Moderation of the effects of learning disposition on school readiness by family and child care contexts

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to assemble a working model of learning disposition, to gather data relevant to this model, and to determine if measures of learning disposition taken in preschool were useful to predict kindergarten school readiness. Participants were 205 children from child care centers throughout Oklahoma. It was hypothesized characteristics of the child, family context, and child care context would moderate the effects of learning disposition on kindergarten school outcomes. Multiple regression equations and post hoc graphing were used to test hypotheses.

Findings and Conclusions: This study concluded that learning disposition was a viable characteristic of young children useful in helping to predict kindergarten school readiness. It significantly affected both academic and social outcomes, but the effect size was small. It operated to improve academic school outcomes through the enthusiasm to engage in interactions and through the ability to persistent through difficulty. Two interaction effects were apparent in this study: (1) a single measure of parental reflectivity moderated the effects of learning disposition on both academic and social outcomes, and (2) quality child care in preschool moderated the effects of learning disposition on kindergarten social outcomes. Parental reflectivity highlights the importance of the primary caregiver's ability to interpret and mirror the child's emotional states, which is conducive to both academic and social kindergarten readiness. Moderation by child care quality points to the importance of high quality child care environments in preschool for kindergarten social outcomes.