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14EntroSpring2012SpecialReportTwo-ThirdsofKindergartenTeachersSayChildrenNotAdequatelyPreparedforSchoolAscreen-capturefromtheABCmouse.comwebsite.respondentswereinvitedbyemailtopartici-pateinanonlinesurvey.Respondentswerequalifiedasworkinginthefieldofeducationandthenfurtherqualifiedaskindergartenteachers.Bothprivateschoolteachersandpublicschoolteacherswereincluded.Themarginoferrorforthissurveyis4.3ata95percentconfidenceinterval.Whenaskedtocomparethepreparednessofchildrenenteringkindergartentodaytochildrenenteringkindergarten5yearsago34.2ofkindergartenteacherswhohavebeenteachingfor15ormoreyearsstatedthatchildrenenteringkindergartentodayarex1cnotaswellpreparedx1dandonly24.6oftheseveteranteachersstatedthatchildrenarex1cbetterprepared.x1dSurveyHighlightsTwo-thirds66ofkindergartenteachersstatedthatstudentswereonlyx1csomewhatx1dorx1cnotatallpreparedx1dandonly6percentfeltthatstudentswerex1cverywellx1dpreparedacademically.Lessthan9percentofrespondingteachersdescribedtheorallanguageskillsofenteringstudentsasx1cverygood.x1d95percentagreedthatpreschoolattendanceisinfactx1cbeneficialx1dwithmostofthose75percentofallrespondentsbelievingitisx1cverybeneficial.x1d77percentofteachersviewtechnologyasx1cveryusefulx1dorx1cuseful.x1dSummaryofFindingsAmericax19skindergartenteachersbelievemostyoungchildrenareunpreparedforschoolwhentheyenterkindergartenandveterankindergartenteachersbelievethatthissituationisdeteriorating.Respondentswereaskedhowwellpreparedacademicallychildrenarewhenfirstenteringthekindergartenclassroom.Sixty-fivepointsixpercent65.6statedthatchildrenarex1conlysomewhatpreparedx1dorarex1cnotatallpreparedx1dwith8.5statingthatchildrenenteringkindergartenarex1cnotatallprepared.x1dOnly5.6statedthatchildrenarex1cverywellpreparedx1dacademically.Accordingtotheteacherswhoweresurveyedchildrenenteringkindergartenareweakestacademicallyincomparisontowhattheteachersbelievechildrenshouldknowintheirknowledgeofthealphabetandphonicswithtwo-thirdsofteachersreportingthatthemajorityofchildrendonotknowtheiralphabetwhentheyenterkindergarten.Althoughmanyearlylearningresearcherscitethecrucialimportanceofachildx19sorallanguagedevelopmentinrelationtofutureacademicsuccessinreadingandothersubjectslessthan9percentofrespondingAgeofLearningInc.creatorofABCmouse.comEarlyLearningAcademywhichisconsideredbymanyeducatorstobethemostcomprehensiveonlinecurriculumavailableforpreschoolpre-kandkindergartenchildrenrecentlyconductedanationwidesurveyofkindergartenteachersonthesubjectofchildrenx19spreparednessforkinder-garten.ThisspecialreportpresentssomeoftheresultsofthatsurveyaswellasrecommendationsfromthoseteachersandtheABCmouse.comCurriculumAdvisorTeamaboutactionsthatparentscantaketohelppreparetheirchildrenforentryintokindergarten.ThesurveyconductedinOctober2011withmorethan500kindergartenteachersrevealedthattwo-thirdsofAmericax19skindergartenteachersbelievemostyoungchildrenareacademicallyunpreparedforschoolwhentheyenterkindergarten.Theseteacherswereaskedwhatchildrenshouldknowmoreofatthepointofenteringkindergartenandwhatparentscandotobetterpreparetheirchildren.AnexecutivesummarysurveyhighlightsasummaryofteacherrecommendationsinresponsetothisquestionandrecommendationsfromtheABCmouse.comCurriculumAdvisorTeamarepresentedinthisreport.ExecutiveSummaryAgeofLearningInc.isaGlendaleCalifor-niacompanythathaslaunchedaglobaleducationinitiativeintendedtoprovideyoungchildrenwithastrongfoundationforfutureacademicsuccess.OneofthegoalsofthisinitiativeisthecollectionanddisseminationofinformationaboutearlychildhoodeducationintheUnitedStatesandEnglishlanguagelearningaroundtheworld.Theobjectiveofthesurveysummarizedherewhichshedslightonthesignificantgapbetweenwhatchildrenshouldknowwhentheyenterkindergartenandwhattheydoknowistoprovideparentswithspecificsuggestionsonhowtobetterprepareyoungchildrenforschoolduringthecriticalyearsfrombirththroughagefive.Thissummaryrepresentstheresponsesof518kindergartenteachersfromacrosstheUnitedStatestoanonlinesurveyconductedbetweenOctober7andOctober232011.Potential