“School Readiness” and Socio-demographic Variables: The Role of the Cultural Status of the Family on the Prerequisites of Scholastic Learning

Abstract

“School readiness” comprises the cognitive, social, and behavioral abilities and competences involved in school learning. Environment in which children live and grow influences “school readiness.” Social and cultural disadvantages are some of the main variables that interfere with a positive scholastic adjustment. The main goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between children’s “school readiness” and cultural status of the family. Participants were 456 Italian preschoolers aged 4 and 5 years old. School readiness and some indicators of the cultural status were assessed. Results showed that cultural level and the cultural resources are related to acquiring the basic skills that are the prerequisites of the school learning. In particular, the education of the father and the area (urban area, suburbs or rural) in which child lived influenced the prerequisites of scholastic learning. Children who lived in a village presented higher risk of developing learning difficulties compared to their peers who lived in a town. Emphasizing the role of the cultural background of the family on children’s “school readiness” is important. It might assist in identification children who present low level of the skills that are the prerequisites of the school learning, with adoption of effective measures aimed to favour the increasing of the inadequate skills.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2p287