This study describes the development of a technique to help the pre-school teacher create an environment in which a large group of children can learn and to be an effective mediator between the environment and the interests and abilities of each child. Teachers were trained to rate children in terms of observational categories, to help them…

Compared school readiness as understood by kindergarten teachers in 11 rural Missouri communities with results of national Carnegie study of 7,000 kindergarten teachers. Found that Missouri teachers judged their students as more ready than did the national sample, and a greater portion believed that children are more ready now than five years ago.…

Several large-scale research efforts imply that improving instructional quality rather than assessing student readiness is a better way to promote student performance in the early grades. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/MLF)

In February 2007, First 5 LA contracted with Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) and its subcontractors, Juarez and Associates, American Institutes for Research (AIR), and Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research (BEAR) Center, to conduct the First 5 LA/LAUP Universal Preschool Child Outcomes Study (UPCOS). The authors conducted the study…

Successful early childhood program transitions involve the coordination and continuation of developmental and comprehensive services from birth through age eight. This guide is designed to facilitate the successful transition of children and their families into and out of Early Head Start and Head Start programs and assists in planning for daily…

This qualitative study examined experiences of teachers, parents, and administrators related to standardized kindergarten entrance assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses of standardized testing in kindergarten. Strengths emerging from the data included consistency of information with core curriculum, and the time and opportunity to begin…

High-quality preschool programs are essential to improving children's outcomes in reading achievement and leveling language and literacy disparities among students from diverse backgrounds. Grounded in state-of-the-art research evidence, this practice-oriented book demonstrates how preschool professionals can create, evaluate, and sustain…

The Early ON School Readiness Project is an emerging community-based model aimed at promoting the school readiness of 3- to 5-year-old children in a metropolitan area with a predominantly Latino (Mexican-American) population. Using an ecological approach, the multi-component program seeks to enhance school readiness opportunities for children at…

This study tested a conceptual model of a psychosocial pathway to academic competence in preschool. Developmental theory and research with older children suggest that social and psychological factors could have a significant impact on young children's learning and school readiness. Children in 3 preschool classrooms (N = 31) participated. Mothers'…

Compares school readiness expectations of preschool and kindergarten teachers. Results indicate that preschool teachers had higher expectations than did kindergarten teachers for kindergarten entry skills. Preschool teachers' expectations approximated kindergarten teachers' expectations of children's performance at kindergarten exit. (Author/BB)

Examined the practices teachers employ to help children and families make the transition to school, and the links between school, teacher, and classroom characteristics and transition practices. Discusses findings on factors influencing transition practice, including teacher experience and training, teacher race or ethnicity, class size, and the…

The new call for a universal preschool system is prompting an important policy debate across California. How preschooling is expanded and improved with limited public resources depends on several key issues. The hopeful ideals of "preschool for all"--with children beginning school ready to learn--spark enthusiasm and broaden public will.…

This exploratory study examined the relations among characteristics of children's home environments and two school readiness skills: their oral language and social functioning. Low SES Latino mothers of 122 (65 girls; 57 boys) preschoolers (39-49 months (M=45.00; S.D.=5.40) completed questionnaires about their family demography, their home…

This document is comprised of two reports, the first detailing findings of a 1997 Oregon survey to determine the status of the state's current kindergarten children and their developmental readiness for school, and the second providing county data from the survey. Surveys were mailed to 1,141 public school kindergarten teachers and 245 private…

Drew on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-- Kindergarten cohort 1998-1999 to examine kindergarten teachers' perceptions of children's school readiness. Found a strong emphasis on social aspects of learning. Female teachers valued social aspects of learning more than did males. Younger teachers valued academic skills more than older…