ERIC Number: EJ1381631
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-9289
EISSN: EISSN-1556-6935
Universal Screening of Hunger, Tiredness, and Sickness: Implications for Kindergarten Readiness and Racial/Ethnic Disparities
Lily Steyer; Carrie Townley-Flores; Michael J. Sulik; Jelena Obradovic
Early Education and Development, v34 n3 p742-761 2023
This study investigated associations of three teacher-reported health indicators--hunger, tiredness, and sickness--with kindergarten readiness skills in San Francisco Unified School District (N = 12,423; female = 48%; M[subscript age] = 5.47, SD[subscript age] = 0.30, range[subscript age] = 4.67--7.00; Asian American = 26%, Black = 5%, Latinx = 20%, Multiracial/Other = 23%, White = 18%). Research Findings: Accounting for demographic characteristics, each teacher-reported health indicator was negatively associated with measures of students' academic and social-emotional readiness. These relations did not differ by student race/ethnicity despite a disproportionately high prevalence of health concerns among Black and Latinx students relative to White students. Moreover, teacher-reported hunger, tiredness, and sickness partially explained racial/ethnic disparities in kindergarten readiness skills, especially among Black students compared to their White, Latinx, and Asian American peers. Practice or Policy: Results demonstrate the feasibility and utility of universal teacher-administered basic health screening and underscore the importance of early childhood health for efforts to redress educational inequality.
Descriptors: Hunger, Fatigue (Biology), Chronic Illness, School Readiness, Kindergarten, Racial Differences, Asian American Students, African American Students, Latin Americans, White Students, Ethnicity, Racism, Preschool Children, Literacy, Cognitive Development, Motor Development, Social Development, Emotional Development
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
Related Records: ED662699
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: California (San Francisco)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A