Is your child ready for school?
Parents, especially new parents, often wonder if and when their child is ready for school. Many children can benefit from an early start, and some children need more time to grow in order to attend school. Age, as educators have learned over the years, is not the best way to tell if a child is ready for school. At age 5 children are not magically ready for a full blown all day learning experience.
There are several areas in childhood growth that parents and educators should pay attention to when evaluating whether a child is ready for school or not. Physical development, emotional and behavioral development and intellectual ability of the child should all be looked at closely for certain markers that denote readiness on the part of a child. It's important that children entering kindergarten have the appropriate math, oral communication, cognitive learning and reading skills so that the adjustment into a classroom goes smoothly.
Schools take into consideration that each child will develop uniquely but that certain goals should be attained in order to be ready for school. For example, a kindergarten readiness evaluation will look closely at the students oral language skills and see if they are able to comprehend what they are told and are able to express themselves correctly through language. They also evaluate for the ability to rhyme and blend sentences to measure if they are speaking phonologically correct. They should be able to easily use multi word sentences and express their feelings appropriately.
Behavior style is monitored for a child's school readiness as well. Parents should decide if their child is self aware and understands his role in the family and school settings, and whether or not they interact well with friends and follow instructions and rules appropriately. Specifically, parents and educators should decide if the child can maintain self control and cooperate with others on a regular basis, and see if they understand that actions have consequences. Most schools require that a child be fully potty trained before they begin school as well.
A child's gross motor skills should be evaluated for the ability to draw simple pictures, dress one's self, walk and run correctly and can take stairs, write or copy their own name, throw and catch a ball, and walk a straight line. Finishing puzzles or other types of brain to hand games will mark that a child may be ready for school.
Basic math and reading skills should be acquired by the child before beginning classes. A child should be able to count to 10 and recognize numbers and some symbols, and be able to discuss bsic shapes, sizes and colors. Reading skills they need for school include the child listening to a story and be able to discuss it, recognize the sounds of letters and recognize some words.
There are many ways a parent can help their child prepare for the classroom. One of the most important ways parents can do this is by reading to their child and engaging them in a conversation filled with questions and answers about the reading material. Playing counting games with a child will help them understands numbers and math at a quicker pace. Parents can help their child's motor skills by playing games that require physical movement. Sending a child to a preschool can help a child's development move faster and prepare them for school quicker, although many parents may decide that this is too soon for their child as well.
Keep on reading about school readiness, education, kids and more by visiting these endorsed sites below...