After reading the article “Mind the kinder-gap: New data on children’s math and reading skills as they enter kindergarten’ by Christine M.T. Pitts and Megan Kuhfeld (September, 2020) located in Module 2: Lecture Materials & Resources, please address the following:
- While the authors indicate the extent of children’s learning and skill development before kindergarten strongly predicts their eventual college completion rates, adult earnings, and other long-term outcomes, what other factor contributes significantly to such outcomes?
- These findings portrayed in Figure 1 in the article tell a contradictory story about students’ academic skills at kindergarten entry over the past decade. Please describe this contradiction.
- Referring to Figure 1, describe the Black-White math skills gap trend from 2010-2017.
- Referring to Figure 1, describe the Latino-White reading skills gap trend from 2010-2017.
- What interventions would you recommend before Kindergarten to create more equitable opportunities later in life?
To answer questions, click on reply at the bottom of the page. It is best practice to write your response in a word processing program like Word and copy and paste it into the reply text box. All responses should be substantial. Class discussion of the chapters assigned for each week in the Discussion Board is a significant component of this course. The class, as a learning community, relies on this asynchronous communication to engage in collective and individual knowledge construction. For each Canvas Discussion Board Assignment, all students should respond at least twice weekly to the discussion board in addition to your response to the main thread questions.
- Please copy all the questions for the week, answer them, and paste your responses into the discussion board.
- In addition to your response to the main thread questions, please respond substantially at least twice for the week in addition to your main thread posting to at least two classmates in your responses. All responses will be made on the discussion board.
- Spelling and grammar will be factored into your grade.
- The instructor will provide you with feedback either by posting in the discussion forum or in the comments section in the gradebook.
- Substantive postings are those that respond to a question in a way that clearly supports a position, offers a contrasting or divergent point of view, begins a new topic, clarifies a point already made, or adds to the existing discussion by critically reflecting on what’s been said or moves the discussion in another direction. Agreeing with someone else is not a substantive posting.
- Students need to first post a response to all of the questions from the main stem, then post in response to other students’ postings. Note: Given this is a fully online course, discussion board activity is vital to the class flow. Students are expected to post discussion board threads and responses by the due dates listed on this syllabus. Each Discussion Board Forum will close on the deadline listed.
- Do not submit as attachments, just submit responses.
Read and watch the lecture resources & materials below early in the week to help you respond to the discussion questions and to complete your assignment(s).
Read
- Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2019). Human development: A life-span view (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
- Review Chapter 8: Rites of Passage: Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence
- Pitts, C.M.T., & Kuhfeld, M. (2020, September 21). Mind the kinder-gap: New data on children’s math and reading skills as they enter kindergarten. Phi Delta Kappan. https://kappanonline.org/data-children-math-reading-skills-kindergarten-learning-gap-pitts-kuhfeld/
Mind the Kinder-Gap: New Data on Children’s Math and Reading Skills as They Enter KindergartenLinks to an external site.
