Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Abstract: A successful transition to formal education is associated with academic achievement. School readiness programs may be effective in preparing children for this transition by familiarizing them with the classroom environment and routine, and by facilitating language and early literacy skills. Such programs may be especially beneficial to children in low-income neighborhoods. In this study, I evaluate the effectiveness of a two-week summer school preparation for pre-kindergarten program offered to children from a low-income neighborhood in their local elementary schools. \n Participants include 18 three and four-year-olds who attended the program, 17 parents and caregivers of these children, and 2 pre-kindergarten teachers. A comparison group included 165 nonprogram children from neighborhood schools. Among the program participants, school readiness was measured using the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA) and parents completed a survey at the end of the course. The teachers were also interviewed. During the school year, all pre-kindergarten children were administered the Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education (CIRCLE) academic assessment by their pre-kindergarten teacher during the fall semester. Program participants were compared with those who did not participate. \n Based on surveys and interviews, parents and teachers reported positive benefits of the summer camp. Parents reported that their children were familiar with the environment and ready to learn and that they were relieved in knowing that their child was prepared for school. Teachers reported that the program helped familiarize students and their parents with the classroom experience and school expectations, and that they developed bonds with both children and parents. These findings support the conclusion that the summer pre-k preparation camp was effective in facilitating the transition to school. \n For the quantitative measures, children’s scores on the BRSA increased between the beginning and end of the summer program. When comparing program children with non-program children during the fall semester CIRCLE assessment, no differences were found between the groups. These findings support the conclusion that the program promoted school-readiness in individual children, though it did not boost them to performance levels beyond the other neighborhood children. In summary, this brief two-week summer school intervention for disadvantaged children prior to pre-kindergarten was effective at helping families transition to the school environment and promoting school-readiness skills in children.
Author: Andrea Christine Parker
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2993797667