Thursday, August 23, 2007
Who's Ready for School?
Most parents and teachers are concerned about the school readiness of America's youngest children, says a new study by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. . But for those parents who may worry that their children don't know the alphabet, numbers or colors before kindergarten, the findings may come as a surprise. In fact, teachers say they value social skills - such as following rules and directions, and being able to play and share well with others -- over academic skills as a better predictor of children's success in school.
Few parents (25 percent) and teachers (7 percent) describe U.S. children as being extremely or very prepared to learn upon entering kindergarten, PNC found, meaning that they know the basics like counting, spelling their names and that they are prepared to listen in class. Nearly three of five parents (57 percent) and two-thirds of teachers (66 percent) say that U.S. children are only somewhat prepared.
"Teachers and other experts in early childhood education agree that children are more likely to succeed in school if they have the social skills to participate and learn while in the classroom," said Eva Tansky Blum, PNC's director of Community Affairs and the PNC Grow Up Great initiative. "A focus on developing these skill sets and improving the limited access and uneven quality of preschool education today will provide children opportunities to develop the tools of learning needed to succeed in school, and life."
Read entire article...
Most parents and teachers are concerned about the school readiness of America's youngest children, says a new study by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. . But for those parents who may worry that their children don't know the alphabet, numbers or colors before kindergarten, the findings may come as a surprise. In fact, teachers say they value social skills - such as following rules and directions, and being able to play and share well with others -- over academic skills as a better predictor of children's success in school.
Few parents (25 percent) and teachers (7 percent) describe U.S. children as being extremely or very prepared to learn upon entering kindergarten, PNC found, meaning that they know the basics like counting, spelling their names and that they are prepared to listen in class. Nearly three of five parents (57 percent) and two-thirds of teachers (66 percent) say that U.S. children are only somewhat prepared.
"Teachers and other experts in early childhood education agree that children are more likely to succeed in school if they have the social skills to participate and learn while in the classroom," said Eva Tansky Blum, PNC's director of Community Affairs and the PNC Grow Up Great initiative. "A focus on developing these skill sets and improving the limited access and uneven quality of preschool education today will provide children opportunities to develop the tools of learning needed to succeed in school, and life."
Read entire article...
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:50 PM 
