Is There a Trade-Off Between Academic Achievement and Social-Emotional Development in Academically Rigorous Kindergarten Classrooms?

• In Event: 53.034 - Family and School Contexts in Early Childhood: Effects on Academic and Developmental Outcomes

Abstract

As a way to address achievement inequalities, some researchers advocate increasing children’s exposure to academically-advanced content at kindergarten. However, early childhood educators have concerns with this policy, as the gains in achievement may come at the expense of children’s social-emotional development. Using ECLS-K:2011 data, we find that exposure to advanced content in kindergarten was not only associated with improved student achievement in math and ELA/reading, but also with improved social-emotional outcomes, as reported by teachers and parents. Greater exposure to advanced content was associated with higher self control, more positive student-teacher relationships, and lower levels of sadness/loneliness. The results support the notion that rigorous academic content can be taught without compromising children’s social-emotional development.

Authors

• Vi-Nhuan Le, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Kristen Neishi, University of Michigan

• Marc W Hernandez, NORC at the University of Chicago

• Rolf K. Blank, NORC at the University of Chicago