Practice Guide
Preparing Young Children for School
This practice guide, developed in conjunction with an expert panel, distills contemporary early childhood and preschool education research into seven easily comprehensible and practical recommendations. The guidance will help to prepare young children to benefit from the learning opportunities they will encounter in school.
1
Regularly provide intentional, engaging instruction and practice focused on social-emotional skills.
Show More
Show Less
2
Strengthen children's executive function skills using specific games and activities.
Show More
Show Less
3
Provide intentional instruction to build children’s understanding of mathematical ideas and skills.
Show More
Show Less
Audience:
- Administrators
- Parent/Family
- Teacher
This practice guide was prepared for the WWC by Instructional Research Group under contract 91990020F325 (GRAPE T4).
The following research staff contributed to the guide: Madhavi Jayanthi, Russell Gersten, Rebecca Newman-Gonchar, Sarah Krowka, Kelly Haymond, Samantha Wavell, Joshua Furgeson, Julia Lyskawa, and Emily Rosen.
-
Margaret Burchinal
(Chair)
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA -
Karen Bierman
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY -
Jorge Gonzalez
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON -
Kimberly Nelson
ROCKFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS -
Megan McClelland
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY -
Jill Pentimonti
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
-
David Purpura
PURDUE UNIVERSITY -
Jason Sachs
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS -
Julie Sarama
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER -
Elizabeth Schlesinger-Devlin
PURDUE UNIVERSITY -
Julie Washington
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
Reference
Recommendation 1: Regularly provide intentional, engaging instruction and practice focused on social-emotional skills
October 1, 2022
This is a one-page summary from the first recommendation from the Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide: Regularly provide intentional, engaging instruction and practice focused on social...
Reference
Recommendation 2: Strengthen children’s executive function skills using specific games and activities
October 1, 2022
This is a one-page summary from the first recommendation from the Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide: Strengthen children’s executive function skills using specific games and activitie...
Reference
Recommendation 3: Provide intentional instruction to build children’s understanding of mathematical ideas and skills
October 1, 2022
This is a one-page summary from the first recommendation from the Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide: Provide intentional instruction to build children’s understanding of mathematical ...
Reference
Recommendation 4: Engage children in conversations about mathematical ideas and support them in using mathematical language
October 1, 2022
This is a one-page summary from the fourth recommendation from the Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide: Engage children in conversations about mathematical ideas and support them in usi...
Reference
Recommendation 5: Intentionally plan activities to build children’s vocabulary and language
October 1, 2022
This is a one-page summary from the fifth recommendation from the Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide: Intentionally plan activities to build children’s vocabulary and language
Reference
Recommendation 6: Build children’s knowledge of letters and sounds
October 1, 2022
This is a one-page summary from the sixth recommendation from the Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide: Build children’s knowledge of letters and sounds
Reference
Recommendation 7: Use shared book reading to develop children’s language, knowledge of print features, and knowledge of the world
October 1, 2022
This is a one-page summary from the seventh recommendation from the Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide: Use shared book reading to develop children’s language, knowledge of print featu...
Video
Recommended Practices for Mathematical Ideas and Language
September 29, 2022
This recorded webinar discusses recommended practices for Mathematical Ideas and Language.
Video
Recommended Practices for Vocabulary, Letters, and Shared Book Reading
September 29, 2022
This recorded webinar discusses recommended practices for Vocabulary, Letters, and Shared Book Reading.
Video
Recommended Practices for Social-Emotional Learning and Executive Function
September 27, 2022
This recorded webinar discusses recommended practices for Social-Emotional Learning and Executive Function.
Reference
Presentation Materials: What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide on Preparing Young Children for School
August 1, 2022
This slide deck can be used to present on the recommendations, how-to steps, and examples presented in the guide.