Welcome to Kindergarten (WTK) Program National Evaluation (Phase 2)

Summary

The Welcome To Kindergarten (WTK) program offers pre-kindergarten household learning materials to help parents prepare young children for entry into school. Preparation materials help parents teach children communication and learning skills, like home-based reading, to improve children’s ability to adapt to the school envrionment. Evidence suggests that the best school readiness programming is characterized by universality and inclusiveness, and successful programs support parents, caregivers and family members in positive interactions with children during the early years.

Grant Outputs

Welcome to Kindergarten ™ Program National Evaluation: Final Report – http://www.thelearningpartnership.ca/page.aspx?pid=467%C2%A0

Research findings of the Welcome To Kindergarten (WTK) program are consistent with previous research that shows school readiness programs make meaningful, though modest, contributions to children’s school readiness. WTK significantly smoothed children’s transition into school and facilitated parents’ ability to support their children. Independent evaluations found that the WTK program assisted communication between teachers and families, the frequency of literacy activities taking place in the home, parents’ confidence in supporting the transition to school, children’s executive function and children’s eagerness to begin school.