Development toward School Readiness: A Holistic Model

Abstract

This article describes a systemic analysis of the early childhood development factors that explain the variance in readiness for school among representative 5-year-olds in the United States. The model expresses a theory that incorporates a broad set of causally interactive endogenous variables that are hypothesized to be driven by the effects of three exogenous variables: parental education, immigrant status and racial/ethnic identity, and single-parent/divorced/remarried vs. stable-marriage family status. While exogenous is generally defined as “outside,” for the purposes of this analysis, racial/ethnic identity is exogenous in that, in contrast to the endogenous variables in the model, it is not influenced–-and does not change–-in interaction with other variables in the model. The model was run in computer simulation mode. The results are compatible with what is known about school readiness patterns. While this finding does not establish validity per se, it does suggest that the model provides a reasonable multivariate, systemic description of factors that determine readiness for school at the age of 5 and that offer a reasonable explanation for the variance in school readiness among 5-year-olds. Finally, the model was run in experimental computer simulation mode to evaluate the likely effects of five interventions that relate to: (1) cognitive and academic factors, (2) health care and nutrition, (3) income, (4) reducing the effect of low income on family stress, and (5) a combination of all these types. All the interventions were simulated by modifying the structure of the model to moderate the effects of low parental education and low income on other key variables in the system of early childhood development. As expected, combining the interventions related to cognitive and academic factors, health and nutrition, and family stress with straightforward increases in low family income had a very substantial effect on the relative age of school readiness of children of parents with very low educational attainment (from a relative age of 2.9 years to a relative age of 4.3 years)–-with very modest improvements in school readiness for children whose parents did not graduate from college. It is acknowledged that such a set of comprehensive interventions would be very costly and, probably, politically infeasible. The more limited and less costly interventions–-e.g., cognitive and academic–-vary in their likely effectiveness; the least effective interventions are those that affect only health and nutrition. The findings of this systemic analysis are generally consistent with the literature, at the same time emphasizing the weaknesses in the current knowledge base, which is largely based on correlational research. What is needed–-although difficult to do–-is bivariate experimental research that would provide the effect sizes that are needed for more precise systemic analysis.

Kindergarten As Protective Factor In Development Of Preschool Children From Risk Groups: Capacities perception of preschool teachers / Vrtić kao zaštitni čimbenik u razvoju predškolske djece iz rizičnih skupina: percepcija radnih kapaciteta odgajatelja

“…Even though preschool teachers have recognized all negative factors which moderately contribute to the expansion of risk conditions in which children live, the most frequent and the highest rating was given to the (non)quality of the family care for the child. This finding is definitely expected, since science of developmental psychology (Berk, 2015), claims that family plays the crucial role in children's lives (Bradley et al, 2001;Gaynor, 2015;Linver, Brooks-Gunn, & Kohen, 2002;Pettit et al, 1997). On the other hand, the least threatening factor was low education level of parents.…”

“…Different risk factors for vulnerability have been described in research so far. Some of them may include different characteristics of the family or context a child lives in (Bradley et al, 2001;Gaynor, 2015;Pettit et al, 1997) like poverty (Blair & Raver, 2016;Chaudry & Wimer, 2016;Kalil, 2009;Letourneau et al, 2013), number of siblings, overcrowding and similar housing arrangements (Leventhal & Newman, 2010), conflict, divorce, abuse and violence in family relations (Cummings et al, 2009;Holmes, 2013;Howell et al, 2016), or living in non-parental family care (Goemans et al, 2016;Lipscomb et al, 2013;Waterman et al, 2013) or residential care (Oliveira et al, 2015). Others may include child characteristics such as premature birth, low birth weight (Cassiano, Gaspardo, & Linhares, 2016), disability or chronic illness, etc.…”

Analysing the South African Junior Primary Education System with Agent‐based Simulation Modelling

“…American modelers, such as Gaynor (2015) and Clauset (2012), identified the need to use system dynamics simulation modelling to gain better insight into effectively managing and improving the quality of education delivered by schools. Gaynor's study, by means of simulation, aimed to evaluate five interventions in relation to cognitive and academic factors, nutrition and health care, income, reduction of family stress caused by low income, and combination of these aforementioned factors.…”

“…Gaynor's study, by means of simulation, aimed to evaluate five interventions in relation to cognitive and academic factors, nutrition and health care, income, reduction of family stress caused by low income, and combination of these aforementioned factors. Gaynor acknowledges that, whilst the system dynamics approach enables one to gain an aggregated view of the intricate workings of the complex nursery school system, it does not provide the size of the effect which is needed for a more precise systemic evaluation (Gaynor, 2015).…”

School entry age and school readiness.

“…Other studies emphasize more than academic skills as critical to school readiness (Britto, 2012;Gaynor, 2015;Sahin, Sak, & Tuncer, 2013). A more in-depth definition of school readiness provided by Britto (2012) explains three dimensions of school readiness: ready children, ready schools, and ready families.…”