A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION PRACTICES AND THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S KINDERGARTEN READINESS

Abstract

This comparative case study, with a phenomenological approach examined the effect of kindergarten transition practices on kindergarten reading achievement. Study participants were 4 administrators and 8 kindergarten teachers at 2 elementary schools in southeastern North Carolina. Findings included 61 transition practices and 4 barriers not previously reported in the literature. Data from multiple resources were triangulated and descriptive findings were compared to a Kindergarten Transition Program Logic Model that revealed the number and intensity of school based transition practices were associated with more positive reading achievement in kindergarten. This finding was contradicted by factors not controlled for in this study. The findings from the research support policies for the creation and implementation of written kindergarten transition plans that may help children on a trajectory for improved reading achievement and help districts meet high-stakes testing demands.