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Do Preschool Peers Create a Sustaining Environment in Kindergarten? Evidence from the ECLS-K:2011
Zhiling Meng Shea1,2, Qing Zhang1, Jade Marcus Jenkins1
1University of California, Irvine.
AERA Open
|October 1, 2025
Summary
More preschool peers in kindergarten classrooms did not improve academic or social skills for non-attendees. However, teachers perceived improved reading skills and spent more time on advanced reading content when more preschoolers were present.
Area of Science:
- Education
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- The impact of peer composition in early education settings is crucial for understanding child development.
- Previous research suggested potential benefits of peer interactions for children's skill development.
- The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) provides a rich dataset for examining these effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if a higher percentage of preschool attendees in kindergarten classrooms benefits children who did not attend preschool.
- To determine if the proportion of preschool peers moderates the benefits of preschool attendance.
- To assess the relationship between the percentage of preschool peers and teachers' perceptions of children's skills and instructional practices.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort 2011 (ECLS-K:2011).
- Examined associations between the classroom percentage of preschool attendees and children's academic, executive function, behavioral, and prosocial skills.
- Investigated the moderation effect of preschool peers on preschool benefits and teachers' perceptions and instructional content.
Main Results:
- No association was found between the percentage of preschool peers and children's academic, executive function, or behavioral/prosocial skills.
- A positive association was observed between the percentage of preschool peers and teachers' perceptions of children's reading skills.
- Teachers reported spending more instructional time on advanced reading content in classrooms with a higher percentage of preschool attendees.
Conclusions:
- Classroom peer composition, specifically the percentage of preschool attendees, did not appear to enhance the academic or social-emotional skills of non-preschool attendees in kindergarten.
- The presence of more preschool peers may influence teachers' perceptions and instructional focus, particularly in reading.
- Further research is needed to understand the nuanced effects of peer composition in early education settings.
Keywords:
child developmentclassroom researchearly childhoodeducational policykindergartenpeer effectpreschoolquasi-experimental analysisreadingregression analysessecondary data analysissustained gainsteacher instructionteacher knowledgeteacher perceptionsMore Related Videos
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