Disadvantages Of Transitional Kindergarten

The article by Erika Christakis, informs future teachers and parents how preschool today may not be benefiting their children as much as they thought. She talks about how preschool has changed drastically over the years as well as kindergarten. She states that “kindergarten may be the new first grade”. Her statement shows how children today are expected more then they were years ago in all grades, especially preschool and at such a young age. Many think this is helping our children or will benefit them in the future if they know more as a child but this may not be the case. The article talks about multiple studies done throughout America to children are learning and how school curriculum changing affects children. A studied showed that children

Most kindergarteners are forced to take on critical learning material that a first grader should be learning. In Maryland’s Montgomery County, kindergarteners are given a reading exam by the end of the year and most of them pass it (Curwood, 2014). Last century, kindergarteners did not received any type of reading exams, they were not even introduced to reading. Kindergarten was fun and children did not have to stress about not being able to learn how to read or write. There was also hardly any homework that would take children hours to finish.

School readiness is defined by Petersen (2014) as, “children possessing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for success in school and later learning in life” (p. 175). When referring to infants and toddlers she defines it as, “supporting and protecting the developing brain in such a way that the brain creates a strong physical foundation for learning” (p. 175). Just as the definitions for school readiness for school age children and for infants and toddlers are not the same, the way we teach the skills for school readiness is different. Infants and toddlers learn differently than school aged children, so simply extending the core standards and teaching strategies used with school aged children down to

Early childhood education is crucial for success in the formalized education system. Many children born into lower income communities do not obtain this advantage. According to Kozol, simply based off accident of birth a child will lead completely different educational lives (2005). For example, a white toddler in an upper middle class neighborhood might attend a prestigious educational preliminary kindergarten. These respected early education schools are often referred to as “baby ivies” (Kozol, 2005). The child participates in pre-numeracy skills along with pre-writing skills. Conversely, a child of minority descent living in an underprivileged neighborhood may not initiate school until they are five years old. In the three previous years a

Statement of Issue: Many minority children and children from low-income families enter kindergarten without the academic skills they need to succeed. Math and reading abilities at kindergarten entry are powerful predictors of later school success. Research shows kids who start school already behind are unlikely to ever get caught up to standards. Hispanic and African American children are anywhere from 7 to 12 months behind in reading and 9 to 10 months behind on math when they enter kindergarten. Access remains extremely low to high-quality early education do to a couple of problems. First, rates of access to early education vary widely as a function of children’s socioeconomic backgrounds. Secondly, the quality of most early education programs is not high enough to substantially improve academic readiness. Considering the tremendous potential for high-quality preschool to improve children’s outcomes, this policy brief will consider how a universal publicly funded pre-kindergarten program in the United States could decrease both disparities in access to early learning and achievement gaps at kindergarten entry.

To start off, many students aren’t ready yet for the basis of kindergarten as they never finished, or even attended preschool. Attending a preschool gives children an early advantage, and stimulates an early mind. When a child starts their educational journey at the age of three, they get a two year “Head Start,” for themselves, compared to kids who have not attended preschool. This early advantage is a physical and significant benefit for them as it helps strengthen the child from early on. According to greatschools.org, “To sustain children’s excitement and motivation for learning, high-quality preschool and child care programs introduce early literacy and math skills

Recent studies on early childhood education have shown that children who have access to quality pre-kindergarten education tend to have higher educational attainment than those who do not have the opportunity. While the literature is by no means uniform on this, the bulk of current evidence suggests that such policies will likely be helpful, especially for students in low - income and minority school districts. Only time will tell, of course, if such programs can help to make inroads into the seemly intractable achievement gaps, but based on current evidence, it is a policy worth

Cate came into kindergarten already reading because of the incredible support of her fours teachers. Learning was fun for her and she loved going to school. Given her abilities, my husband and I wanted her to be challenged to move forward as she was able. However, the critically decisive factors that compelled us to choose Second Pres kindergarten were its developmentally appropriate curriculum and individualized education. We believe without the experience of Second Pres kindergarten, our oldest, Holly Jane wouldn’t be a third grader reading

Students attending John Reith Elementary are at risk because the parents are not preparing their children, teachers are not addressing the needs of each student, and the school is unable to provide additional assistances in the classroom. Parents are not enrolling their child in programs such as head start, preschool, and transitional kindergarten which will prevent the child falling behind in school. The parents and guardians are not reinforcing the topics and concepts at home to better prepare their child. Some parents are unaware of the benefits of attending school before kindergarten, and that common core changed the kindergarten standards to match the first grade standards. Teachers are unable to address every student needs and interest

On September 2010 more than 600 schools across Ontario opened their doors for a new program full-day kindergarten. This project is supposed to help parents to build a better future for their children. Almost every parent has a daydream in which she or he wants to see his or her child’s success. The project of full-day kindergarten can drive this dream to a reality. This program has been approved in the USA and given a significant result; this program became very popular, according to Viadero` and Debra (2005), because it is affordable for families with low income. Today parents in Ontario are given a hope to see

Early childhood education has many benefits and there is the potential for many significant outcomes if universal preschools were put into place. Some feel that children who start kindergarten without previously attended preschool sometimes lack certain skills such as social and communication skills and an inability to follow routines. There were also studies done that found attending preschool could help to close the achievement gap in the grade school years. A child’s first few years of life are most important, and they absorb the most during those years. By providing universal preschool, all children would be benefiting, especially those who are in at-risk families or part of the lower class. As a society, we have a responsibility to help the children in our communities and provide them with the education they need in order to help them succeed in life.

When children transition from preschool to primary one there is a change in the learning environment, quality of interaction and mode of instruction. The primary school is a much larger environment than a preschool. The classroom enrolment is also bigger and there is a larger teacher-pupil ratio. Hence, children in primary school receive less one-to-one attention from the teacher than children in preschool. In primary school, children are expected to spend more time seated at their desks. Children also spend a longer duration in primary school than in preschool and carry heavy schoolbags. There is a change in curriculum and behaviour expectations. Children are expected to buy their own food at the canteen and finish it within 20 minutes. Naptimes are not included. In primary school, children are expected to tie their own shoelaces, use the toilet the right way on their own and at specified times. In preschool, children may have 1 teacher to teach them Mother Tongue and another to teach them the other academic skills. However, in primary school children may have more than 2 teachers teaching them academic and non-academic subjects. Hence, children will have to adapt to different teaching styles and teacher

The years before kindergarten are among the most crucial time in a young child’s life to learn. School readiness, a multidimensional concept, has the ability to convey advantages in academic success in school. Children who enter school with early skills in math and reading tend to have more academic success, attain higher levels of education, and have a higher chance of securing employment (1). Their ability to recognize letters, read words in a book, write their own name, and count numbers are all factors that display early literacy and cognitive development, and in the past years, the number of young children with these qualities has increased over time. During the beginning years of a child's life, whether it’s from socioeconomics, ethnicity, daycare, or all of them combined, multiple factors influence a child’s readiness for school.

Early childhood education is one of the most important policy topics out there. Research has proven that the early years in childhood is a critical period for opportunity to develop a child’s full potential; as well as form academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine not only success in school but also their entire life (The White House). The right to a free, public education is guaranteed to all children in the United States. Early education is voluntary, and therefore some children are not given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

According to Maxwell & Clifford (2004), “School readiness involves more than just children. School readiness, in the broadest sense, is about children, families, early environments, schools, and communities. Children are not innately “ready” or “not ready” for school. Their skills and development are strongly influenced by their families and through their interactions with other people and environments before coming to school” (p. 42). Interaction of children with their teachers, parents and surroundings provide enriched and learning experiences to the child that lays the groundwork for further learning and development. Although school readiness is a multi-dimensional concept that has many advantages, but it has been becoming a discourse within the field of early childhood education. There are certain fixed goals, procedures and outcomes and child is viewed as ‘incomplete’ which has to ‘become complete’ by engaging in certain activities that enhance their learning and development. The children are classified into