Prekindergarten Teachers’ Conceptualization of Readiness in the Era of Standards-based Accountability Reform Movements

Current standards-based accountability reforms in the United States understand early childhood education as a means of preparing young children for academic success in elementary school. These policies have triggered an important debate concerning the proper way to conceptualize children’s readiness for elementary school. This article discusses the findings of a case study that examined how early childhood education reform affects prekindergarten teachers’ conceptualization of readiness. The results obtained highlight problems concerning the teaching of specific content to young children. These problems are related to the assimilation of prekindergarten programs into the U.S. K-12 education system. This research also provides information concerning the skills and knowledge that are most useful to early childhood educators operating within standards-based education systems and aiming to offer high-quality and effective instruction to young children.