Is your child ready for school? Supporting your young child’s development so they are ready for school by age 5 means much more than teaching them colors, shapes and numbers. School readiness includes developing a strong foundation of social, emotional, physical and language skills. Research cited by the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development shows that children who enter kindergarten with these foundational skills are more likely to succeed academically and socially throughout their lives. Early childhood experiences that parents can provide — such as following directions, playing cooperatively with others, and expressing their needs with words— builds the confidence and resilience children need for a positive start to their education.
The National Education Goals Panel identified the five domains of school readiness.
If you are the parent or caregiver of a toddler or preschooler, ask yourself if you are aware of these five critical components of your child’s development:
- Cognition and general knowledge
- Language and literacy development
- Approaches to learning
- Social and emotional development
- Physical well-being and motor development
The first letter in each of these domains spells CLASP which is defined as “a firm hold.” As a parent or caregiver, you can easily identify all the areas that support your child in preparation for school.
If you are the parent of a baby, here are specific things you can do:
- Talk and sing. Narrate your day with words or songs as you move from one activity to another.
- Read aloud every day. Even if your baby isn’t looking at the pictures in the book, they are still learning while listening to you.
- Respond to your infant’s needs. Zero to Three, an organization that provides resources for parents of babies, says that research shows that babies whose parents respond promptly to their cries and provide comfort cry less when they are toddlers.
- Establish and stick to routines. A predictable schedule of eating, sleeping and activities helps children feel secure.
- Allow your baby to struggle a little. If your baby is reaching for a toy nearby on the floor, don’t just hand it to them. Allow them to reach and stretch. Encourage them with words. (But don’t allow them to get too frustrated and give up!)
If you are the parent of a toddler, here are specific things you can do (in addition to the items above):
- Organize playdates, but don’t expect cooperation and turn-taking quite yet. It’s developmentally appropriate for toddlers to engage in “parallel play” (playing side-by-side with other children rather than with them.
- Model appropriate social interaction. Let your child see you talking to and interacting with other children and adults. At the toddler age, they are learning by watching you.
- Encourage physical activity. Provide a safe place for your toddler to run, jump, hide, climb and enjoy movement.
- Foster independence. Encourage your child to dress themselves, even if clothes are mismatched or put on inside-out. Allow your toddler to feed the pet and carry their plate to the sink.
- Foster curiosity. Allow them to explore by digging in the dirt, finding pinecones in the yard and asking a million questions (without getting impatient!)
If you are the parent of a preschooler, here are specific things you can do (in addition to all the items above):
- Strengthen their vocabulary of emotions. Help your preschooler identify their emotions beyond “mad” and “sad.” Name your own emotions and be comfortable expressing them in positive ways.
- Foster social skills. Preschoolers can start learning to take turns and share. But remember, young children’s brains cannot fully understand the concept of sharing so don’t be embarrassed that your child isn’t comfortable sharing.
- Read more! For suggestions, check out the 12 children’s books that the nonprofit organization Ready at Five uses in its VIOLET program (Vocabulary Improvement and Oral Language Enrichment through Stories).
- Practice letter sounds. While reading aloud to your child, exaggerate the beginning sounds of some of the letters. For example, if you are reading the word “shine,” emphasize the “shhhhh” sound while pointing to the first two letters in the word.
- Promote task completion. Ask your child to do a task to completion. If they get tired of sorting socks into different piles, stop for a while and do something else. Go back to sorting socks together after a break.
- Engage in playing together. Make pictures with a paintbrush, trace letters and practice cutting with scissors.
Helping your child obtain the skills they need to be successful in school, and beyond, is built through everyday interactions, routines and play. Focus on being an engaged, responsive, playful and attentive parent who shows love and kindness throughout the day, every day. You’ll help your child feel confident and secure while setting the stage for a lifetime of curiosity, problem-solving and meaningful relationships with others.
Lynne Ticknor is the director of education at the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) in Kensington, MD. For more information about PEP’s free parenting program offered in English, Spanish and Amharic, go to https://pep-frp.org/.
Lynne Ticknor is the Director of Education at the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) in Kensington, Md. She is a certified parent educator and has been teaching parenting classes since 2006. For more information about classes, visit PEPparent.org.
Lynne Ticknor is the Director of Education at the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) in Kensington, Md. She is a certified parent educator and has been teaching parenting classes since 2006. For more information about classes, visit PEPparent.org.
