ChildrenS Psychological Adjustment To Entry Into Kindergarten E

ChildrenS Psychological Adjustment To Entry Into Kindergarten Michael Burkhardt Page 2 From an ecological perspective, early childhood development occurs within the multiple contexts of the home, the school, and the neighborhood, and aspects of these environments can contribute to the development of adjustment problems (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). A childs psychological adjustment to entry into school for the first time can have a significant impact on the level of success achieved later in life. Children rated higher in school adjustment by their elementary school teachers, as a result of improved cognitive development, showed positive attitudes toward school resulting in better school performance which lead to higher educational attainment and lower delinquency at age 19. Not one factor alone accounts for childrens adjustment problems. Therefore it is important that we take a closer look at a wide range of factors that can affect the psychological adjustment to school in early childhood. Ladd, Birch, s entry factors, behavioral styles, relationships with classroom peers a nd teachers, classroom participation, and achievement. A childs entry factors are those attributes that are present in the child prior to entry into school, but impact the childs psychological adaptation after entry into school. Children that enter school with greater cognitive and linguistic maturity tend to form better relationships with teachers and perform better scholastically. Typically, girls are known to establish supportive ties with teachers, more often than boys (Birch and Ladd, 1997) because of their cognitive/linguistic maturity making gender an entry factor as well. Preschool experience is said to be an entry factor, which is the basis of Arthur J. Reynolds studies in 1996. Reynolds investigated the effects of preschool intervention versus school achievement in the sixth grade. Because of Michael Burkhardt Page 3 cognitive readiness at kindergarten entry due to preschool, children in the sixth grade showed significantly higher reading and math achievement with a lower incidence of grade retention. Evidence suggests that early school adjustment is positively associated with parental education, socioeconomic status, and childrens ethnicity (Ladd, 1987; Reynolds, 1991). These environmental entry factors are relative to the challenges of school and influence early adaptation. Parental education and income may afford advantages that lead to cognitive maturity prior to entry into kindergarten. A low socioeconomic status may produce increased stress in a family as well as diminished resources, and may influence the child through parenting practices and lack of warmth and acceptance. In American society, certain ethnic minorities have increased risk to psychological problems due to race discrimination and prejudice. This results in a higher amount of behavioral problems and lower academic achievement . These environmental entry factors effect a childs psychological adjustment indirectly due to the many contributing factors to be considered. The socioeconomic status includes many demographic factors including: single parent families or larger families which mean decreased attention toward the child, amount of income or resources available toward developing the childs cognitive ability, violence or other social practices within the childs neighborhood that could lead to increased behavioral problems, and the mothers age at childbirth which can affect parenting abilities since young mothers are generally more likely to have had difficulties in school and live in poor neighborhoods as well as emotional difficulties. Behavioral styles are the tools children use to confront challenges in school such as the formation of relationships with new classmates and teachers. Being rejected by a peer group or having a conflict with the teacher may cause the child to feel a lack of security or acceptance and Michael Burkhardt Page 4 promote maladjustment. Children appear to be better adjusted toward kindergarten when they have formed close rather than conflicting ties with their teachers (Birch & Ladd, 1996). Maladjustment is prevalent among children who remain friendless or are rejected by their classmates. The determinants in deciding the behavior type a child will pursue is based upon the notion to maximize rewards such as fun, arousal and common interests and minimize costs such as punishment and negative affective states. Antisocial behavior is found in those children whose style of relating produces a higher ratio of costs, and conversely pro-social behavior is found in those children who style of relating produces a higher