Preliminary communication
Differences in Children’s Competencies that Indicate Readiness for Starting School
Joško Sindik
; Institut
Glibić Mirela
; Dječji vrtić Trnoružica, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Vesna Marušić
; Dječji vrtić Vladimira Nazora, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ranka Đunđenac
; Dječji vrtić Ivanić-Grad, Ivanić-Grad, Hrvatska
Abstract
Competences are the abilities that are recognized in a particular activity, while their formation begins as early as in preschool age. The main objective of this study was to determine the differences in children’s competencies that describe their preparedness for going to primary school, compared to the independent variables: gender, the city where the children live and age. A sample of 258 children from four kindergartens in Zagreb (N1=63), Split (N2=123) and Ivanić-Grad (N3=72) is examined, of which 112 girls and 146 boys, mean age 6.26 ± 0.42. Behavioral characteristics of children were evaluated by applying the Scale of Assessment Competencies (SPK), by 60 children educators from 30 preschool groups of all kindergartens. The results showed that the differences are statistically significant in all competencies, associated with the variables gender and city in which the children attend kindergarten. In other words, girls are estimated as better competent in their readiness for school, as well as children from the kindergarten in Zagreb, compared with children from Split or Ivanić-Grad. Univariate analyses show some age differences in competencies, but in the opposite direction than expected. Gender differences in children’s competencies can be the best interpreted as the greater maturity of the girls in the preschool age. Differences between children from different cities can be explained in terms of the differences in child incentive environment, while paradoxical age differences may be caused by negative selection at older children and children’s general uniformity of age.
Keywords
educational and social skills; responsibility; preschoolers
Hrčak ID:
129795
URI
Publication date:
2.9.2014.
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