School readiness encompasses two different terms in Estonia: school maturity and school readiness. School maturity involves stages in growth a child experiences up to a certain level of development. School readiness involves that point in development at which a child is ready to enter school. Because children develop at different rates, ways…

Many experts agree that high-quality television can be an excellent supplement to active learning in the classroom and at home. This guide contains activities for children ages 3 to 6, each activity incorporating a theme or topic related to an episode of "Arthur" presented during the program's third season on the Public Broadcasting…

Pearson product-moment correlations were computed for selected subtests of The Gesell Developmental Test and The Meeting Street School Screening Test. The selected subtests are moderately correlated, suggesting that either test might be used in a battery. (Author)

The ability of the Stanford Early School Achievement Test (SESAT) to predict scores on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) was assessed, using pupils in grades 1 and 2 from a large midwest suburban school district. Observed SESAT-SAT correlations ranged from .257 to .723. Author/CTM)

Surveyed Year 1 and 2 teachers in Australia about their classroom rules. Found that teachers have about six rules for their classes relating to pupil-pupil relations, completing academic tasks, movement around the classroom, property, safety, and other. Most rules concerned pupil-pupil interactions, and all rules can be seen as a way of…

Reviews the literature to address questions that school psychologists and teachers have regarding emergent literacy in kindergarten. Defines emergent literacy; examines the importance of reading to children; and discusses print awareness/concepts of print, knowledge of letter names, phonemic awareness, formal reading instruction, early readers,…

The American Federation of Teachers completed a 50-state study of key elements of state policies designed to ensure that all children, especially those most at risk, have full access to early childhood education. Overall, nearly every state provides funds for some type of preschool program, although the breadth of the programs remains limited. A…

Based on studies that detailed the benefits of quality early childhood education, the Alabama Pre-Kindergarten Initiative provides young children with enriching learning experiences to ensure that they will be ready to succeed in school. These experiences are critical for low-income children in economically distressed Appalachian counties.…

Research shows that a good kindergarten is child-centered, not academically oriented. Teachers in child-centered classrooms encourage kids to make choices, help them stretch for the next learning level, and attend to their social and emotional development. Kindergarten should be an extension of preschool, not a jump start on first grade. Current…

Describes North Carolina's efforts to develop a school readiness definition and assessment plan, focusing on differentiating readiness from eligibility and giving equal weight to schools' capacity to educate all children. Presents selected findings from the statewide assessment. Describes dilemmas faced by the state and their resolutions.…

Describes South Carolina's new state early childhood program, First Steps to School Readiness. Includes a profile of the state's at-risk child population, noting poverty and education risk indicators, and describing key program components. The article discusses program oversight, local program partnerships, program funding mechanisms, and local…

Discusses how preschool helps children develop pre-mathematics, social, and language skills as well as confidence. Claims low-income children have the greatest need for high-quality early care to overcome the disadvantages of poverty, and argues that high-quality child care prevents later costs for special education, welfare, or job training…

Presents findings from a longitudinal evaluation of the effectiveness of the Michigan School Readiness Program, which targeted four-year-olds at risk for school failure. Compared to nonparticipants of similar age and socioeconomic background, 24 percent more participants passed the grade 4 state literacy test, 16 percent more passed the…

Explored skills that teachers and parents believe kindergartners should have prior to kindergarten entry. Parents rated counting, reading, and writing, whereas teachers rated being curious and developing independence. Patterns of agreement on order of prioritization emerged between parents and teachers. (RJC)