Two Studies in Early Childhood Education.

This report describes: (1) a study of desirable kindergarten goals as perceived by the principals, teachers, and parents of Kentucky's 1973-74 pilot kindergarten programs; and (2) a study of the learning needs of entering first-grade pupils as perceived by a structured sample of first-grade teachers in Kentucky. In the first study, data collected through questionnaires were analyzed using personal and demographic characteristics of respondents as independent variables. Findings indicate that parents place higher priority on items in the intellectual dimension than did educators, who were more inclined toward items in the personal dimension. Parents, teachers, and principals were in relative agreement on the priority of the items in the social dimension. In the second study (in which 301 first-grade teachers responded to a questionnaire), economic conditions were judged to have a major effect upon the learning needs of entering first-graders. A list of 38 rank-ordered pupil needs is presented as representing those learning objectives which should be met prior to first grade entry. Statistical findings, analysis of the data, and recommendations for further research are described. (CS)