PHILADELPHIA Two professors at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education will study how early learning behaviors contribute to school readiness. In partnership with Head Start, Paul McDermott and John Fantuzzo will research learning behaviors as indicators of school success for K-12 students. Their research, titled "Learning-in-Time and Teaching-to-Learn," is supported by a multi-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Essential to the success of the research and the utility of its findings is the authenticity and strength of the partnership between Penn Graduate School of Education and the School District of Philadelphia's Office of Early Childhood," Fantuzzo said. "Our partnership holds great promise for advancing the understanding of early learning behaviors and school readiness."

School readiness is a child ability to learn the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. It has been shown to be a good indicator of how children will perform throughout their school careers. This study will investigate how preschool learning behaviors, such as persistence, flexibility and attentiveness, contribute to school readiness. It will follow the development of these learning behaviors throughout early childhood and use that information to develop a curriculum that is appropriate to each child age and ability.

Study findings will be used by Head Start to increase school readiness among preschool children. Such information will also help to inform policy on early childcare, specifically in funding and programs for Head Start.