title: Screening 5 and 6 year-old children starting primary school for development and language.
abstract: Beginning school is an important milestone for children. Children's readiness for school involves cognitive, physical, and emotional development. Certain school programs allow children to start first grade after 66 months of age, together with 72 month-old children. In order to estimate school readiness, we screened children before starting first grade and compared their school performance according to their age and socio-demographic characteristics. Marmara School Readiness, Denver II developmental screening, and language assessment tests were applied. Language delays were more frequent and school readiness test scores were lower in the younger group compared to older children. However, school achievement did not differ between the two age groups. Preschool education, parental income and education affected performance in most tests. Preschool screening seems effective in detecting children with lower than average developmental skills, and the school system may provide a practical opportunity for providing support to those children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology, Keçiören Training and Research Hospital, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear Nose and Throat Diseases, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nuray
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bayar-Muluk
authors.affiliation: Child Development Unit, Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children's Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Birgül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bayoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Center of Low Vision Rehabilitation, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: İdil
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anlar
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D012574:Schools
keywords: developmental status; language development; school readiness