@article{ref1,
title="How do pre-kindergarteners spend their time? Gender, ethnicity, and income as predictors of experiences in pre-kindergarten classrooms",
journal="Early childhood research quarterly",
year="2010",
author="Early, Diane M. and Iruka, Iheoma U. and Ritchie, Sharon and Barbarin, Oscar A. and Winn, Donna-Marie C. and Crawford, Gisele M. and Frome, Pamela M. and Clifford, Richard M. and Burchinal, Margaret and Howes, Carollee and Bryant, Donna M. and Pianta, Robert C.",
volume="25",
number="2",
pages="177-193",
abstract="The current paper considers how children spend their time in state-funded pre-kindergarten programs and how time use relates to ethnicity, gender, and family income, based on the assumption that how time is spent in pre-kindergarten is relevant for the programs' success in narrowing achievement gaps. Classroom observations of 2061 children in 652 pre-k programs in 11 states were analyzed. Findings indicated that the pre-kindergarten day was roughly equally divided among free choice, teacher-assigned activities, and meals/routines. Children spent much of their time in language/literacy, social studies, and art, and less time in math and gross motor activities. Much of the pre-k day was spent in 'no coded learning activity.' Children in classes with lower proportions of Latino and African American children and higher average income-to-need ratios were generally engaged in richer and more stimulating experiences. The child-level variables of ethnicity and income were generally unrelated to how children spent their time, above and beyond the effects of classroom-level ethnicity and income. There were generally small, but significant gender differences - always in the gender-stereotyped direction - in how time was spent, especially during free choice time.<p />",
language="",
issn="0885-2006",
doi="10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.10.003",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.10.003"
}