What is the Correlation between Risk-Taking Behaviors and Letter Recognition in Kindergarten Students?

Abstract

This study attempted to determine whether there was a significant correlation between the letter recognition ability of kindergarten students and their risk-taking characteristics in the classroom. To achieve this purpose, letter recognition scores from November report cards were used, along with teacher input regarding risk-taking behaviors. One hundred ten kindergarten students from an upstate New York suburban community were the subjects for this study. Eleven participating teachers listed the five students in their class who exhibited the most risk-taking behaviors in the academic setting and the five students in their class who exhibited the fewest risk-taking behaviors in the academic setting. After the researcher collected the data, the teachers then recorded these students' letter recognition scores and submitted them to the researcher. A point-biserial correlation was used to analyze the data. The results of the study found a strong, significant relationship between letter recognition knowledge and risk-taking.