A Preliminary Examination of a Kindergarten School Readiness Assessment

Global Diffusion of Montessori Schools

“…Research into the effectiveness of Montessori education is therefore difficult and often unclear because it is not determined in advance how and to what extent the Montessori schools participating in the research apply Montessori principles. For example, Macy et al (2021Macy et al ( , p. 1036) define Montessori education as a "strong focus on child-directed learning," in line with Denervaud et al 's (2021, p. 1) definition where Montessori education is defined as "self-directed and uninterrupted learning activities that children perform within multi-age classes. " These definitions are essentially different from Livstrom et al 's (2018, p. 191) definition, which describes Montessori education for adolescents as "multidisciplinary and contextualized in real-world problem solving and project-based learning and inquiry. "…”

Diagnostic Assessment of School Readiness

“…Ready-Set is a tool designed to evaluate children's readiness for kindergarten, collecting information from teachers or professionals regarding their skills in essential developmental areas such as adaptive, cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, social emotional, social communication, literacy, and math. FACS serves as a companion measure, enabling parents to assess and report their child's abilities across the same developmental areas covered by Ready-Set (Macy et al, 2021). The findings indicated that teachers perceived Ready-Set as a user-friendly resource that supplied pertinent information about children's readiness skills.…”

“…For example, school readiness is defined as the capacity of children to regulate emotions for appropriate social responding, as well as the ability to regulate attention and utilize selective strategies during cognitive tasks, with self-regulatory skills forming the foundation for the behaviors and attributes associated with successful school adjustment (Blair, 2002;Curby et al, 2018;Denham, 2006;Duncan et al, 2007;Józsa et al, 2022a;Miller & Goldsmith, 2017). It also refers the acquisition of a range of skills typically anticipated upon starting school, enabling children to thrive in their social and academic growth (Bender et al, 2011;Macy et al, 2021). This multifaceted and comprehensive notion encompasses various aspects, such as physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills and competencies.…”

“…Various educators worldwide employ diverse assessment methods for assessing children's school readiness based on different knowledge and competence domains. Macy et al (2021) utilized two recently developed measures known as AEPS-3 Ready-Set and Ready-Set Family Assessment of Children's Skills (FACS). Ready-Set is a tool designed to evaluate children's readiness for kindergarten, collecting information from teachers or professionals regarding their skills in essential developmental areas such as adaptive, cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, social emotional, social communication, literacy, and math.…”

“…The transition from the early stages of exploration and discovery to the structured expectations of formal education signifies a critical juncture in a child's educational journey. It is during this pivotal period that the concept of school readiness takes center stage, acting as a vital determinant of a child's future academic success (Macy et al, 2021). School readiness encompasses a comprehensive set of foundational abilities that encompass diverse domains of early learning, including cognitive skills, receptive and expressive language proficiency, executive functions, and social-emotional and behavioral competencies (Amukune et al, 2022a;Józsa et al, 2022a;Russo et al, 2019).…”