| This study examined the relationship between parents' perceptions of school readiness and their children's performance as measured by the Work Sampling System Checklist. The Maryland State Department of Education determined that 10 percent of incoming students were underprepared for kindergarten. These students lag behind better prepared peers and frequently remain behind in academic achievement throughout school, risking retention or dropping out of school. This study investigated the potential role of parents for improving school readiness.; Participants included 72 kindergarten children and parents from one elementary school in Maryland. Data were collected in September 2001, with parents rating the importance of readiness indicators in seven learning domains. In November 2001, as part of the state's readiness initiative and data collection process, children were rated (by teachers) on the same readiness indicators using three proficiency levels: needs development, in process, or proficient. The relationship between parents' perceptions and their children's performance was then examined.; On the survey, parents ranked social development as the highest component of school readiness. Although parents reported participation in many literacy activities in preparing children for school, literacy skills were rated fourth in importance for school readiness. Household income was the most statistically significant factor influencing parental responses.; The performance ratings of children's skills (by teachers) showed the highest proficiency in the domains of Physical Development and The Arts. The lowest proficiency rating was in the literacy domain, a critical finding due to the academic orientation of today's kindergarten. Factors having the strongest influence on children's performance were the mothers' education, child's gender, child's birth date, and prior child care. Specifically, mothers with less than a high school education, children born in the fourth quarter of the year, children in day care homes or who had stayed at home prior to school entry, and male children performed lower in the majority of the learning domains. This study did not reveal a correlation between parents' perceptions of school readiness and their children's performance on a readiness instrument. Finally, this study identified mother's education as a primary influence on children's performance, therefore a key factor in improving school readiness. |
