Increases in Academic Skills of Children Entering Kindergarten Today

This study documents how students entering kindergarten in 2010 compare to those who entered in 1998 in terms of their teacher-reported math, literacy, and behavioral skills. While children—particularly black children—in 2010 entered kindergarten with stronger math and literacy skills, results for behavioral outcomes were mixed. Increases in academic skills over this period were particularly pronounced among black children. Our findings have important implications for the way teachers can structure children’s early learning experiences. If children are entering kindergarten with a different set of skills than in previous years, it is essential that teachers are responsive to these changes and that they understand what skills children already have at school entry and how kindergarten can support their development both academically and more broadly.

Bassok, D., & Latham, S. (2017). Kids today: The rise in children’s academic skills at kindergarten entry. Educational Researcher, 46(1), 7-20. https://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189X17694161