Starting school is an exciting milestone for children and parents alike.
As the first day approaches, many parents find themselves wondering:
Is my child ready for school?
It’s a reasonable question.
While age is one part of the picture, school readiness is about much more than being the “right” age. Children develop at their own pace, and not all children are developmentally ready for the demands of classroom learning just because they’ve turned a certain age.
When children are ready, learning tends to happen more naturally. When they are not, school can feel frustrating, overwhelming, and sometimes anxiety-provoking.
The good news is that learning is built on foundations that begin long before a child ever sits at a desk.
Learning Begins Before School
When we think about learning, at school, we often just think about reading, writing, and number skills.
But before children can learn these academic skills, they need a strong foundation of sensory, motor, emotional, and social development.
Learning happens when children feel safe, relaxed, and able to take in information from the world around them.
Children who are struggling often become restless, distracted, anxious, or overwhelmed. When a child’s nervous system is under stress, focusing and learning become much more difficult.
This doesn’t mean there is something wrong with your child.
Often, it simply means there are developmental foundations that need a little more time and support.
Since 2005 I have been supporting children with learning and behavioural challenges, helping to “fill in the gaps” in their early development.
I would much prefer to help before your child starts to struggle in the classroom, and hopefully avoid any unnecessary anxiety and frustration.
Prepare Your Child for Learning to Read
Learning to read is a complex process, that is supported by a good foundation of early development.
- Your child needs to be able to sit still,
- maintain balance,
- move their eyes together across the page, and
- listen all at once.
Learning is so much easier when your child is developmentally ready.
Foundations for Learning: Vision, Balance and Listening
Listening and Auditory Processing
Well-developed auditory or listening skills help your child to block out the background sounds, and focus on the teacher’s voice. It also helps them to interpret the sounds connected to the written symbols on the page.
Vision and Visual Processing
Reading also requires good vision and visual motor skills. This means that both eyes can move together smoothly across a page of writing. They also need to be able to converge, and focus on a single point on the page. Then your child needs to be able to decode these shapes into sounds and words, and make meaning from them.
When children struggle with reading, it can be helpful to look beyond the words on the page and consider the developmental foundations that support learning.
Assessements of children with learning and behavioural challenges invariably reveals gaps in early sensory motor development. These may include body awareness, balance, listening, visual motor and body coordination.
The Importance of the First Seven Years
Reading readiness does not come from computer programs or workbooks. It comes from being given time to grow and develop naturally, from childhood experiences rich in sensation and movement.
This happens naturally through play and lots of outdoor physical activity, supported by close relationships with parents and carers.
Time spent playing with your child and snuggling together to share stories are an important part of your child’s early years. It is through listening to stories that your child learns language and how to make meaning from speech.
They also learn to recognise changes in vocal tone, and how this can represent different emotions.
Your child also needs time to run, jump, ride bikes, swim, climb trees, to develop strong muscles throughout their body. These strong muscles will help them to sit still and focus in the classroom.
Craft activities will help to strengthen those little hands in preparation for handwriting.
Rhyming and Clapping Games Support Reading
Rhyming and clapping games are fun and are another way to prepare your child for the classroom. They are learning to connect socially, memorise sequences and build hand-eye coordination skills, while having fun.
While it may seem simple, completing jig-saw puzzles, playing card and board games will help them learn to take turns, as well as developing memory and spatial awareness.
All of these activities help to build new pathways in your child’s brain to support learning.
Early Preparation
School readiness is about much more than learning letters and numbers.
It is built through play, movement, connection, and the everyday experiences of childhood.
When we understand the foundations that support learning, we can give children the best possible start—not only at school, but in life.
If you are concerned, about your child’s school rediness, you’re welcome to reach out for support.
To learn more about how to support your child’s early development, download our FREE e-book Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Children
