Education has always been stressed as an important factor historically; however in recent years, the actual "learning" process has emerged as a significant causal factor. The poor state of the current educational system in the United States has resulted in much criticism and reform. These criticisms and reforms have led to widespread psychological studies and research regarding best methods and learning processes. Early childhood education, has become a new industry and a routine part of growing up. Psychologists and educators have encouraged this movement, arguing that professionals can do a better job of instructing youngsters at school than amateurs can do at home (Chance, 1985). Theories surrounding school readiness, parent training and efficacy have been examined and analyzed, as researchers worked to operationally define the parameters of what exactly it means to be "school ready." A review of the literature in this area indicates that the family background and social experiences of children entering early education in the current decade are very different from those entering kindergarten in prior decades. As a result, the elements of school readiness, parent training and efficacy have new definitions requiring additional research and implementation of new processes.
             The available literature indicates that many children come from increasingly diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, social, economic and language backgrounds. Many kindergartners now come from single-parent families and from step-parent families, and they also differ in the level and types of early care and educational experiences that they have had prior to kindergarten (Zill et al. 1995). As a result, traditional methods of schooling and parental training are no longer adequate. In prior decades, children received their education strictly in a school setting, and were taught other life values by their parents. In the current decade, ...