Developmental Readiness, Early Entry Policy, and Preschool Access: Structural Influences on Early Literacy Outcomes in Montana

Robin Heigis

Developmental Readiness, Early Entry Policy, and Preschool Access: Structural Influences on Early Literacy Outcomes in Montana

Author(s)	Dr. Robin Heigis
Country	United States
Abstract	State-level early education policies shape children’s developmental and academic trajectories well beyond kindergarten. Montana permits children to enroll in kindergarten at age four if they turn five on or before September 10 and remains one of the few states without state-funded universal preschool (Cormier, 2025). Developmental science suggests that school readiness depends not solely on chronological age but on neurological maturation in executive functioning, emotional regulation, and early language acquisition (Banihashem et al., 2021; Demetriou et al., 2020). In a Montana elementary school where 88% of students were not proficient in reading by the end of the 2023–2024 academic year (Cormier, 2025), a quantitative ex post facto analysis (N = 64) examined whether age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status were associated with third-grade reading achievement. Results indicated no statistically significant relationships between reading scores and age, race, or socioeconomic status; however, gender differences were statistically significant (p < .001), with female students outperforming male students (Cormier, 2025). These findings suggest that early literacy disparities in Montana must be interpreted within a structural policy context shaped by early entry age and limited preschool access. Developmentally informed reforms are warranted.
Keywords	Development, Childhood, Academics, Education, Preschool, Readiness
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-16

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Developmental Readiness, Early Entry Policy, and Preschool Access: Structural Influences on Early Literacy Outcomes in Montana

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