By Kylie Ullmann

Income and racial/ethnic gaps to school readiness have declined among kindergarten students over the last 12 years, a new paper on school readiness trends has found. However, children in kindergarten today may not see the gaps eliminated during their lifetime.

The working paper, titled ‘Recent Trends in Income, Racial, and Ethnic School Readiness Gaps at Kindergarten Entry’, published by the Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis provides new evidence on achievement gaps measured by numerous variables to identify if trends from previous research are present within the education sector today.

Sean F. Reardon of Stanford University and Ximena A. Portilla of MDRC discovered that school readiness between ethnic groups narrowed between 1998 and 2010 despite an increase to income inequality and segregation and differences in parental spending on children.

Source: School Readiness Gaps Narrowing, Report Says, But Slowly

By Elissa Nadworny

When you enter Marissa McGee’s classroom, the first thing you notice is her connection with her students. They’re delighted by her enthusiasm, they pick up on her sarcasm, and they often double over with giggles when she makes a joke.

And this is kindergarten. So McGee’s students — her audience — are 5-year-olds.

“They’re easy to please,” she says, laughing. “I’m not that funny. I wouldn’t even consider myself funny at all.”

Source: 5 Pieces Of Wisdom For Kindergarten Teachers : NPR Ed : NPR

By Elissa Nadworny and Anya Kamenetz

“What are some of the things that the monsters like to eat in this story?” teacher Marisa McGee asks a trio of girls sitting at her table.

McGee teaches kindergarten at Walker Jones Elementary in Washington, D.C. Today’s lesson: a close reading of the book What Do Monsters Eat?“They like to eat cake,” says one girl.“I noticed you answered in a complete sentence,” McGee says. “Can you tell me something else?”“Stinky socks!”McGee follows with a line you might not expect in a kindergarten class: “Can you show me the page where you found that?”

via What Is Lost When Kindergarten Gets More Academic? | MindShift | KQED News.

By Sarah Tully

Children who attended transitional kindergarten performed better on language, literacy and math skills when they started kindergarten, compared to their peers who weren’t in the program, according to a new report.

The American Institutes for Research on Tuesday released its first report that examines the impact of California’s transitional kindergarten program, which was created through the California Kindergarten Readiness Act in 2010.

Transitional kindergarten is a unique, state-funded program that allows children to get an extra year of schooling before kindergarten if their 5th birthdays fall between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2. Lawmakers added the new grade after they changed the cutoff birthdate for kindergarten, which required children to turn 5 by Sept. 1 in order to enroll. About 83,000 children attended transitional kindergarten, also known as TK, in 2014-15.

via Study: Transitional kindergarten students are better prepared for school | EdSource.

By Sarah Hedgecock

When I was very young, my mom gave me a test to see how I would turn out in 20 years: she placed a marshmallow in front of me, saying that if I could wait 10 minutes, she’d give me two marshmallows. If I ate the treat before time was up, that would be the only marshmallow I’d get that day.

She was emulating a famous series of studies known as the Stanford marshmallow experiment (although the researchers in those studies also used other snacks), which used tests like this to learn about kids’ understanding of deferred gratification. Later studies found strong correlations between waiting for a second marshmallow as a preschooler and positive later outcomes like higher SAT scores. Since those initial experiments, scientists have continued to research how non-cognitive abilities in young kids impact how they do on measures traditionally associated with pure intelligence.

via Socially Competent Kindergarteners Have Better Outcomes Later In Life.

First 5 Solano has launched its “Pre-K Business Champions” campaign, seeking local businesses to help support Solano Pre-Kindergarten Academies. Now in its third year, First 5 Solano has partnered with the business community to support Solano’s children. First 5 will match every business contribution up to the maximum $5,000.

This year, there are four ways that businesses can support children participating in Pre-K Academies:

• $200 sends one child to a Pre-K Academy

• $500 provides an entire classroom with backpacks and supplies

• $2,500 funds half of a classroom

• $5,000 funds an entire classroom

“As a business owner, I believe we can’t afford to not help our children get the best education possible,” said Buck Kamphausen, owner of Fairfield Funeral Home in a press release about the program. “The Pre-K academies target children who have not yet experienced the school environment, daycare or any other early learning program.”

via First 5 Solano seeks ‘Business Champions’ for summer pre-kindergarten program.

By Louis Freedberg and Laurie Udesky

Of the panoply of reforms now being implemented in California schools, the one affecting the state’s youngest public school students passed almost unnoticed this fall.

For the first time since the state enacted kindergarten legislation in 1891, California children have to be 5 years old by Sept. 1 to enroll in kindergarten.

The new cutoff date follows years of efforts in the state Legislature to move the date students were eligible for kindergarten to be in line with at least 20 other states with a Sept. 1 cutoff date. The others have earlier or later cutoff dates, or leave it up to local school districts to decide.

via State implements new kindergarten cutoff age | EdSource.