spanish and English narrative skills of young (mean age = 5.65 years) Spanish-English bilinguals were compared to functionally monolingual Spanish and English-only speakers’ narrative skills, respectively ( n = 63). Method: Spanish and English oral retellings, elicited at the beginning and end of the kindergarten year, were transcribed and coded in terms of discourse- (story structure complexity), semantic- (word diversity) and grammatical-level (lexical and grammatical errors, revisions) skills. Data and analysis: Repeated measures ANOVAs, with Time (beginning-, end-of-year) and Language Status (bilingual and either functionally monolingual Spanish or English monolingual) or Language (English, Spanish) as factors, were used to compare children’s narratives in terms of story structure complexity, word diversity, errors and revisions. Pearson correlations examined the relation of revisions to word diversity and errors. Results: Time comparisons revealed significant gains in story structure complexity, with no statistically significant difference between bilinguals’ and monolinguals’ complexity scores. Bilinguals’ stories were also not different between English and Spanish. Yet, bilinguals included more errors in English than did English monolinguals, while engaging in a comparable number of revisions. Moreover, despite comparable error rates with Spanish monolinguals, bilinguals included more lexical and grammatical revisions in Spanish. Revisions and word diversity were positively correlated; no relation was found between revisions and errors. Conclusions: The relative differences in revisions between bilinguals’ and Spanish monolinguals’ narratives, versus English monolinguals’, highlight the linguistic strengths of bilinguals. In particular, bilinguals’ tendency to engage in revisions as they attempt to increase their language complexity, suggests that revisions require advanced linguistic knowledge, not language uncertainty. Originality: The children in this study were considered language minority learners in the United States. Moving past accounts of minority learners’ “low” performance on oral language and reading comprehension, our study findings reveal evidence of “advanced” linguistic knowledge for bilingual speakers.

Interrelations of Growth in Letter Naming and Sound Fluency in Kindergarten and Implications for Subsequent Reading Fluency

Although letter naming fluency (LNF) and letter sound fluency (LSF) measures are widely available to educators for assessing early literacy skills of kindergarten children, better understanding of the contributions of these skills to reading development can help improve the interpretation of LNF and LSF data for instructional decisions. This study investigated the interrelations of growth in LNF and LSF across the kindergarten year and their unique roles in predicting later reading fluency. Piecewise parallel-process growth models indicated that although LNF and LSF were highly correlated at kindergarten entry, fall LNF status was positively predictive of LSF growth across the fall. Bidirectional effects were present, as initial LSF was also a positive predictor of LNF growth across the fall; however, its effects were not as strong as those of initial LNF on LSF growth. More importantly, both initial status and growth in LNF and LSF were uniquely predictive of first-grade reading fluency, indicating the independent effects of each on subsequent text reading skills. Indirect effects were also observed for kindergarten LNF and LSF growth on reading fluency in second and third grades. Implications for kindergarten assessment and instruction are discussed.

The Relationship between Eating Pattern and Eating Behavior in Preschool Children Aged 4-5 Years at Al-Ikhlas

According to data from the Bulukumba district health office in 2014, there were 44% malnutrition in preschool children and 2015 there was 53% malnutrition in preschool children due to irregular children's eating patterns. The data obtained showed that the incidence of preschool children experiencing malnutrition is increasing from year to year. The purpose of this research is to know the relationship between eating patterns and eating behavior in preschool children aged 4-5 years at Al-Ikhlas Kindergarten, Benteng Gantarang Village, Gantarang District, Research Design using Cross-Sectional. The study population was parents who had children aged 4-5 years in Al-Ikhlas Kindergarten which counted 58 people. A sample of 37 people were taken using consecutive sampling techniques using questionnaire and interview instruments. In AL-Ikhlas Kindergarten, Benteng Gantarang Village, Gantarang District, Bulukumba Regency, 58 students were formed consisting of 2 groups A and B, and after interviews of 20 parents, there were found that there were those who easily ate 8 people and had difficulty eating 12 people. Chi-square test results obtained P = 0.004. This means that there is a significant relationship between eating patterns with eating behavior in preschool children aged 4-5 years at Al-Ikhlas Kindergarten, Benteng Gantarang Village, Gantarang District. It is recommended that parents can provide regular eating patterns to children so that the child's eating behavior becomes good.

ENGLISH INSTRUCTION FOR EARLY-CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (A CASE STUDY AT TK RIYADUL JANNAH SIMO BOYOLALI CENTRAL JAVA YEAR 2016)

Kindergarten children are creative, resourceful, and imaginative. During the kindergarten years, the children’s perceptual skills can be sharpened by encouraging them to observe specific aspects of their environment. In line with the need of English as the international and the most spoken language, English subject is being taught to students from elementary to university level, or even to kindergarten. The consideration is that English should be taught very early as the students will easily absorb the English materials later on. However, kindergarten teachers in Indonesia are actually not the experts of the field. There are still limited graduated teachers majoring in kindergarten or early childhood education department. Promoting an effective learning can only be well done by teachers who are qualified enough. In addition, there is no best method in teaching such a foreign language to these young students. To sum up, teaching a foreign language to very young students who are living in and accustomed to the first language is a challenging task for the kindergarten teachers.

Educating the Whole Child: Kindergarten Mathematics Instructional Practices and Students’ Academic and Socioemotional Development

Background To date, school policies and practices have emphasized early-schooling mathematics instructional practices only as a way to boost academic achievement. However, because young children spend a large part of their formative years in classroom settings, it is important to understand not only the link between instruction and achievement but also the link between instruction and socioemotional development. Our study addressed this issue. Using a nationally representative dataset of kindergarten students, we inquired into which early mathematics instructional practices might be linked to a range of child outcomes, including both achievement and socioemotional development. We also investigated whether these associations varied across different subpopulations of students. Population The ECLS-K: 2011 dataset for a nationally representative sample of kindergartners in 2010–11 was used. Children were assessed in mathematics at kindergarten entry and at the end of the kindergarten year. Their socioemotional development was also rated by teachers and parents. Research Design We used student-level multiple regression analyses with school fixed effects, a rich set of individual, family, and classroom covariates, and school cluster-adjusted standard errors to estimate the associations between kindergarten mathematics instructional practices and achievement and multiple socioemotional outcomes. Conclusions We found that several instructional practices were associated with multiple types of outcomes, often with different results for different types of students. Thus, an exclusive focus on achievement likely obscures the full range of influence that teaching practices have on student success. As school systems increasingly seek to foster socioemotional learning, it is important to establish a research base that considers the links between pedagogy and all facets of childhood development.

Development of pre-academic skills and motivation in kindergarten: a subgroup analysis between classroom quality profiles

The present study extends research on classroom quality profiles by examining the differences between profiles with respect to children’s development in pre-academic skills and motivation across the kindergarten year. Teacher–child interactions were observed in 49 Finnish kindergarten classrooms using the CLASS Pre-K instrument. Based on prior identification of latent profiles of classroom quality, subgroup analyses on children’s data were carried out on three profiles representing high Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and intermediate Instructional Support (Profile 1), higher-intermediate Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and lower-intermediate Instructional Support (Profile 2), and intermediate Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation and low Instructional Support (Profile 3). Children’s (n = 504) pre-reading and pre-math skills were tested at the beginning and end of the kindergarten year, and their task behaviours were rated by the testers in assessment situations. The children’s vocabulary, number knowledge and interest in reading and math were measured at the end of the kindergarten year. The results indicated a significant increase in children’s number sequence skills and a significant decrease in avoidance and helplessness across the kindergarten year in Profile 1 compared to children in Profile 2. In contrast, a significant increase was found in helplessness and social dependence for children in Profile 3 compared to the other two profiles. Moreover, the children in Profile 2 showed a significant decrease in anxiety compared to those in Profile 3, whereas the children in Profile 3 showed less interest in reading than the children in the other profiles and had lower vocabulary scores than the children in the Profile 2 at the end of the kindergarten year. The results provide a new understanding about the effects of different classroom quality profiles on child outcomes, particularly in regard to motivation.