Preschool Children ’ s School Readiness

The purpose of this study is to examine preschool teachers’ perspectives about children’s school readiness. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in the study as a mixed method research. Data, in the quantitative aspects of the research, were collected through the use of “School Readiness Form” developed by Boz (2004) and “School Readiness Checklist for 5-6 Age Children” developed by the researchers; from 204 preschool teachers. In the qualitative part of the research, open-ended questions were asked for preschool teacher to determine their opinions about children’s school readiness. While findings obtained from quantitative aspect revealed that there is a relationship between the skills that children must have and their school readiness; in the qualitative part of the research participants presented an opinion that academic, social communication skills, maturity, communication with parents and the developmental areas have an effect on children’s school readiness. In the study, qualitative and quantitative findings were coincided. Some recommendations are made in terms of findings.


Introduction
Early childhood years are important period in terms of both for social, emotional, cognitive development and for required prior knowledge, skills and experiences of children to start to school (Kleeck & Schuele, 2010).School readiness refers to children's level of easy and sufficient learning without emotional complexity.School readiness provides not only children's participation in academic life but also families', immediate environments' and societies' required prior knowledge, skills and opportunities for an effective adaptation process (Maxwell & Clifford, 2004).
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) stated three important points about the significance of children, schools and families in terms of children's school readiness;

•
Children who are prepared effectively for school, focus on learning and development.
• Schools which are ready efficiently for school readiness of children, provide optimum conditions for children's learning and development.
• Ready family and the closest environment to child's family provide support for early learning and development of children (UNICEF, 2012).Şenol (2005) stated the factors affecting school readiness of children in the following way: For a school age child, starting school is as difficult as stepping into a brand-new world and sustaining a life for a new-born infant.
While parents and the people around always help and support a newborn baby; a school age child steps into a different world and has to prove him/herself individually.There are many factors affecting children's adaptation to school environment.Family, teachers, environment and school facilities are considered among these factors.
Not only children's readiness but also affecting factors have to be prepared for a proper school readiness process.This process is more difficult for the children who did not go to preschool institutions such as kindergarten, nursery school, etc.A new environment, many new rules, to get used to these rules and some issues relating to first step to this newly-introduced climate; make difficulties in the first week of the school.Families are supposed to help children at this beginning.Because school phobia makes difficult to adapt to school and negatively influences academic achievement of children.Children, families and schools should always work together to facilitate the child's adaptation to school.
Several methods and techniques are used to support children's learning and school readiness in changing societies.Supporting children's school readiness in educational settings develops creative thinking skills, which improves self-regulation, attaining the objective, self-monitoring skills and achieving information effectively.(Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999).Researches show that children whose school readiness reached a certain maturity have high level of intelligence.Similarly some other studies also indicate that an effective school readiness develops self-regulation, academic achievement, communication skills and peer relationships (Greenwood 1991;Keogh 1992;Ladd, Sondra & Eric, 1999).Early childhood education policies and practices also specify that children's school readiness is an important factor on school success and performance of children.
The importance of identifying deficiencies related with school readiness and the positive effects on children in the school environment are stated by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as follows: • Because of the school environment's creation of equal opportunities for children, it increases children's school success and performance.
• It reveals and supports individual differences of children.In the same educational environment every child is included in the educational process that is prepared with professionally designed programs, materials and class equipment by the teachers.Thus, children's academic skills and life adjustment skills heighten.

•
In the early years, previous learnings are configured with new learnings; children's individual differences, languages and cultures in which they live are supported by effective preschool education programs and made more functional.
• Academic skills of children are developed by improving the school and family cooperation • It raises the level of school readiness of children and their families thereby providing preparation of high quality training program.
In order to support children's school readiness in pre-school period; areas that need to be prepared can be summarized as follows: • Reading readiness skills pre-reading and pre-writing skills, voice recognition, providing hand-eye coordination) • Math skills (recognizing numbers between 0-20, creating sets, learning colors, shapes etc.) • Social skills (waiting his/her turn, following the instructions, listening quietly, sharing, cooperating, focusing attention)

•
The motor skills (large and fine motor development) • Emotional skills (expressing his/her feelings appropriately, showing empathy towards others) • Self-care skills (meeting their own needs, cleaning, nutrition, recreation, taking off/getting into his/her clothes unassisted) (Oktay &Unutkan, 2005).
If children successfully establish developmental areas, they can readily start at the other levels of education.However, children should also adapt the environment in which they live.In the National Education Panel of Washington, school readiness is explained as being ready of children for entry into school, being ready of school for children and family-environment support (Kagan, Moore, & Bredekamp, 1995).The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) conducted by the Harvard Faculty of Education states that the environmental support is important for children to sustain a successful life in the developmental process from child's birth to adolescence (HFRP 2006).In order of priorities; school programs, activities outside of school, health and museum, social organizations and other community-based institutions such as libraries other community-based organizations are prioritized.
Some researches indicate that school readiness is associated with learning, attending to school, developing further skills and academic success or failure (Jaramillo & Tietjen, 2001;Pianta & McCoy 1997;Reynolds 2001;Rouse, Brooks-Gunn, & Mclanahan, 2005).Supporting school readiness in early childhood, especially between 3-8 years, affects significantly the other grades of school life (UNICEF 2012).Cambodia, conducted 2-month training programs in Myanmar and South Africa to promote the school readiness of children.The results obtained from applications showed that children develop a positive attitude towards school and their academic skills increase (Liddell & Rae, 2001;Stith, Gorman, & Choudhury 2003;Nonoyama, Tarumi, & Bredenberg, 2009).
As is seen from the researches; it is important for children to reach a certain level of maturity for an effective school readiness.This maturity means to come to a certain level in terms of the children's physical, mental, social and emotional development and to be ready to fulfill successfully that required them at school (Çataloluk, 1994).It is possible through assessment and evaluation activities to determine whether education reached to achieve and to decide school readiness level during the educational process.Also there is a need to assessment and evaluation to determine individuals' readiness level.The difference between beginning and end of the process must be measured quantitatively and qualitatively because of that education is a process of changing behavior.Before starting to school children's school readiness level should be assessed in terms of physical, mental, language, social, emotional development and self-care skills (Haktanır, 2002).Likewise, detecting school readiness level allows children to get counseling at school in accordance with individual differences and characteristics, allows to identify the needs of the individual and to make plans, programs and preparations based on the needs (Yapıcı, 2004).Teachers have the most important role in terms of preparing children to school due to the fact that especially early years are critical periods for children.It is an important factor in preparing children to the next education level that teachers should be aware of the importance of children's school readiness.When studies examined, researches combining qualitative and quantitative methods and examining pre-school teachers' views about children's school readiness has not been found.In this study, pre-school teachers' views about children's school readiness are searched by using mixed method thus it is tried to contribute to the field.In this context the study was worth to carry out.

The Current Study
The aim of the research is to determine teachers' views regarding to school readiness of children.Using qualitative and quantitative data, teachers' opinions about school readiness of children were examined from different perspectives in this study.

Participant
The study group of the research is composed of preschool teachers (n= 204).Simple random sampling method was used as the sampling method.In this type of sampling method; all individuals has the same probability of being selected and an individual's selection does not affect the selection of other individuals (Büyüköztürk, 2012).

Design of the Research
Mixed methods are not a simple combination of qualitative and quantitative methods; on the contrary they are extensive integration works that support each other with their strengths (Fırat, Yurdakul & Ersoy, 2014).Explanatory mixed method was used in this study because dur to the fact those both qualitative and quantitative methods take place in a single research project (Hunt 2007).In explanatory mixed method researches; after collecting quantitative data, qualitative data is collected because of explaining quantitative data (Creswell & Plano-Clark 2011).The quantitative data are supported by qualitative data in this study.

Quantitative Aspect
Data, in the quantitative aspects of the research, were collected through the use of "School Readiness Form" developed by Boz (2004) and "School Readiness Checklist for 5-6 Age Children" developed by the researchers."School Readiness Form" is composed of 46 items and response options are designed as Unimportant (1), important (2) and very important (3).Measuring tool has 4 subscales that are about Academic skills, focusing and maintaining attention, Social communication skills and Literacy skills.Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale is .95.Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient of the data collected from this study is .82.
"School Readiness Checklist for 5-6 Age Children" is composed of 6 items and designed as (5) "totally agree" and (1) "strongly disagree".The control checklist used in the study is prepared by the relevant literature review and by taking the opinion of 5 experts and its content validity is reviewed.The experts investigated items in terms of grammar proficiency, intelligibility and examined whether items measure school readiness of children or not.Lawshe's technique was used for evaluating the experts' opinion.The Lawshe's technique needs at least 5 and maximal 40 experts' views.Expert opinions for each item is rated as "item is in the line with the purpose, measures", "item is related with the structure but unnecessary" or "item does not measure the targeted structure".
Accordingly, "Content validity ratios" is obtained by experts' gathered views on any item."Content validity ratios" is attained by proportioning number of experts who indicated any item "necessary" to the total number of experts who indicate opinion to the item and then taking 1 from the proportion .Experts stated "appropriate/necessary" for all items on the checklist.Therefore based on the feedbacks received from five experts, "Content validity ratios" for the appropriacy of the items was calculated 1.00."Thisvalue means that all items are necessary and content validity is provided" (Yurdugül, 2005).

Qualitative Aspect
In the qualitative aspect of the research; interview questions were created after literature review.Open-ended questions were prepared to respond for teachers.Open-ended questions provide important flexibility for researchers to obtain deeper information about the subject (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2005).In this research, case study -one of qualitative research methods-is preferred since the aim of the study is to determine children's school readiness qualifications-they should have in the educational process-through the teachers' opinions.It is a qualitative research approach in which case and case-based themes are defined.It contains one or more cases that are limited in time, multiple sources and data collection tools (observations, interviews, audio-visual, documents, and reports) for in-depth investigation (Creswell, & Plano-Clark, 2007).Pre-school teachers' level of information about children's school readiness is measured in the quantitative aspects of the research; on the other hand in the qualitative aspects, it is tried to determine which qualifications needed in terms of school readiness to encourage children to participate in education process.

Data Analysis
2.4.1 Quantitative Data SPSS (20.0) software package was used in the statistical analysis of data.Mean scores were calculated to determine teachers' level of information about children's readiness.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between children's school readiness level and qualifications that they should have for school readiness.Analysis results were evaluated at the .05significance level.

Qualitative Data
Descriptive analysis technique was used for analyzing of qualitative data.The purpose of descriptive analysis is to reform the data in the way that can be understood by the readers and if requested can be used for some purposes.

Transcription of Interviews and Reduction of Data
After determining the validity of the items; interviews were conducted with 204 preschool teachers.During the interviews the data that recorded on the tape recorder analyzed by the researchers and a transcript is formed.At this stage, data set that collected from the field and waiting as raw form is passed through the process of sorting, summarizing and recycling.This stage is called the "data reduction".Researchers in this process decide which data should be left out of the research, which data will be used and how researchers should classify the data set in accordance with the purpose of the research (Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Visualizing the Data and Preparing Interview Coding Keys
The second stage of data analysis is "visualising the data".At this stage it is aimed to synthesize the converted and summarized data with the purpose of making inferences.Thus, the data set that has not a specific meaning yet; becomes more visual and more clear (Miles & Huberman, 1994).After the transcripts of interviews were made; interview questions examined one by one and options related with each question are listed in terms of all responses.As a result of this evaluation, "Interview Coding Key"-response options related with each item were written on-is prepared.

The Reliability of the Study
After practice; interview coding keys and interview transcripts were examined by researchers and necessary editing was done thereby discussing "Consensus" and "difference of opinions".

R (Reliability)
=N (a) Consensus /N (a) Consensus +N (d) Difference of Options as calculation; the reliability of the study was calculated to be 94% on average.When reliability ratio is above 70%, it is considered reliable for research (Miles & Huberman, 1994).The results are seen as reliable for the research.
In the analysis of data teachers' answers was encoded.While relevant data was documenting, teachers' opinions were expressed as (Participated=P), P=1, P=2…P=204.Considering these factors, obtained data was stricken a balance (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2005).The teachers stated that while academic skills, social communication skills and literacy skills should be slightly above the middle level; gathering and sustaining attention skills should be high level.When Table 2 is examined, it is clearly seen that while there is a relationship between children' school readiness and academic skills, prior knowledge, communication skills, starting-sustaining classroom activities, importance of in-class performance (p< .05);gathering and maintaining attention and social communication skills are not associated with the primary skills that children need to have (p>.05).Similarly, it has not been observed a relationship between gathering and maintaining attention and interviewing with parents (p>.05).

Findings
The question "What is children's school readiness?"Was posed teachers in order to determine their perception about school readiness and results are given in Table 3.As shown in Table 3, when teachers' perception about children's school readiness is examined; teachers present an opinion that children's development areas should display age-appropriate specifications and their prior knowledge should be sufficient.In quantitative findings, teachers' mean scores about children's academic skills, gathering and maintaining attention and literacy skills seem to be high.While there is a positive relationship with .05significance level between academic skills subscale of school readiness measure tool and developmental areas, prior knowledge; there is a positive relationship with .05significance level between literacy skills subscale and competence of developmental areas; there is a negative relationship with prior knowledge (p<.05).In this regard, qualitative and quantitative findings support each other.The views of some of the participants are as follows: "What are the basic skills needed to have for school readiness?"question is asked to teacher in order to specify teachers' ideas about children's requisites to start school and findings are presented in the table.When teachers' opinions about which skills children should have for school readiness are examined; the teachers considered having daily life skills, a certain level developmental level and social communication skills as significant (Table 4).Based on the quantitative research findings, mean scores that teachers got from social communication sub scale of the measure tool were significantly high.There is a positive relationship with .05significance level between social communication subscale and communication skills and competencies of developmental areas.Qualitative and quantitative findings support each other.Some teachers' opinions are as follows: *Children must gain mental, physical and social skills before starting to school (P=15, P=25).Children must have the qualifications of all developmental areas (P = 201).
*Children should be able to focus attention at one point, be able to get in contact with teachers and friends, be able to recognize colors, shapes and numbers (P= 48).
*They should listen to others and to comment in a conversation (P=121).
"Which activities should be performed and which materials should be used to support their children's school readiness?"question was asked the teachers in order to determine the materials, methods and techniques for more prepared children to schools.The following findings were reached:

Results
Teachers stated that academic skills, gathering and maintaining attention, social communication skills and literacy skills must be at medium level for children's school readiness.Boz (2004) in her research worked related with school readiness remarked that children should have these skills and these are basis for primary school.Yin, Lawrence, and Gorell (2003); a study examining teachers' views about children's school readiness and they found that academic skills are one on of the crucial factors for an effective readiness.The findings of the study match up with the current research.
Academic skills, gathering and maintaining attention, social communication and literacy skills are associate with prior knowledge, communication, in-class activities, in-class performance and parent interviews.Because school readiness is a process composing of providing unity of many developmental areas.Research by Canbulat and Yıldızbaş (2014) supports, preschool teachers opining about children's school readiness, they expressed that children should grow to maturity in all developmental areas.Teachers prioritized the skills that children need for an effective school readiness in a research carried out with teachers in the USA in this way: physical development and health, communication skills and social development, being adapted to new situations in learning environments (Meisels, 1998).Magnuson, Ruhm and Waldfogel (2005), stated that academic skills and maturation are among the factors affecting school readiness at preschool period.
The teachers pointed out some necessities for an effective school readiness: having sufficient maturity in developmental areas, having enough prior knowledge, becoming skillful at daily living stuff and having sufficiency of social communication skills.Preschool teachers also emphasized that children should reach a certain maturity level for being readiness to school (Canbulat & Yıldızbaş, 2014).Various studies have also indicated that different areas of development must be dominant.Likewise, children's social communication and adaptation skills are predicted on school readiness by teachers; in a research conducted by Docket and Perry (2002).Piotrkowski, Botsko, and Matthews (2000) stated that preschool teachers' sufficiency about children's health, basic self-care, social maturity, self-regulation, communication with peers, world attention and commitment, motor skills, cognitive information, communication and adaptation to classroom significantly affects children's school readiness.Researches support the results of our research.
Criteria of children's identification and assessment are also important in terms of school readiness.Teachers stated in the study that they assess children's school readiness based on in-class performance.As well as in-class performance; peer relations, problem solving and decision making skills and feedbacks received from families are also key aspects of assessment process.Such assessment criteria are regarded as alternative assessments.
sufficient of children's prior knowledge 200 Total Opinions

Table 1 .
Teachers' view levels about children's' school readiness

Table 3 .
Findings showing teachers' perception about children's school readiness

Table 4 .
The skills children needed to have for school readiness

Table 5 .
Activities and materials to support children's school readiness Activities and Materials to Support Children's School Readiness f Inspecting children's prior knowledge, implementing of educational activities according to the interests and needs of children 201 Conducting the activities of Games, Music, Art, Drama, Science, Language and Literacy 204When the teachers' opinions are examined -about the activities and materials to support children's school readiness skills-they stated that children's prior knowledge should be determined and materials supporting hands-on learning, educational toys, natural materials and toys should be used in learning process.Similarly, the teachers received high mean scores from the parts (academic skills, Gathering and maintaining attention and literacy) of measurement tool, in the quantitative findings.There is a positive relationship between academic skills and prior knowledge and types of activities with .05significancelevel (p<.05).The teachers' opinions are as follows:The question of "How do you assess school readiness of children?" was asked to the teachers because of clarifying the teachers' opinions about the assessment of children's school readiness.The results are presented in the table:

Table 6 .
The assessment of preschool children's school readiness When the opinions related with assessment of school readiness are examined; it is reported that assessment is made through the family interviews with in-class performance evaluation, peer relationships, problem solving and decision-making skills.Quantitative research data shows that the teacher's mean scores that received from the academic and social communication subscales are high.While children's in-class performance indicates academic skills; peer relationships and problem solving-decision making skills indicate social communication dimension.There is a positive relationship with .05significance level between academic skills and social communication sub-dimensions of the measurement tool and performance, family and communication sub-dimensions of checklist (p<.05).Qualitative and quantitative findings support each other.
*I prepared a checklist involving gains and indicators for children.I evaluate by keeping records at the beginning and at the end of the process (P=52).*Ido assessment by asking questions to the children (P = 63).The question of "What are the factors affecting children's school readiness?" is asked the teachers in order to specify the factors that are effective on children's school readiness process and opinions are indicated in the

table . Table 7 .
Factors affecting children's school readinessAs a result of examining the teachers' opinions about the factors affecting children's school readiness; it seems that the views about age, family communication and family attitudes are relatively high.Moreover In quantitative findings it is seen that the mean score of social communication skills is high.Correlatively there is a positive relationship with .05significance level between the sub-skills of academic skills, social communication, literacy and family communication dimension (p<.05).Some teachers' opinion is as follows: *Families affect children's school readiness primarily.And child's age is also an important factor for school readiness (P=24).*Teachershas influential role on children's school readiness.Because teachers make children love school and they increase academic achievements (P=71).*Ithink that educational level of the society and physical environment in which children live are efficient for school readiness (P=21, P=56).