The transition to kindergarten from previous early childhood experiences is a milestone and challenge for both children and parents. Developmental kindergarten (DK) is a specific type of early childhood educational intervention that is designed to ease the transition to kindergarten. However, very little research is published in peer-reviewed journals pertaining to the effects of DK as an early education intervention for five-year old children. Five years of archival data from one suburban school district in Michigan was used to better understand the influence of DK attendance on long-term academic social-emotional growth. The sample consisted of 1082 students ranging in age from five years to twelve years old. Thirty percent (30%) of the sample attended DK. Students were divided into cohorts based on current grade level. A two-level hierarchical linear model was used to compare the literacy and social-emotional growth trajectory of students who did versus did not attend DK. Results indicated that children who received the DK intervention and their peers who did not receive the intervention experienced similar literacy and social-emotional growth trajectories across time. Implications of this study are relevant to researchers and educators interested in the short and long-term effects of DK on typically developing children from advantaged backgrounds.
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