ABSTRACT

Research Findings: The amount of time and type of program that children experience in early childhood settings may be associated with children’s kindergarten-entry skills, or kindergarten readiness. Taking a person-centered perspective, in the present study, we examined the extent to which reliable and unique profiles of early childhood experiences among a heterogeneous group of preschool children could be identified (N = 422). Based on parent reports of children’s early education experiences in the year before kindergarten, three distinct profiles were identified. The three groups (Part-Time Head Start, Public Preschool and Other Care Programs, and Full-Time Head Start) significantly differed based on family and child characteristics. Children in the Public Preschool and Other Care Programs profile resided in families with greater maternal educational levels and incomes, and were more likely to be white than children in the other profiles. However, differences in children’s kindergarten readiness by profile were not observed. Practice or Policy: Findings suggest that time spent in different care arrangements was not associated with children’s kindergarten readiness. It is important for future work to examine other factors, such as quality of care, that may promote children’s learning across settings.

摘要

研究结果：儿童在幼儿环境中经历的时间长短和课程类型可能与儿童的幼儿园入学技能或幼儿园准备相关。从以人为中心的角度来看，在本研究中，我们检查了在多大程度上可以识别不同类型的学龄前儿童中可靠和独特的幼儿经历概况（N= 422）。根据家长对幼儿园前一年儿童早期教育经历的报告，确定了三种不同的概况。三组（非全日制启蒙计划、公立学前教育和其他护理计划以及全日制启蒙计划）根据家庭和孩子的特征存在显着差异。公立学前教育和其他照料计划中的儿童居住在母亲教育水平和收入较高的家庭中，与其他情况下的儿童相比，他们更有可能是白人。然而，没有观察到儿童入园准备情况的差异。实践或政策：调查结果表明，花在不同照顾安排上的时间与儿童的幼儿园准备情况无关。对于未来的工作，重要的是检查其他可能促进儿童跨环境学习的因素，例如护理质量。