Browsing by Subject "kindergarten"
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Item Open Access Latent Class Growth Trajectories of Letter Name Knowledge During Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten.(Journal of applied developmental psychology, 2020-07) Carr, Robert C; Bratsch-Hines, Mary; Varghese, Cheryl; Vernon-Feagans, LynneA major developmental task for young children in the United States involves the acquisition of knowledge about the letters in the English alphabet. In the current study, we examined the growth trajectories of children's letter name knowledge (LNK) during pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. A diverse sample of 1,015 children was drawn from the National Center for Early Development and Learning Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten. Latent class growth analyses were used to identify three heterogeneous classes of children based on their LNK growth trajectories. Children's fall-of-pre-kindergarten language skills were associated with trajectory class membership, which in turn was associated with children's spring-of-kindergarten literacy skills. We also found that the association between children's fall-of-pre-kindergarten language skills and spring-of-kindergarten literacy skills was partially mediated by trajectory class membership. These findings point to the importance of LNK skill development as a marker variable to monitor and support children's emergent literacy development.Item Open Access Making the Grade? Kindergarten Readiness In Connecticut(2017-05-01) DeVito, SamanthaIn Connecticut, 83% of kindergarteners attended preschool. Despite high preschool enrollment, less than half of these students enter kindergarten consistently demonstrating the language, literacy, numeracy and social skills needed for a successful transition into formal schooling. I interviewed eleven kindergarten and eight preschool teachers to examine factors that could contribute to gaps in school readiness. I compared their opinions on which skills best indicate readiness, whether their expectations have increased with the introduction of Common Core and No Child Left Behind, and whether Connecticut’s current readiness assessment accurately indicates preparedness for kindergarten. The interviews revealed that preschool and kindergarten teachers disagree on the importance of mastering academic skills before entering kindergarten. Expectations at kindergarten entry have not increased but some teachers questioned the appropriateness of the current kindergarten curriculum for certain children. The skills included on Connecticut’s current entry assessment accurately indicate preparedness for kindergarten. These findings suggest that increasing communication between preschool and kindergarten teachers could help preschool teachers align their curricula with the expectations of kindergarten teachers. Connecticut could change the cut-off date for entry into kindergarten to increase the appropriateness of the kindergarten curriculum. Furthermore, future readiness tests should incorporate skills similar to those used in the current assessment.Item Open Access North Carolina Public Kindergarten Teacher Perceptions on Readiness and the Development of a State K-3 Assessment(2013-04-22) Sharma, ChinmayiAn established pioneer in matters of early childhood education, North Carolina will be using the Race to the Top grant money they won in 2010 to create and implement a statewide K-3 assessment. The Department of Public Instruction formed a think tank to develop the vision for the tool and the final product will be administered to all public schools in 2015. This study is one facet of a multidimensional project aimed at bringing several key stakeholders to the table to discuss the development of this assessment instrument. In this project, teachers were asked to rate 22 items suggested for inclusion in the assessment on a 1-6 scale in terms of importance, 1 being the least important and 6 being the most important information for their day-to-day classroom instruction. Respondents were also asked to comment on the helpfulness and delivery of the assessment as well. Previous studies led to the hypothesis that teachers would prioritize the Social/Emotional Development domain of assessment over Cognitive Development or Literacy. The data were gathered by an online survey sent in an email to 9,493 public school kindergarten teachers and the respondents comprised a volunteer sample of 2,596 cases, a 25.62% response rate. Results showed that teachers placed greatest importance on Language and Literacy Development, followed by Cognitive Development. Parent’s Education Level was given the lowest mean rate of importance out of the 22 suggested items. There was broad support for the assessment and the use of electronic tablets in its delivery. However, teachers did not support the option of the assessment being delivered through home visits. Demographic variations by region, locale size, education level and experience of teachers existed but were not robust.