An investigation into the value of the school readiness programme offered by the reception class.
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Date
1990
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Abstract
In this research an attempt was made at establishing the value
of the Reception Class programme. Bridging the gap between home
and school has received a lot of attention in the past decade
and although numerous suggestions have been put forward, a
pattern of hit-or-miss has developed. This research aims to
present a suggestion of successful entry into the formal phase
of education for every child, regardless of colour, at a much
lower cost for both authorities and parents. In an attempt to
determine the success of the Reception Class programme, three
measures were used: the First Grade Screening Test (AGS), the
HSRC Test for 5-6 year olds and as a qualitative measure a
questionnaire completed by the class one teachers of the school
where the Reception children entered the formal phase of
education in 1990. Results of these tests showed that the
Reception Class programme was the most successful in achieving a
high level of school readiness and on all three measures these
pupils did significantly better than their peers who had
attended pre-primary schools, crèches, day-care centres and
those who had come straight from home. An analysis of test
items showed that the Reception Class pupils had excelled in
areas involving concentration and listening skills, fine muscle
control and application of knowledge. The HSRC Test for 5-6
year olds showed evidence of well developed problem solving
skills and a sound knowledge of mathematical language. Although
the sample as such was found to be sufficient, a limitation of
this study is the fact that all four the Reception Classes could
not have been included in this research.
Description
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1990.
Keywords
Readiness for school., Education, Preschool--KwaZulu-Natal., Theses--Education.