School Readiness Tips for Parents

Readiness for school is a phrase that parents are likely to hear a lot from preschool teachers at parent-teacher conferences, on report cards, or in reference to preschool curriculums when their child first heads off to a Brookline pre-K or preschool program. The words might vary, for example you might hear "school readiness" or something similar, but it all refers to the same thing. Now, one might think that the term school readiness has little to do with preschoolers, who spend most of their day engaged in creative play and other fun activities, but it does.

One of the goals in a Brookline preschool curriculum is to develop cognitive and development skills that ensure that your child thrives academically and socially in later years. School readiness is the foundation upon which this success is based. By the time a youngster is at the age to begin a Brookline pre-K or preschool program, he or she should have reached or be close to reaching important developmental milestones such as problem solving, social skills, self-reliance, and reasoning among others.

In other words, if a child is too young or hasn't reached the developmental stage where preschool is beneficial, sending him too soon could set the stage for difficulties later on. For example, if a child is lacking the developmental skills necessary to articulate vocabulary or recognize letters and numbers, both of which play a role in the ability to read, then learning will be impacted.

Parents should think of "school readiness" in terms of overall development including academic, emotional and social, and physical however. The best Brookline preschool and pre-K programs evaluate children on all of these factors. Because children at this age develop so rapidly it's in the best interest of the child and parent attending a Brookline pre-k and preschool to keep the lines of communication open with the teachers and staff throughout the school year. Teachers can give parents tips to support readiness skills at home should the child need additional help and parents can actively participate in their child's learning, which in turn fosters confidence in the child.