How to Know if a Child is Ready for School
Determining if a Child is Physically and Developmentally Prepared
Jul 28, 2009
Age isn’t the only factor that parents should consider before deciding if a child is ready to begin school. Children who have developed basic physical skills, such as buttoning their clothing and catching a ball are better able to cope in the new school environment. When deciding if a child is ready for school, parents should also consider if the child is ready to master simple language skills and simple reading and counting skills as well as be able to follow direction.
Children who are physically and developmentally ready are more likely to flourish in school than those who are not. Here are ways for parents to tell if their child is prepared to start school and tips on how to help a child prepare for Kindergarten.
Child's Physical Development
Between the ages of five and six children are becoming more sure of their bodies and what they are capable of doing compared to what they think they can do. They are less clumsy and fall or trip less often. They can skip, hop, climb, swing and catch a ball with practice. Their coordination is getting better and they can dress and undress themselves, hold a pencil or crayon and even color within the lines. To help a child develop physically, parents should spend time with him doing some of the following:
- Teach the child how to ride a bike. This teaches balance and coordination.
- Play catch. With or without a baseball glove, tossing the ball back and forth develops hand-eye coordination.
- Skip rope. Not only is this good exercise but also helps with the child's coordination skills.
- Play hopscotch. This activity is good for balance, coordination and learning numbers.
Learning Abilities of School Age Children
At the age of five most children have the ability to learn the basic skills to begin learning in school. They are able to sort items by color, size or shape or arrange things by height or weight. They can recognize letters and numbers, saying their alphabet and counting to ten and can usually write their name.
It is important that children are ready and eager to learn and aren’t afraid to make mistakes while learning. Being able to follow rules and simple instructions will also make learning easier for the child. Some things parents can do to prepare their child for school are:
- Read to their child at an early age. Being exposed to books and the joy of reading entices children to want to learn to read.
- Teach their child the alphabet and counting. Sing the alphabet song in the car on a short trips, count socks as you sort them or count the number of items placed in the shopping cart. Kids love making a game of learning.
- Color with their child. Nothing is more fun on a rainy day than sitting together and coloring. Teach the name of each color while the child practices his coloring skills.
- Set a few simple rules and teach their child to follow them. Children who have some established self-control will do better in school than those who are not used to following rules.
Even children who seem ready for school may begin to regress in behavior or seem anxious when they start school. Usually this will change after the first couple of weeks as they get used to being in school and enjoy it more. If regression continues, parents will want to re-evaluate their child beginning school and possibly delay school for another year. It is better for children to wait until they are older than to force school upon them at too young an age. When they are developmentally ready, children learn at a quicker pace and enjoy the experience of school.
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