Is My Child School Ready?
G8 Education is here to explain what school readiness means, so you can make an educated decision around your preschooler’s enrolment.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
If your preschooler can recite the alphabet at speed and count to 10 with ease, then you’re probably pretty certain they’ll be ready for primary school when the time comes.
Literacy and numeracy skills are great to have, and children who see themselves as effective communicators and confident learners generally do well when they start big school.
However, there’s more to school readiness than just the ABCs and 123s.
And if you’re not sure whether to send your child to school next year, or keep them in preschool/kindergarten for a little longer, then Tara Egan is here to help.
Tara is Practice Partner Lead at one of Australia’s leading childcare providers, G8 Education, and she has some expert insights to make your big school decision a little easier!
So, what does it mean for a child to be school ready?
Well, because school involves more than just classwork, school readiness isn’t just about academic skills.
Physical, social-emotional and cognitive skills are all in play when we talk about school readiness, and Tara explains that at G8 Education, being ‘school ready’ means developing resilience, as well as:
- Social skills, i.e. making friends and being able to play with others.
- Emotional maturity, i.e. managing emotions and being able to participate in groups of people, which includes following instructions and focusing on tasks.
- Independence, i.e. managing personal needs, such as going to the toilet independently and caring for belongings.
Photo from Community Kids Enoggera
Tara says, “In terms of academic skills, it’s great if a child can listen to others, speak clearly, understand stories, and have an awareness of letters and numbers.”
Physical skills will also come in handy at school, so it helps if a child has some fine motor skills, such as being able to grip a pencil and turn book pages; while also being able to coordinate their big muscles, with movements like running, jumping and climbing.
This well-rounded idea of school readiness aligns with the Australian Government Guidelines that quality early learning services follow.
And with all of the above in mind, Tara says “When we talk about a child being ready for school, we are asking ourselves, “Is my child developmentally ready to learn?”’
Photo from Pelicans in the Park
If you’re not sure how to answer this question, then Tara recommends that you have a chat with your preschooler’s Early Childhood Teacher.
After almost a whole year with your child, this teacher will have a really sound knowledge of their progress.
They’ll be happy to share their professional thoughts about your child’s readiness for school next year, or next next year, and Tara says, “They can also provide you with a written Transition to School Statement which will support your decision making.”
Tara says, “In addition to this, we would always recommend having a conversation with your local school.
“Participating in your school’s Open Days and Transition to School program will help the school get to know your child, so they can also advise you on what is best.”
Photo from First Grammar Westleigh
If you do hold your child back a year, or are about to enrol them in a preschool/kindy program for the first time, then you can definitely look forward to a tailored approach at G8 Education.
Their Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teachers and Educators adapt the curriculum to accommodate each individual child’s learning, development and wellbeing.
You’ll love how they offer Individual Learning Plans for each child, to encourage enthusiasm, motivation and the ability to learn.
And Tara says, “At G8 Education, we are committed to supporting every child enrolled with us to gain the skills they need for a successful transition into school and beyond.”
Photo from Great Beginnings Pimpama
Search-wise, the KindiCare App or Childcare Comparison Website makes it easy to find a preschooler-friendly service near you.
Community Kids, Great Beginnings, World of Learning, Bambino’s, Kindy Patch Kids, Early Learning Services and The Learning Sanctuary are all G8 Education brands; and when you click the ‘Make Enquiry’ button in a centre’s KindiCare listing, you can ask about their preschool/kindy program, then book a tour.
And because numbers affect the family budget (quite a lot more than they influence school readiness!), G8 Education has a Child Care Subsidy Calculator which factors in the preschool/kindergarten funding that’s available in your state.
So, for example, if your child is going to start the Three-year-old Preschool program at a G8 Education service in New South Wales, the calculator will show your estimated out-of-pocket expenses per week with the Start Strong funding included.
