Associations Between Extracurricular Activity Participation and Language Skills in Kindergarten Children

• In Event: Emergent Research Relating to Kindergarten

Abstract

Associations between participation in extracurricular activities and language skills were explored for kindergarteners in a Midwestern school district (N=401). International studies have shown that extracurricular participation can lead to improved language/literacy skills and school readiness. Our work expands previous literature by further examining U.S. contexts, and viewing extracurriculars as sharing elements of play that could provide similar language benefits. Descriptive analyses add to the literature regarding kindergarten students’ extracurricular participation patterns, and regression analyses indicate that extracurriculars were significantly related to language outcomes. More robust models were non-significant for the association between extracurriculars and language; however, given the impact of vocabulary on students’ development, acknowledging these results within this understudied context is crucial to the field.

Authors

• Elise C. Allen, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Arianna Black, The Ohio State University

• Jessica Logan, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Tzu-Jung Lin, The Ohio State University

• Kelly Purtell, The Ohio State University

• Laura M. Justice, The Ohio State University