Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Publication Date

8-16-1968

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in first grade students who had attended kindergarten and those who had had no prior formal school training.

The hypotheses in the study were that there is no significant difference in the areas of (1) achievement, (2) adjustment to school, (3) sociometric choices, (4) readiness for first grade, and (5) mental ability between first grade stu­dents selected for this study who have had kindergarten expe­rience and those who have had no prior formal school training.

Teachers were asked to rank their students in the fall and again in the spring according to their evaluation of the student's adjustment to school and achievement. Both in the fall and in the spring children were asked to name their three favorites among their classmates and the number of times cho­sen was calculated for each subject. The Murphy-Durrell Reading Readiness Analysis and the Metropolitan Readiness Tests, Form A, were administered to test readiness for school. The Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test, Primary II level, Form J, was given to determine Deviation IQ score. The Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, Primary A, Form 1, Comprehension Section, was given to test reading achievement. A one-way analysis of variance was run with data accumulated.

All hypotheses tested were accepted on the basis of statistical evidence derived from the data collected as a re­sult of this study.

On the basis of data gathered and the application of standard procedures of statistical analysis, the following conclusions are justified:

1. There was no significant influence of kindergarten attendance upon achievement rate of the first-graders in this study.

2. There was no significant effect of kindergarten at­tendance upon adjustment to school of the first graders in this study.

3. There was no significant influence of kindergarten attendance upon their readiness for school among the first-graders in this study.

4. Kindergarten attendance had no significant influence upon the mental ability, as tested, of first grade subjects of this study.

5. Kindergarten attendance had no significant effect upon the peer relations of the first grade students in this study.

6. Although retainees in this study scored significantly lower on the mental ability test, there was no sig­nificant difference between their other scor0s, and those of other first grade subjects in the study.

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Elementary Education

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Harold Dean Drummond

Second Committee Member

David Wayne Darling

Third Committee Member

Tom Wiley

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