Pre-K Attendance and Primary Grade Social and Behavioral Development: the Role of Kindergarten Teachers' Beliefs and Perceptions

Despite evidence of academic benefits, it remains unclear whether pre-kindergarten (pre-K) attendance predicts social and behavioral skills. Using a nationally representative sample of children entering kindergarten in 2010 (N = 6,545), this study extended prior research by using propensity score matching and multilevel piecewise growth modeling to examine whether and how children's social and behavioral trajectories from kindergarten through grade 5 differ by pre-K attendance, dosage, and program type. We also tested whether kindergarten teachers' beliefs about school readiness, perceptions of classroom behavior, and classroom management efficacy moderated these associations. Findings indicate that, compared with nonattenders, children who attended pre-K for 20 or more hours per week exhibited lower self-control and interpersonal skills and more externalizing problems in the fall of kindergarten (|ES| = 0.08-0.16), with differences persisting through grade 5. There was no consistent evidence that these associations varied by kindergarten teachers' beliefs and perceptions.