Citation

Cooper DH, Farran DC. Early Child Res. Q. 1988; 3(1): 1-19.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0885-2006(88)90026-9

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Interpersonal and work-related classroom behaviors of 650 kindergarten children were assessed to identify behaviors critical for success. Thirty kindergarten teachers participated, providing behavioral ratings on all students in the fall and spring and global adjustment assessments mid-year and spring. Relative risk, a concept and methodology adopted from epidemiology, was estimated for combinations of behavioral risk factors derived from teachers' ratings. Results of the analyses of relative risk demonstrated a consistent and highly significant risk for casivity (i.e., being classified at mid-year and spring as a case of maladjustment) associated with subnormal ratings on behaviors relating to work (work-related skills) as opposed to social interaction (interpersonal skills). The findings suggest that (a) current educational concepts of "readiness" may need to be expanded beyond academic knowledge to include independent working skills, and (b) teaching of social interaction skills, while important, should not be emphasized in preschool programs at the expense of work-related skills.