Also, compared to other high school seniors in the same school districts, those who received the kindergarten reading instruction had better grades, attendance, and attitudes toward reading, as well as less need for remediation. More importantly, these same results held up across ethnic, gender, and social class groups. Finally, those students who spent less time working in part-time jobs, paid or unpaid, had better reading skills than students who worked more. Results indicated that if parents expect their children to become literate adults, then they must provide guidelines for their behavior and encourage participation in reading and reading related activities, at least through high school. Moreover, parental expectations in regard to students' educational attainment are extremely important.
Early childhood learning experiences, however, are particularly important to literacy development.
If our nation's schools are going to have any impact on future literacy rates, then clearly ALL children must be given the opportunity to attend full-day preschools and kindergartens that would provide them with beginning reading instruction and related educational experiences now known to be critical to literacy development. Furthermore, school districts and policy makers must also be ready to present new and compelling evidence for NOT providing early childhood teachers with valid programs that would enable them to teach the appropriate language and beginning reading skills to students in their preschool and kindergarten classes. Children Who Read Early. The Effects on High School Seniors of Learning to Read in Kindergarten. Technical Report No. 1.