Isabel Cespedes looked into the development of social-emotional and fine motor skills in Kindergarteners who had attended Prek before entering Kindergarten as compared to those who had not attended PreK before Kindergarten. Below is an outline and and visual representation of the study:
Starting Kindergarten is an important step in a child’s education. Many children enter Kindergarten with different levels of skills and experiences, especially depending on whether or not they attended Pre-K. This study looks at how attending Pre-K can affect a child’s social, emotional, and fine motor development. By interviewing kindergarten teachers and observing students in the classroom, I aimed to better understand how early education can help children succeed when they begin school.
For this study, I interviewed two kindergarten teachers from two different classrooms. I asked them if they knew which students had attended Pre-K and if they noticed any differences between the students who had and had not attended Pre-K at the beginning of the school year. The purpose of these questions was to learn if attending Pre-K helps children as they move into kindergarten.
Each teacher took part in one 45-minute interview. They shared their thoughts and experiences about how their students were doing, especially in areas like social skills and fine motor skills. After the interviews, I observed two students from each class, one who had attended Pre-K and one who had not. I observed each student for 10 minutes, twice a week. During these times, I looked at how the students interacted with others, managed their emotions, and used fine motor skills like writing or cutting.
Based on my data it seems that going to Pre-K can help children in many ways. Students who went to Pre-K often had an easier time getting used to school, talking to others, and doing classroom tasks. By interviewing the teachers and observing the students, I learned more about how Pre-K can help children get ready for kindergarten and support their growth.