ERIC Number: EJ1399370
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1350-293X
EISSN: EISSN-1752-1807
Playfulness as the Antecedent of Kindergarten Children's Prosocial Skills and School Readiness
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, v31 n5 p797-810 2023
This study examined the interrelationships among playfulness, prosocial skills, and school readiness of Hong Kong kindergarten children across time. Participants were 106 local children (55.6% boys, mean age = 60.0 months) and their parents and teachers. At time 1, parents reported their child's age, gender, and playfulness. Six months later at time 2, teachers reported children's prosocial skills and school readiness. The structural equation model revealed that children's playfulness at time 1 significantly predicted their prosocial skills at time 2, and that their prosocial skills and school readiness at time 2 were positively associated. The indirect relationship between playfulness and school readiness as mediated through prosocial skills was significant, whereas the direct relationship was non-significant. These findings suggest that children's playfulness may contribute to school readiness by fostering prosocial skills. Practically, results highlight the utility of promoting children's playfulness and prosocial skills to support their formal school transition.
Descriptors: Play, Kindergarten, Young Children, Prosocial Behavior, Interpersonal Competence, School Readiness, Foreign Countries
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A