Full article from the Term 2 No 1 2007 Newsletter

 Whe Children are Not Ready for School

As a Prep teacher I have seen many children come to school when they are not ready for school. Parents are often under the impression that if children can write their name, count or do sums, then they are ready for school.

However it is not just being intellectually ready or being old enough to begin school in order to cope with the varying challenges of starting school. It is more to do with the children's maturity in many different areas, such as social/emotional skills and the ability to deal with new situations.

It is important that children feel secure, happy and confident in making the various changes in their environment from pre school to school. Prep teachers endeavour to take into account the individual needs of each child, but often in spite of these considerations, transition to school can sometimes be stressful and uncomfortable for some children who are not ready for school.

Let us consider a child who is not ready for school.
Obviously, he/she will not exhibit all of these difficulties, but may display several from each category.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The child may have separation anxiety and be reluctant to allow the parent to leave the classroom
after an appropriate period of settling in time.
The child may complain of tummy pains, headache or other illness.
There may be tears, crying or screaming with the child clinging on to the parent.
The child may have difficulty making new friends, interacting positively with classmates, taking turns,
 co-operating, sharing, respecting others' belongings as well as looking after his/her own things.
If the child is unable to cope with minor changes, problems or conflicts, he/she may become
 uncooperative, aggressive, tearful or resort to tantrums.
The child may have difficulty understanding or accepting simple rules or be unwilling to tackle new
 activities or challenges.
The child may have difficulty asking for help or clarification of instructions.
The child may have difficulty coping with the more structured nature of the school program.
The child may be unable to concentrate on tasks, discussions or learning activities for a reasonable
 period of time.
The child may lack confidence and suffer low esteem particularly if he/she perceives that he/she is
not as 'good' as other classmates.
The child becomes overwhelmed by all the changes in his/her new and considerably larger
 environment and withdraws.

Language Development
The child may have difficulty expressing her/himself adequately or speaking up when there is a
problem.
The child may be unable to process simple directions or follow a teaching/learning activity.

Fine Motor Co-ordination
The child may have difficulty holding and using pencils and scissors properly.
The child may even refuse to attempt drawings or other simple activities which require hand/eye
co-ordination.

Gross Motor Co-ordination
The child may not be able to manage taking off or putting on jumpers or shoes.
The child may have difficulty sitting still and being able to focus on the lesson.
The child may have difficulties running, jumping, hopping, skipping or balancing, catching, throwing
balls and may tend to fall over or experience tiredness or frustration after some physical activities.

Making a decision about a child's readiness for school is a difficult one for parents.
Children have different rates of developing skills and maturity. There are conflicting instances where quite young children have been ready for school and have had a very successful transition to school.

Every child's particular needs are different.
So it is important for you:
To look at your child and observe his/her behaviour in certain situations.
To listen to your child's kindergarten teacher and other specialists in the field, and if you are not
 sure, err on the side of caution and allow your child more time in kindergarten.

It is better that your child is one of the more mature ones rather than being one of the young ones struggling in Prep and then playing catch up every year.

Jenny Chinn
Prep Teacher
St Kilda Park Primary School