TITLE:
Effects of Preschool Education in Preparing Children for the First Grade in Terms of Linguistic and Mathematical Development
AUTHORS:
Majlinda Gjelaj
KEYWORDS:
Preschool Education; School Readiness; Preschool Institution; Preparatory Classes; Mathematical Development; Linguistic Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.4 No.4,
April
15,
2013
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this research is to determine the level of children’s
readiness for the first grade, in terms of mathematical and linguistic
development. This research is quantitative and includes 466 children who were
enrolled in the first grade in September 2011, as well as their parents. They
belong to various schools in towns and villages of Kosovo. The sample was
randomly selected. Children are assessed for their intellectual readiness,
separately in mathematical and linguistic development through standardized
measuring instrument by the “Brainline” author Joey Du Plooy.
The questionnaire was translated and adapted. In this paper it will be focused
only mathematical and linguistic development of children who have just started
the first grade. Children are evaluated by a team of pedagogy who have been
previously trained in the use of this questionnaire. Each child is individually
assessed and the questions that were impossible to take from the children are
taken from their parents. The survey results raise awareness about the
importance of preschool institutionalized education and provide advices of the
importance of preparing children for starting the first grade without fear and
with self-esteem.