Introduction

Is your child ready to begin school? Most adults remember kindergarten as a relaxed opportunity to learn the formal reading and math skills needed for first grade through guided play activities. However, because current public policy demands that schools meet higher standards, young children today often find themselves in increasingly rigorous academic programs beginning as early as kindergarten. Many schools now expect beginning kindergarten students to be ready to learn what was once taught in first grade.

Given these expectations, parents worry that their preschoolers may not have the preparation and/or maturity needed to succeed in today's kindergarten programs. Sometimes their concerns results in parents deciding to delay kindergarten to give their child another year to "get ready."

What Is School Readiness?

The notion of " school readiness" typically means that a child as reached a certain level of emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development needed to learn, work, and function successfully in school. Unfortunately, this common philosophy of "ready for school" places undue burden on children by expecting them to meet the expectations of school.

It is more helpful to take the burden away from the child and place those expectations onto the schools and the families . Young children have wide ranging needs and require support to be prepared for the high standards of learning they will face in elementary school.

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