| This study seeks to deepen the understanding of parents' beliefs about school readiness, by ascertaining the degree to which they are aligned with school expectations and identifying the extent to which those beliefs translate into parenting practices. The 37 participants were parents of 54 children who were enrolled in Countdown to Kindergarten playgroups across the city of Boston. Participants voluntarily completed a six page questionnaire created for the purpose of this study. Parents were divided into groups to identify any differences in parenting practices among those whose beliefs were aligned with school expectations and those whose beliefs were not aligned, and among those whose children were enrolled in daycare or preschool and those whose children were not. Although results revealed no significant differences in the number of readiness practices between groups, differences did arise in the types of practices parents employed. The most significant differences suggest that the gender, cultural background and race of participants play more significant role than enrollment in daycare or preschool programs. Descriptive analysis also suggests that participants varied their instructional styles based on the perceived importance of the skills which were being developed. Weaknesses within the study and future directions for research are also discussed. |
