This randomized trial tested the efficacy of an intensive, four-week summer program designed to enhance low-income children's transition to kindergarten (n's = 60 program children, 40 controls). Administered in four public schools, the program focused on social competence, pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills, school routines, and parental involvement. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that the program significantly improved teachers' ratings of (a) the transition to the social aspect of kindergarten for girls (but not boys); and (b) the transition to kindergarten routines for the subgroup of children who had the same teacher for kindergarten as for the summer program. Findings are discussed in terms of practices and policies for supporting children's transition to school.
Enhancing the Transition to Kindergarten A Randomized Trial to Test the
Efficacy of the "Stars" Summer Kindergarten Orientation ProgramThe transition to formal schooling challenges young children to adapt rapidly to new physical and social environments, new academic demands, and new routines (Kraft-Sayre & Pianta, 2000;Ladd, Buhs, & Seid, 2000;Ladd & Price, 1987). Positive transition experiences are associated with more favorable academic and social outcomes (Dockett & Perry, 2001;Pianta & Kraft-Sayre, 2003;Schulting, Malone, & Dodge, 2005). Children who adapt more easily to new school routines are also more likely to participate in class activities and to enjoy school (Ladd, Birch & Buhs, 1999;Ladd & Price, 1987;Ladd et al., 2000). Many children have trouble making the transition to school, however. A national survey of 3,595 kindergarten teachers found that they considered just 50% of their students to have made a successful transition to school (Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, & Cox, 2000). Better programs and policies to enhance children's transition to school are required. This paper contributes to the small body of empirical literature on the transition to kindergarten by employing a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a new, intensive summer program designed to enhance low-income kindergarteners' transition to school. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Address correspondence concerning this article to Lisa Berlin, Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708-0545. ljberlin@duke.edu.. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
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Children's Transition to SchoolThe dom...