at kindergarten entry due to preschool, children in the sixth grade showed significantly higher reading and math achievement with a lower incidence of grade retention. Evidence suggests that early school adjustment is positively associated with parental education, socioeconomic status, and childrens ethnicity (Ladd, 1987; Reynolds, 1991). These environmental entry factors are relative to the challenges of school and influence early adaptation. Parental education and income may afford advantages that lead to cognitive maturity prior to entry into kindergarten. A low socioeconomic status may produce increased stress in a family as well as diminished resources, and may influence the child through parenting practices and lack of warmth and acceptance. In American society, certain ethnic minorities have increased risk to psychological problems due to race discrimination and prejudice. This results in a higher amount of behavioral problems and lower academic achievement. These environmental entry factors effect a childs psychological adjustment indirectly due to the many contributing factors to be considered. The socioeconomic status includes many demographic factors including: single parent families or larger families which mean decreased attention toward the child, amount of income or resources available toward developing the childs cognitive ability, violence or other social practices within the childs neighborhood that could lead to increased behavioral problems, and the mothers age at childbirth which can affect parenting abilities since young mothers are generally more likely to have had difficulties in school and live in poor neighborhoods as well as emotional difficulties. Behavioral styles are the tools children use to confront challenges in school such as the formation of relationships with new classmates and teachers. Being rejected by a peer group or having a conflict with the teacher may cause the child to feel a lack o...
