At-risk Children

There are four key risk factors that are associated with educational disadvantages upon entry into kindergarten in the United States. They include having a mother with less than a high school education, living in a family that receives food stamps or welfare, living in a single-parent home, and having parents whose native tongue is other than English (United States Department of Education, 2001). Individuals with a single risk factor are likely to lag in reading or writing skills; those with multiple risk factors have a 50% chance of scoring in the bottom quartiles in reading, mathematics, or general knowledge. For example, those with multiple risk factors are less likely to know the alphabet or be able to count to 20 before beginning kindergarten, which puts them at a disadvantage in comparison to other students without risk factors (p. 21). Families who live in poverty are generally less able to provide learning opportunities, such as books or toys to their children. Lack of school readiness has been linked with later school dropout. However, longitudinal studies in Quebec suggest that social-emotional and social skills training can help some students improve their academic paths and eventually graduate from high school.

Parents and family environments can play a protective role against the risk of educational disadvantage.  In fact, the home and family environments have the greatest impact on whether or not a child is ready to begin school (Pivik, 2012). For example, parents have many roles in preparing children for kindergarten, including providing the child with proper nutrition, health care, and opportunity for growth. Families can also act as advocates, teachers, and providers for their children.