www.inclusivechildcare.org || Concordia University, College of Education
Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
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CICC E-News, Issue #6. July-August 2008
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School Readiness
At this time of year, we start to think about sending young children to the first year of school and their ‘school readiness.’ The term ‘school readiness’ is used frequently today by many people and there is debate about what can and should be expected of a young child entering kindergarten.
According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), “kindergarten entry should be based on chronological age, not mastery of skills.” (2008). Maxwell and Clifford posit that “school readiness involves more than just children. School readiness, in the broadest sense, is about children, families, early environments, schools, and communities. Children are not innately ready or not ready for school. Their skills and development are strongly influenced by their families and through their interactions with other people and environments before coming to school.” (2004)
Parents, ultimately, make the decision on what seems best for their family and child when it comes to school entry. There are, however, some key indicators that can help parents as they look at their child’s growth and development prior to kindergarten entry.
In a recent article in Scholastic Parent and Child magazine, kindergarten teachers indicated what they were looking for in children ready for school:
Enthusiasm Toward Learning
Solid Oral-Language Skills
The Ability to Listen
The Desire to Be Independent
The Ability to Play Well with Others
Strong Fine-Motor Skills
Basic Letter and Number Recognition
(Scholastic Parent and Child, Pariapiano, E. Ready for Kindergarten?)
These skills listed by teachers involve the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of a young child. Children who are developing typically will meet developmental milestones within a range and may not have all skill sets at the same time as their peers. Some children with special needs will have other considerations as kindergarten approaches, such as what supports will go with them into their classroom. Each child is unique and as the chronological age of kindergarten readiness approaches, parents need to assess their child’s strengths to determine if they are, indeed, ‘ready.’