How To Tell If Your Child Is Ready To Start School

While you’re no doubt excited and proud about your child getting ready for school, you probably have a few concerns, too. Will she be happy? Will he make friends? Is my child ready for school?

What Exactly Is School Readiness?

This may seem like a simple enough question, but school readiness can be a little complex when it comes to definitions. Some place emphasis on the child’s skills, others on the school and community relationships, and others on the family.

If you’re considering sending your child to child care in the Melbourne CBD or in your local area, culturally responsive practices are important during the new transition.

However, no matter what background your child comes from, his or her transition to school life is likely to be smooth when:

·         She is supported by a positive home learning environment that includes playing games, reading, and counting.

·         He has experienced early learning.

·         She can manage her emotions and is attentive, can follow directions, and can both play and learn with other children.

·         He attends a school that can accommodated special needs and interests.

How Can You Help Get Your Child School-Ready?

Some of the key skills for school-readiness include letter and number knowledge, vocabulary, counting skills, and phonological awareness. You can support your child in these areas to help strengthen their understandings.

Children who can use more shapes, letters, numbers, and words, and those who enjoy rhyming and counting tend to be better prepared for school. Families play a big role in preparing their children for school, and they can help by drawing their children’s attention to numbers, shapes, words, and letters in their everyday surroundings.

Why Early Learning is Important

Attending a good early learning program can help your child get ready for school. It’s the perfect opportunity for kids to expand their vocabulary and work on their conceptual understanding by listening to others. It’s also the perfect time for them to learn social practices. Early learning programs provide more than just a day of babysitting, and it’s important that little ones attend these early years of education for long enough to be able to advance their learning.

Supporting Your Child’s Transition

Successful transitions to school rely on teachers and families working in harmony to promote learning and development. Practitioners, policymakers, communities, and researchers work together to build the ecosystems that support and influence a child’s long-term development. For a child to be school-ready, the progress in meeting early learning challenges require:

·         Families and teachers working together for a smooth school transition

·         Families realizing the value of good early learning programs

·         Teachers ensuring a child’s program reflects their interests so as to enhance their learning

·         Sufficient government investment to ensure children participate in excellent childhood early learning programs

·         Government programs that reduce and target the cause of disadvantage for children who don’t have a head start with early learning

·         Professional learning for young children and teachers to support the child’s motivation, attention, cognitive and emotional abilities.

By following the tips above, you can ensure you child is ready for the transition to school and that he or she will cope with the changes.

Disclosure:  This is a contributed post.