READINESS AND PERFORMANCE OF KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS FOR GRADE 1 CLASSES

Undergraduate Research

Presented to the Faculty

College of Teacher Education

Sibalom, Antique

In partial fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Subject

Of the Requirements for the Course

ECHED 18- Thesis in Education 2

by

Cristy F. Jarquio

Elen Grace D. Aurelio

Victor Betong

April 2023
 CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature

This chapter presents the review of literature relevant to the present study. This chapter consists of
eight (8) parts: (1.) Cognitive Readiness (2.) Social and Emotional Readiness (3.) Family Background (4.)
Teacher Quality (5.) Definition of Readiness (6.) Factors that Influence the Readiness (7.) Relationship
between Readiness and Academic Performance and (8.)Analysis

Cognitive Readiness:

Cognitive readiness refers to a child's ability to learn and understand new concepts. Research has
shown that children who enter kindergarten with strong cognitive skills, such as language and literacy
skills, are more likely to perform well in grade 1 classes. For example, a study by Duncan et al. (2013)
found that children who scored higher on language and literacy assessments in kindergarten had higher
reading proficiency in grade 1.

Social and Emotional Readiness:

Social and emotional readiness refer to a child's ability to interact with others and regulate their
emotions. Research has shown that children who have strong social and emotional skills are more likely
to be successful in school. For example, a study by Raver and Knitzer (2012) found that children who had
strong social and emotional skills in kindergarten had higher academic achievement in grade 1.

Family Background:

Family background is another factor that can impact kindergarten readiness and performance in
grade 1 classes. Research has shown that children from low-income families may be at a disadvantage
due to a lack of access to resources and support. For example, a study by Puma et al. (2012) found that
children from low-income families were less likely to be academically prepared for grade 1 than their
peers from higher-income families.

Teacher Quality:

Teacher quality is another factor that can impact kindergarten readiness and performance in grade
1 classes. Research has shown that children who have high-quality teachers in kindergarten are more
likely to perform well in grade 1. For example, a study by Early et al. (2007) found that children who had
highly effective teachers in kindergarten had higher reading proficiency in grade 1.

Definition of readiness

Readiness refers to the abilities, skills, and knowledge that children acquire in preparation for
formal learning. These skills include cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. According to
Phillips (2017), Kindergarten readiness involves the mastery of foundational skills, such as letter
recognition, counting, and socialization with other children.
Factors that influence readiness

A wide range of factors influences readiness, including both internal and external factors. Ivanova
et al. (2017) found that parental involvement, early exposure to literacy and numeracy, and cognitive
stimulation are significant predictors of readiness. The classroom environment, such as quality of
instruction, teacher-student relationships, and availability of learning resources, also contributes to
readiness (Phillips, 2017).

Relationship between readiness and academic performance

Studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between Kindergarten readiness and subsequent
academic performance. For instance, Sweeney and Weisz (2019) highlighted that children who enter
Grade 1 with better cognitive and social-emotional skills tend to have better academic outcomes.
Similarly, Janus et al. (2017) found that children who displayed stronger cognitive skills in Kindergarten
had better numeracy and literacy skills in Grade 1.

Analysis

On cognitive readiness suggests that it refers to a child’s readiness to learn and acquire knowledge. It
focuses on the cognitive abilities that are necessary to complete academic tasks effectively. Researchers
argue that cognitive readiness is strongly linked to children's ability to process information and
understand new concepts, and that it plays a critical role in academic success. And On social and
emotional readiness suggests that it refers to a child's readiness to interact with others and manage
their emotions effectively. Researchers suggest that social and emotional readiness is important for
academic achievement because it enables children to form positive relationships with teachers and
peers, and to develop the self-regulation skills necessary to cope with the demands of the classroom. On
family background suggests that socio-economic status (SES), parental education level, and family
support are important factors in predicting readiness and academic success. Research has shown that
children from higher SES families and those with more educated parents are more likely to enter school
with higher cognitive and social-emotional readiness levels, while family support has been attributed to
positive mental health among children, which has been shown to be a major predictor of academic
achievement. On teacher quality suggests that effective teachers are essential for promoting student
readiness and academic achievement. Researchers suggest that teachers should have the knowledge
and skills required to identify and address individual differences in readiness levels and be adept at
creating learning environments that are responsive to student needs. The definition of readiness
suggests that there is no single, universally accepted definition of readiness in education. Readiness may
be conceptualized differently across various educational contexts, and the definition of readiness can be
influenced by both internal and external factors. However, most definitions of readiness include
components of cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. The factors that influence
readiness suggests that there are internal and external factors that impact children's readiness to learn.
Internal factors include individual differences in cognitive and social-emotional development, while
external factors include family background, socio-economic status, and access to high-quality early
childhood education.

On the relationship between readiness and academic performance suggests that there is a strong
relationship between early readiness levels and later academic performance. Research has shown that
children who enter school with higher levels of cognitive and social-emotional readiness are better
equipped for academic success and are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher
education. Results also suggest that interventions that enhance readiness levels can have positive
impacts on academic achievement.

CHAPTER 3

Methodology

Chapter three has six (6) parts:(1) Research Design,(2) Research Locale, (3) The respondents, (4)
Research Instruments,(5) Data Gathering Procedure,(6) Data, Analysis, and Procedure

Research Design

The Research Design was used descriptive research design.

Descriptive researh design was used to collect and analyze data .A survey questionnaire will be
administered to kindergarten teachers to identify the pre-kindergarten skills that children should
possess when entering grade 1. Classroom observations, standardized tests, and academic grades will be
used to evaluate learners' academic performance in grade 1 classes.

Research Locale

This study was conducted in public elementary school in District of Sibalom, Sibalom ,Antique. These
public elementary school were under the supervision of District Supervision and School Division
Superintendent of Department of education, Division of antique.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study_____ were Kindergarten learners from the Sibalom Central Elementary
Schools who progressed to Grade 1 in the following academic year. Only those who provided informed
consent from their parents or guardians were included in the study.

Research Instruments

The instruments used in the study were a researcher made questionnaire checklist on the readiness
and academic performance assessment. The questionnaire aimed to gather data on the Kindergarten
learners' readiness factors, including cognitive development, socialization, and emotional regulation.
The assessment tool aimed to evaluate the academic performance of the participants in Grade 1.

Readiness and Performance of kindergarten learners for grade 1 classes Questionaire Checklist -To
determine the readiness and performance of kindergarten learners for grade 1 classes of Sibalom Public
Elementary in the Division of Antique, The Readiness and Performance of kindergarten learners
Questionaire Checklist was used .

The instrument consist of ___ likerts scale items that asked the respondents to assess the level of
readiness by indicating the extent of agreement to each statement using the following scale: 5-Strongly
agree; 4-Slightly agree; 3-Agree; 2-Disagree; 1-Strongly Disagree.

The instrument further divided in the five components A.cognitive B. Social and Emotional C. Family
Background D. Definition of readiness E.Teacher Quality

The overall rating obtained was interpreted based on the following scale:

Weight Response Scale Description

5 Strongly Agree 4.51-5.0 Very high

4 Slightly Agree 3.51- 4.50 High

3 Agree 2.50- 3.50 Moderate

2 Disagree 1.51- 2.50 Low

1 Strongly Disagree 1.00- 1.50 Very Low

Data Gathering Procedure

The permission to conduct the study was asked and sought but the office of the principal of this school
in Sibalom Central Elementary School

The researcher personally administered the questionaire to the respondents in their respectives school.

Upon retrieval of the accomplished Questionaire , these were reviewed for completeness of data. The
data will be tallied ,analysed and interpreted.

Data Analysis Procedure

The data gathered in this study were analyse and interpreted using the statistical test below:

Frequency- was used to determine the number of the respondents that belong in each category
variables.

Mean- as used to determine the level of readiness and performance of kindergarten learners in grade 1
classes
Percentage - was used to determine the proportion of respondents that belong to each category of
variables.

All statistical computations were processed and analysed through the data analysis of Microsoft excel.