How Do I Know My Child Is Ready For School?

The most common question involved in the assessment of young children is whether the child is developing normally. “Is this child showing the signs of development one might normally expect at this age?” This question of normal development is a worrying one for many parents. However, this area is a potential minefield as a child may be developmentally slow in some areas but advanced in others, alternatively a child may slow down in development and then catch up very quickly subsequently. Another problem is that the conditions within which the child is developing may change, leading to a slowing down or speeding up of the developmental process. Clearly, children’s development in the early years is fluid and adaptable, leading to accommodation for a wide range of variation within the span of normal development.

Placement of children into an appropriate education programme is one of the main reasons children are assessed and this requires the social and emotional development of the child to be measured. The whole child must be observed, making the observations multi-dimensional, taking into consideration the child’s social, emotional, physical, intellectual and language development

Today, psychologists and schoolteachers are concerned with the general, social and emotional development of children as they enter into the school system. Readiness for school or learning is influenced by a number of factors, such as, the child’s ability to concentrate and pay attention as well as his or her motivation to learn. The child’s health and nutritional status is also a determining feature. The environment in which the child grows up will give him or her particular advantages or disadvantages when it comes to school learning.

There is a difference between school readiness and school maturity that must be considered. School maturity is whether or not the child has reached a level of maturity where they are ready for the formal teaching of reading, writing and numeracy. This level is usually reached around age 6 and because it relies on biological factors it cannot be hastened. However, reaching this level of maturity is no guarantee that a child will be able to cope with the demands of school and this is where school readiness enters the picture.

School readiness considers the intellectual, social and emotional maturity levels of a child and while maturity cannot be influenced by external factors, school readiness can be encouraged by broadening a child’s experiences and teaching him or her to make full use of his or her senses and abilities. Initially this responsibility belongs to the parents who are the child’s first source of learning but soon enough other people play a role in this - from child minder to nursery school teachers as well as siblings and friends.

If you are unsure as to whether or not your child has the appropriate school maturity and readiness then talk to your nursery school teacher or go to an educational psychologist for a formal assessment. It’ll put your mind at rest and probably help your child in the long run!

Good luck!