School Readiness: Parent-child Activities, Teachers' Perceptions, And Students' Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between parent report of parent-child activities, teachers' perceptions of students' skills and abilities, and teachers' report of skills, abilities, and experiences needed for developmental success. Participants in the study were 577 parents and 70 teachers of Pre-K and Kindergarten students. Significant differences in teacher report of social skills, fine motor skills, and caring for oneself were found by grade level. Significant differences in parent report were found for three school readiness activities: reading to their child, singing with their child, and building things with their child. Specifically, Pre-K parents reported engaging in these activities with their children more frequently than Kindergarten parents. Factor analysis of school readiness activities produced three factors. Logistic regression analyses indicated a positive relationship between Hands-on Activities and developmental maturity, as well as between Community-based activities and caring for oneself.