Enhancing Kindergarten Readiness in socioeconomically Disadvantaged Children Through ApSeed Implementation
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Authors
Byran, Sharon
Issue Date
2025-04
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
Background: Kindergarten readiness is essential for children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, who often enter school with lower academic and social-emotional skill levels. In North Carolina, many impoverished children are less prepared for kindergarten, which impacts their long-term academic success and overall development.
Purpose: The primary outcome was to improve letter and number recognition skills, while the secondary outcome was to enhance the ability to identify primary colors and shapes, and overall improve kindergarten readiness for socioeconomically disadvantaged children in North Carolina. Method: ApSeed tablets, preloaded with interactive educational content, were distributed to children aged 3-5 at a rural pediatric Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Participants used the tablets for six months, and their progress was measured through pre- and post-intervention assessments. A paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze the effectiveness of the intervention.
Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in uppercase (p < .001) and lowercase letter recognition (p < .001), as well as number recognition (p < .001). Color recognition improved significantly (p = .033), while shape recognition showed one of the strongest effect sizes (p < .001).
Conclusion: The intervention effectively improved early literacy and cognitive skills, supporting the use of technology-based educational tools in preparing underserved children for kindergarten.