Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4939120 | Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology | 2017 | 14 Pages |
Abstract
The present study used a person-centered approach to examine profiles of school readiness among entering kindergartners in rural, Appalachian communities. Aims were twofold: to determine the extent to which reliable profiles may characterize kindergartners' school readiness, with readiness encompassing language, literacy, math, socio-emotional skills, and learning-related behaviors; and to identify potential predictors of children's kindergarten readiness profiles. Participants included 396 entering kindergartners. Results of latent profile analysis showed there to be four profiles of kindergarten readiness: global risk (16% of children), academic risk (35%), sociobehavioral risk (13%), and readiness (36%). In general, predictors of profile membership included sex, race, family income, maternal education, and pre-k classroom quality. Study results show that a non-trivial percentage of children (49%) exhibit academic readiness, and 71% exhibit socio-behavioral readiness. This work improves our understanding of profiles of children from rural, Appalachian communities at school entry, and factors that may contribute to positive kindergarten readiness.
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities
Psychology
Applied Psychology
Authors
Laura M. Justice, Hui Jiang, Kiren S. Khan, Jaclyn M. Dynia,