Cognitive skills, engagement in school, social skills, and physical well-being are all important for children's early success in school. However, some groups of children begin kindergarten less ready for school than others and, by the end of first grade, still have not "caught up" with their more successful peers.
Using nationally representative data, researchers from the Child Trends organization found that, on the average, all groups of children make progress on most indicators of well-being and development over the first two years of formal schooling, regardless of their social class and cultural backgrounds. However, kids from lower socioeconomic levels, those whose parents do not speak English at home, and those who are disabled tend to be less prepared for school upon entering kindergarten. And these vulnerable little people fail to catch up to their peers by the end of the first grade.
Parents from all backgrounds can and should be very helpful in preparing their children for kindergarten, so that all kids can benefit from what our schools have to offer.
There now exists excellent resources and parenting programs that can help parents carry out these critically important preparation functions.
One great resource that I recommend is The Kindergarten Survival Handbook by Dr. Allana Elovson. It contains a wide range of activities that parents can engage their little kids in at home that will help them develop the skills that are needed for kindergarten success. The Handbook contains many helpful checklists and it is available in different languages.
In terms of parenting programs that teach parents an overall set of skills for preparing kids not only for success at school but for success in life, there are many such programs that are described in the Parenting Skill-Building Programs section of the CICC's website.
The entire report on Indicators of Early School Success and Child Well-Being by the Child Trend researchers can be obtained by clicking here.
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