ERIC Number: EJ757476
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 20
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-9289
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Effects of Class Size and Length of Day on Kindergartners' Academic Achievement: Findings from Early Childhood Longitudinal Study
Yan, Wenfan; Lin, Qiuyun
Early Education and Development, v16 n1 p49-68 2005
The study explored the effects of two kindergarten program organization factors--length of school day and class size--on kindergartners' reading, math and general knowledge achievement at the end of the kindergarten year. Two waves of data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) with an analytic sample of 15,575 children. A slight positive relationship was found between small class size and children's achievement in reading and math, particularly for children from minority and lower SES backgrounds. No relationship was linked with class size and general knowledge achievement. The relationship between full-day program and the three early academic skills was positive and statistically significant: almost all children made slightly higher gains in full-day programs compared with their counterparts in part-day programs. The findings suggest that policy makers may consider reducing very large class size and making full-day programs available to young children, particularly to poor minority children, at the same time aligning class size and length of kindergarten day with a child's characteristics and school curriculum.
Descriptors: Young Children, Minority Group Children, Class Size, Kindergarten, School Schedules, Reading Achievement, Mathematics Achievement, Knowledge Level, Longitudinal Studies, Correlation, Small Classes, Low Income Groups
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262. Tel: 800-926-6579; Tel: 201-258-2200; Fax: 201-236-0072; e-mail: journals@erlbaum.com; Web site: https://www.LEAonline.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Kindergarten
Audience: Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A