The Relationship Between Children's Temperament and Adjustment to Kindergarten and Head Start Settings

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Abstract
Adjustment to childhood group settings was studied as a function of individual temperament characteristics prior to beginning the group setting. A kindergarten (n = 52) and a Head Start (n = 23) sample were assessed for temperament characteristics using the Thomas and Chess Parent Temperament Questionnaire. Adjustment characteristics after three months in the group setting were assessed using the Behar Preschool Behavior Questionnaire and a global adjustment rating scale. In the kindergarten sample, low ratings for adjustment were related to high threshold of responsiveness, low persistence, and withdrawal from new situations. Head Start children who rated low in adjustment were more likely to score high in persistence and high in intensity. The results, together with an earlier study using a day care sample, suggest that situational characteristics including program structure, goal specificity, and instructional expectations affect the temperament-adjustment interaction. These findings have implications for the design and selection of childhood group settings.