RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: January 2024
Why a smooth transition to kindergarten is so crucial for children
Starting kindergarten can be an especially difficult time for young children. They need to adjust to a new environment with its rules and routines, interact with unfamiliar teachers and peers, and grapple with more challenging learning tasks. In a new study published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Crane scientists looked at how students who struggled with that transition fared at the end of the kindergarten year in math, reading and social skills. The team reviewed observations made by teachers on more than 600 students during the kindergarten year. Not surprisingly, transition difficulties at the beginning of the school year were associated with lower gains in achievement outcomes at the end of the school year. Perhaps surprisingly, this was true regardless of a child’s kindergarten readiness. Crane researchers suggest more closely aligning the classroom environments young children experience in preschool and kindergarten to reduce the transition hurdle, with the goal of making it easier for young children to face the challenges of kindergarten with greater confidence.