With school fast approaching again (and all I can say with the way my four year old, bless him, has been acting…I can’t wait for preschool this year) I wonder just how prepared children who are just starting out attending school really are?
Is your child really ready to start school for the first time? Many parents believe that since it is just kindergarten, how prepared must a child be? What is school readiness and is your child prepared?
The NEA (National Education Association) believes that it is never too early to start preparing your child for school. This means, long before your child is to go off to start preschool, start getting him ready. We did this with our son starting at around age two, maybe a bit older. I knew that I was planning on sending him to preschool twice a week after he turned three. So, I started building it up for him, explaining how exciting it would be and how many friends he would have. I explained the concept of a teacher and raising your hand to speak. We even practiced it at home. By the time that first day of preschool started, he barely even acknowledged my husband and me as we walked out of his room. He was ready!
School readiness also means having some basic academics in place before starting school, especially kindergarten. Granted, we have done quite a bit of academic work with my four year old. He eats it up; he loves it. Anything we put in front of him he is able to do, he is like a sponge when it comes to academics. My two-year, not so much! I am not too worried that my two year old will go to preschool not knowing nearly as much as his brother did. I do know, however, that I will be working with my two year old quite a bit shortly before he starts kindergarten, just to make sure he is prepared. I have a couple of years to prepare, thank goodness.
What the NEA states is that children who are going to attend that first year of school need to have some academic skills, social skills, independence, and communication skills to succeed in school. This means that parents need to work with their children at home prior to attending kindergarten, and if possible, preschool.
Is your child ready? Tune in later to read exactly what academic skills the NEA suggests kindergarteners should have when starting school and some recommendations on how parents can assist their children with these skills.
