Kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the relationship between oral language and reading achievement of kindergarten students and the impact of state standards and educational policy

This mixed-method phenomenological study was conducted in 2 concurrent phases. The quantitative phase consisted of a researcher designed questionnaire conducted with 103 public school kindergarten teachers in California. Thirty-five close-ended and 2 open-ended questions were included. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to find relationships among teacher perceptions of the appropriateness of the ELA standards, student readiness, and student mastery of the ELA standards. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that student oral language competence at the beginning of the year had a significant impact on mastery of the ELA standards; however, experience with letters and books prior to kindergarten did not. The qualitative phase consisted of 10 interviews of kindergarten teachers who had taught for many years prior to and under the current state standards (M = 24 years). The interviews included 12 open-ended questions and 3 activities eliciting teacher perceptions of student oral language development and reading achievement, the reading curriculum and instructional strategies, and the impact of state standards and educational policy. Teachers revealed their beliefs that the ELA curriculum is inappropriate for students with underdeveloped oral language.