Access to early childhood education and academic achievement in elementary school [Acesso à educação infantil e trajetórias de desempenho escolar no ensino fundamental]

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Elaine Cristina Gardinal-Pizato (Author) Other; Edna Maria Marturano (Author) Other; Anne Marie Fontaine (Author) FPCEUP

Journal

Title: Paideia

Vol. 22 No. 52

Pages: 187-196

ISSN: 0103-863X

Publisher: Universidade of São Paulo. Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Literature, and Human Sciences

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge

Scopus - 1 Citation

PsycInfo

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-008-82D

DOI: 10.1590/s0103-863x2012000200005

Abstract (EN): The conception that early childhood education (ECE) positively affects academic progress is well established. The purpose of this study was to verify the impact of time of exposure to ECE on the academic performance of children and evaluate their academic progress from the 3rd to the 5th grade when there is exposure to early childhood education. Participants were 294 public school students (both genders) divided into three groups: no ECE, one year of ECE, and two years of ECE. Academic achievement was assessed in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades through the judgment of teachers and collective written evaluations of the Portuguese language and mathematics. An Academic Achievement test was administered to 3rd and 5th year students. A multivariate analysis with repeated measures, controlled for socioeconomic level, showed ECE was consistently associated with greater achievement, though one extra year in ECE did not show any additional effect on academic performance. Further research is required due to the implications of this last result for public policies.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10