A new study shows that, in spite of the recession, the gap between how well-prepared poor and wealthy children are for kindergarten is shrinking.
The good news is, it’s not because wealthy children are less-prepared. Both poor and wealthy children are actually more prepared for kindergarten, as of 2010, than they were in 1998. The shrinking gap comes from improvements among poor students, who are improving their readiness faster than wealthy students are.
Wealthy children entering kindergarten are now roughly eight months ahead of poor students in childhood development, one month less than in 1998.
The study was authored by Sean Reardon of Stanford University and Ximena Portilla with MDRC, a nonprofit research organization.
Reardon told the Los Angeles Times that racial gaps were closing as well. Relative to white children, black and Latino children are becoming better prepared for kindergarten.
The study didn’t seek to examine why the gap is shrinking, but Reardon says it may be caused by low-income parents reading to their children more often or better awareness about the importance of early childhood in a child’s long-term education. It may also be that preschool is becoming more accessible or that fewer children are exposed to lead.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
