The Impacts of Kindergarten Transition

Current national practices demand that public educators demonstrate accountability for academic achievement for all PK through 12th grade students. These high demands make it necessary for children to enter kindergarten prepared for the social, emotional, and academic requirements placed on them. The purpose of this qualitative research descriptive case study was to determine how kindergarten transition and screening assessments are used to help serve children's academic needs as they enter kindergarten. This study examined the importance of kindergarten readiness and how the kindergarten transition process prepares children for kindergarten. This research study explored the value of, and uses for, pre-kindergarten screening assessments. This research is important to parents, teachers, administrators, pre-school providers and policy-makers as it informs the benefits and challenges of providing a quality pre-school experience for all four-year-old children as preparation to more formal schooling. This research study answered the following questions: 1) How do parents use information from kindergarten transition activities and screening assessments to help prepare their children for kindergarten? 2) What transition activities do teachers believe are most beneficial in preparing children for kindergarten? 3) How is information from kindergarten screening exams used to help children attain academic success in kindergarten? 4) What challenges do parents, teachers, and administrators overcome in order to help children prepare for kindergarten? This qualitative research descriptive case study highlights the need for kindergarten readiness. The study demonstrates how activities designed to increase kindergarten readiness help children become more successful in the academic setting. This study focuses on the question of what factors influence kindergarten readiness. This research gives teachers and administrators ideas for interventions for students who experience difficulty with academic material upon entering school. This research provides information on how to interpret the results of kindergarten screening assessments. This study provides educators and parents many different best practices for applying the knowledge gained from kindergarten screening assessments at home and in the classroom. The findings from this qualitative research study demonstrate that parents, teachers and administrators value the variety of transition activities offered to their children. The results suggest that transition events and the screening assessment help children become prepared for the academic, social, and emotional demands of kindergarten. The findings demonstrate the need to provide quality opportunities for transition of children entering school for the first time.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201