School Readiness: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

School readiness (SR) refers to the group of skills and competencies required for children to succeed in school. The problem that guides this investigation refers to the absence of consensus in the assessment of the construct. A systematic review of scientific literature is presented, produced by the search of the words school readiness on the database PsycINFO, taking into account the last 20 years of research, longitudinal studies, with samples aged between 2 and 12 years old. A total of twenty papers were reviewed. The main instruments used to assess SR were the Woodcock-Johnson Battery, the Bracken Basic Concept Scale and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Most of the conceptualizations of SR and academic success were based on only one indicator. We conclude that it is important to create and validate measurement instruments that are based on a multidimensional understanding of SR that includes cognitive and social-emotional abilities, as well as the educational and family settings.