Reading readiness amongst preschool children in Pekanbaru Riau

Reading readiness is an important component of formal schooling. Preschool graduates need to compete with other children in Year One of elementary school. The aim of this study was to examine the reading readiness skills among kindergarten children in Pekan Baru, Riau. Aspects of reading readiness examined were (a) vocabulary, (b) auditory, (c) visual discrimination, and (d) mechanical reading. Reading readiness achievement was examined according to the gender, type of kindergarten and parents’ educational background. The sample included 450 preschoolers obtained through stratified random sampling. The instrument used to collect data was Reading Readiness Test (RRT). The data was analyzed using ANOVA and T-test. The findings revealed that there was no significant difference in reading readiness according to gender but there were significant differences according to type of kindergarten and parents’ educational background. The reading readiness tests results showed children's high abilities on most of test components. The major implication of the study is to implement effective strategies to enhance reading through parent education and teachers’ professional development.