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It is that time of the year when the children as well as their parents are prepping for school. Right from books, bags, water bottles, footwear, uniforms, to taking and following instructions at school, everything begins at home. And that’s what school readiness is all about.

“Readiness” is a term used to describe preparation for what comes next!

“School Readiness” refers to a preschool child’s preparedness for any easy and successful transition to formal schooling.

Nowadays, instead of teaching academic skills to children the educators emphasise on developing social, emotional and physical skills whilst instilling a natural curiosity and love of learning.

However, children’s readiness is not just the parents’ responsibility. It is well agreed upon and accepted that school readiness starts at the home level, the entire community plays a vital role in the same. Prominently, it is the responsibility of the community as a whole to undergo successful transition of the child. Right from parents to prekindergarten teachers, elementary schools, and local community programs need to work together to provide a strong foundation for children’s success in school.

It is essential to define readiness in broad developmental terms so that the uniqueness of every child is fostered and respected.

In broad terms, school readiness covers these three key areas:

  1. Children’s readiness for school
  2. Schools’ readiness for children
  3. Family and community supports and services that contribute to children’s readiness for school success

How can you tell if a child is ready for school –

Every child develops at his/her rate depending upon the variables within a preschool framework. However, their transition into a school environment will be smooth if they:

  • Can cope easily when expectation is placed upon them
  • Are able to follow a simple three to four step instruction related to daily activities
  • Can carry out self-care tasks with minimal support from an adult
  • Are daytime toilet trained
  • Interact well socially with their peers

School readiness is basically covering all the mentioned points and training a child to be efficient enough to start their school life with confidence.

Following are 5 main reasons why you should have your child ready for school:

 

1. Language Skills are Essential

This skillset is a gateway to learning other subjects. Without language a child won’t be able to communicate in school and will eventually have trouble in reading and writing. Before even attempting to write, a child needs to be able to read. While reading isn’t as exciting an activity for children, it is definitely an essential one. Talk to your child’s teacher and understand what your child needs when it comes to language and communication. Take care of the same post school or get extra help at home.

 

2. Self-esteem is Important

Self-esteem is an important thing especially for kids who are entering school. A child who feels good about himself/herself is more likely to do well in school because they are less likely to get frustrated and give up due to poor performance. The feeling that they are not stupid and are just like other kids goes a long way. The benefit of this is – when the child feels he/she is incapable of doing something, he/she will work harder to change their minds and try again.

 

3. Social Skills are Key

It is a process of learning how to interact with others. Since children develop during the first 5 years of life, it is essential to encourage these skills. These skills include self awareness, (knowing who you are and what you like), self-control (not acting on impulses), empathy (understanding and caring for others), and integrity (living with a sense of who you are). However, it is essential to encourage these skills through play. Along with activities of play, social skills can also be encouraged. Here’s how – Give your child one-on-one attention Try to make sure that there is always one adult who is paying attention to your child at all times without any distractions.

 

4. Creativity and self-expression can’t be taught in a classroom. It must be nurtured

It is a step ahead towards self motivation. Children who express themselves creatively develop skills that help them to succeed in other areas of their lives, including workplace jobs and relationships. And the best way to teach creativity is through play. This play needs to be unique and yours that develops their imaginative skills and exercises their creativity. If the child is not given an outlet for creativity it might lead to low self esteem.

 

5. Preschool is a growth period. If you set your child up for success now, they will only get better over time

Children should be taught that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. We need to teach children that sulking over our mistakes is not the key, the key is to recognise the mistakes and correct those as soon as possible. It can be a challenge to the parents but there are many ways to make readiness come naturally to your family. Here are a few things to get started –

Provide lots of one-on-one opportunities with your child’s teacher. This will allow your child to ask questions and get one-on-one help if they need it. Make sure your child is learning important areas such as reading, maths, and social skills. This will make it easier for your child to catch up if they fall behind. Try to incorporate creativity, self-expression, and play into your child’s daily life as much as possible. This will help set your child up for success as they grow.

By developing these foundation skills and initiating connections between families and schools, children will be provided with the right set of circumstances to adjust to a school environment and reach their learning potential.

It is never too late to make a change and make your child school-ready as this will help them to have a successful start in life.