The skills children possess in kindergarten help determine their academic achievement in later years. Far too many children start out unprepared, and research has found that achievement gaps exist even before kids enter kindergarten. Once children start school, the achievement gaps just get wider. Despite the fact that high-quality early childhood education helps ensure children don’t start school already behind, many still do not have access to high-quality preschool programs.
Measuring a child’s kindergarten readiness can help parents, teachers, schools and communities understand and effectively address that child’s individual needs. That is why counties throughout California have begun to examine children’s kindergarten readiness skills. Time and again, these regional reports have consistently found that kids who attend high-quality preschool begin school more ready to learn and transition more smoothly into kindergarten than children without preschool experience.
What is school readiness?
Children learn complex concepts by building upon early learning skills, often described as “school readiness skills.” These early cognitive and social skills facilitate and act as a springboard for a child’s later success in school.
There are four basic categories of school readiness skills that together provide a foundation for future learning. All of these skills are important and build on one another as children experience and learn new things. This diagram outlines the different categories and specific types of school readiness skills.
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How is school readiness measured?
Over the past decade, several communities have measured incoming kindergarteners’ school readiness levels through parent surveys and teacher observations. Results of these studies can help shape school readiness efforts to better prepare kids for kindergarten. Several counties in California have taken the lead on efforts to gather data on kindergarten readiness in their local communities, and all of them have found that access to high-quality preschool is an important component of preparing children for kindergarten.
Sources:
1Diagram from the San Mateo School Readiness Assessment, 2008. Page 54 This core set of skills reflects the five dimensions of readiness articulated by the National Education Goals Panel (NAGP).
