A Study of Pre-School Children's School Readiness Related to Scientific Thinking Skills

Year 2006, Volume: 7 Issue: 4, 78 - 85, 01.12.2006

Ozgul Polat Unutkan

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare school readiness of children who had pre-school experiences and children without such experiences on the basis of scientific thinking skills. This comparison is held in terms of variables of age, gender, and socio economic status. The questions of the study in relation to the purpose of the study are as follows: Ø Does pre-school education variable influence primary school readiness of pre-school children in terms of scientific thinking skills? Ø Does age variable influence primary school readiness of pre-school children in terms of scientific thinking skills? Ø Does gender variable influence primary school readiness of pre-school children in terms of scientific thinking skills? Ø Does socio-economical status variable influence primary school readiness of pre-school children in terms of scientific thinking skills?

Keywords

Readiness, pre-school, scientific thinking, problem solving

References

• FRENCH, L. A. (1985a). Real-world knowledge as the basis for social and cognitive development. In J. B. Pryor & J. D. Day (Eds.), Social and developmental perspectives on social cognition (pp. 179–209). New York: Springer-Verlag.
• FRENCH, L. A. (1985b). Children’s acquisition and understanding of relational terms. In S. A. Kuczaj & M. D. Barrett (Eds.), Development of word meaning (pp. 303–338). New York: Springer-Verlag.
• FRENCH, L. A. (2004). Science as the center of a coherent, integrated early childhood curriculum. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Volume 19, 138-149.
• HALLE, Z. and ZAFF,C. (2000). “School readiness: Helping communities get children ready for school and schools ready for children” Ed: Carol Emig. Trans child research brief: Washington.
• LLOYD, B. and HOWE, N. (2003). Solitary play and convergent and divergent thinking skills in preschool children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 18, 22-41.
• NELSON, K., et al. (1986). Event knowledge: Structure and function in development. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
• TEPPERMAN, J. (1998). National Association for the Education of Young Children.
• UNUTKAN, O. P. (2003). Development and Standardization of Marmara Scale for Primary School Readiness. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis) Istanbul: Marmara University Educational Science Institute.
• ZILL, N. (1995). “School Readiness and Children's Developmental Status.” ERIC Identifier: ED389475 ERI C Digest.