Preschool Attendance, School Starting Age and Cultural-Financial Resources as Predictors of Adolescent’s Reading Comprehension: Evidence From PISA 2015 and 2018

Abstract

This study investigated whether there are significant differences between reading achievements of 15-year-old students and starting age for preschool and socioeconomic factors according to the results from the PISA 2015 and 2018. The quantitative results show that there is a clear and statistically significant difference between reading test scores of Turkish students in PISA 2015 and in PISA 2018 according to the variables starting age for preschool education, highest parental educational attainment and the number of books at home. Our quantitative analysis shows that students who attended kindergartens from age four have higher average test scores in reading skills than students who cared for only in homes, either by their parents or by others.