As a parent of young children, you may have heard the term “school-ready” when it comes to preparing your child or children for the school years to come. But what does it mean to get your child school-ready and how exactly do you achieve this status?
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at school-readiness for preschoolers and what you can do to help them get ready for many years of schooling ahead of them.
What Does the Term “School-Ready” Mean?
It can be daunting and somewhat scary for children to transfer abruptly from the familiarity and security of the home environment directly into school. It’s a transition that involves big changes. To make the transition smoother and easier, getting your child more ready leading up to the school years is ideal. By the time a child starts Grade 1, if they’ve had some preparation beforehand, they’ll enter school with more confidence and a greater understanding of what’s required.
They’ll be equipped with the basics of standard subjects such as mathematics, English and science, as well as having learnt to interact with other children and adults. Essentially, any form of school readiness program will give children a head start on the school years to come.
Let’s now take a look at some ways to get kids school-ready.
School Readiness For Preschoolers At An Early Education Center
Early learning daycare centres are one of the very best places to get your child or children school-ready, as many of them focus specifically on this important aspect of a young child’s life. They have programs in place to educate children in the basics of common subjects, as previously mentioned above, as well as involving the kids in activities that teach them self-confidence, independence, good social skills, help with brain development and physical development as well.
A quality early learning centre will have a firm focus on getting kids ready for the school years by not only teaching them important basics of education and development but by nurturing them along the way. Every child is a little different and the educators are well aware of this, taking this into account.
Teach Your Child Independence and Self-Confidence At Home
Whether you enrol your child in an early learning facility or not, it’s a good idea to do what you can at home to get kids school-ready. Self-confidence often comes with a sense of being more independent, and the more a young child feels independent and comfortable with it, the more confidence they’ll have when they do actually start school.
This can be achieved by giving young children tasks to do around the house. These could be chores, helping to prepare meals, anything that bestows upon them a small amount of responsibility. Some tasks could be incentive-based for added encouragement and it’s also important to praise kids when they learn something new or do something well.
Education Also Starts At Home
As a parent, you naturally start to teach your child simple things like the different colours, basic counting, reading and writing, as well as how to do certain activities. The more you can implement these education basics into a child’s life, the more advanced their skill set will be when they begin school.
Rather than mindlessly playing games on a smartphone or tablet, encourage them to play word games or problem-solving games, as these games will educate as well as being fun to play. The better kids get at these games, the more confidence they will have.
Encourage Kids To Read
Reading is one of the most important skills kids can learn. Not only does a child learn how to read, but reading also helps children learn how to spell, gets their creative minds developing, arms them with loads of knowledge and helps them comprehend the world around them much more clearly.
The earlier a child starts to read, the better. You can begin by reading to them, then encouraging them to read passages of a book themselves.
In Conclusion
The more your child is prepared for the school years, the easier the transition will be when they commence school and it will be way less stressful for the student and parents alike.
