The Vane Kindergarten Test as a Predictor of First Grade Achievement

Abstract

If children with potential learning difficulties could be identified at an early age, they could be placed in an appropriate developmental or remedial program which could help prevent some serious problems and academic failures in later grades. But while the early identification of children with potential learning difficulties is desirable, there are few generally accepted techniques or methods available with which to detect the problems. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relatively new test, the Vane Kindergarten Test (VKT), would facilitate the early identification of children with learning difficulties. The continued use of the VKT is questioned for three reasons. The obtained coefficients appear to be too minimal to make educationally relevant predictions; the test has a ceiling effect when used with average to slightly above average ability kindergarten children; and it could have the same ceiling effect related to the age of kindergarten students.