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The concept of school readiness is a widely researched area
and views regarding what determines if a child is ready for
school vary accordingly. Some view age and the child's ability
to learn as the primary factors, while others place more emphasis on
social and emotional skills and the interaction between an
individual child and his/her environment. Most psychologists,
however, would agree that school readiness is the combination
of different individual and environmental
factors.
Language
Language skills incorporate expressive and
receptive language use. To perform in a school environment a
child must be able to communicate with teachers (and the
teacher must be able to communicate with the child) and with his/her
peers. The emphasis here is on appropriate use of
language, not necessarily word
knowledge.
Cognitive
Skills
Cognitive skills refer to a
child's academic ability within the learning environment. It is
the ability to learn new information, to be curious and eager to
learn and to be able to use language for one's learning needs. A
child needs to be able to concentrate and carry out instructions and
integrate the new information presented by teachers. The emphasis
here is on the mental/academic capacity to function within the
school environment.
Motor Skills and Physical
Health
Motor skills include fine motor skills, such
as holding a pen or scissors, eye hand and motor coordination
and gross motor skills, such as dressing, running and physical
play activities. Additionally, physical health is important to
attend school and meet learning requirements. Physical health
not only refers to the child's health status, but his or her general
well being, including nutrition, good sleep hygiene and regular
exercise.
Social and Emotional
Skills
Social and emotional competence is
an integral part of being in school and interacting
with others. Although children are not required to possess complex
social skills and attending school also teaches prosocial
behaviour, before entering the school system
children should have some level of social competence. Children
are likely to do well in school if they generally positive and
independent, willing to learn, can cope with setbacks, experience
empathy towards others and able to build at least one or two
significant relationships. In order to do so, children should be
able to reason and express emotions (especially difficult emotions
such as anger and frustration) on an age appropriate level, be able
to engage in discussions with others and be able to
compromise.
Self Help Skills
Self help skills refer to a child's ability to
function without adult supervision. These include independent
toileting, dressing, tying shoelaces, feeding or eating skills,
putting toys and things away without being asked, offering help and
knowing and following rules.
What if a Child is
not School Ready?
Questions that parents
often ask when their child seems to be behind in some
developmental area are:
- would holding
him/her back a year have a negative impact,
-
isn't sending him/her to school would actually help him/her to
develop these skills, and
- what do they need to do to
prepare the child for school?
The answers to these questions
are difficult, as each individual child is different and requires a
different approach. However, when a child is not meeting most of the
above listed developmental milestones, holding him or her back from
school entry can be helpful, given that the parents are willing to
put extra effort into preparing the child for school
entry.
When helping a child to gain the necessary
skills for school entry, parents should always keep in
mind that focus should not be restricted to the
developmental area they would like to improve, but should include
all areas of the child's functioning. Most importantly, make sure
that children held back from school entry remain in pre-school
and have adequate level of social contact.
What
We Offer
We offer sound, research based advice
about school entry and expected outcomes. Although
we encourage parents to make the final
decision, we provide suggestions whether to pursue school
entry or to hold children back. We provide a review of the
different areas that may need further attention to ensure
smooth transition to the school system. If your child
is attending pre-school or childcare, we may ask permission to
talk to pre-school teachers to gain more information
about his/her functioning.
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