School Readiness as a Longitudinal Predictor of Social-Emotional and Reading Performance Across the Elementary Grades

Abstract

This study is a brief psychometric report examining the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP). Multiple regression models were tested examining associations between kindergarten teachers’ ratings of children’s social-emotional and cognitive readiness during the first month of kindergarten with academic and social-emotional outcomes almost 6 years later. Significant associations ( p < .05) were identified between children’s cognitive readiness at kindergarten entry and reading fluency in Grade 5, as well as between children’s social-emotional readiness and multiple aspects of their social-emotional well-being in Grade 5. This study provides evidence supporting the long-term predictive validity of KSEP screener ratings and highlights the importance of screening for social-emotional, as well as cognitive, indicators of readiness when children enter kindergarten. Practical implications are discussed.