What is School Readiness?

School Readiness is the emotional, physical, social, and intellectual readiness of a child to learn and start school.  When these skills are developed, a child is more likely to be successful in school.  Children need broader underlying cognitive, social and emotional skills and the capacity to continue to learn and gain understanding. They must be able to:

• Interact with others positively
• Pay attention
• Remember lessons taught
• Follow a teacher's directions
• Finish tasks
• Practice independently what they have learned
• Learn to control their emotions
• Learn to be persistent even when learning seems tough

Why is School Readiness Important?

Study has shown that quality school readiness programs can have positive short and long term outcomes.  Short-term benefits indicate that a child is ready to learn and start school.  These indications are:

• Emotional
• Physical
• Social
• Intellectual

(Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County. “Executive Summary” Early Care and Education: An Essential System for School Success. Palm Beach County: Children’s Services Council, 2006).

Children's readiness for school also depends on their physical health.  Children cannot learn well if they:

• Eat poorly
• Are unable to see the blackboard because of vision problems
• Have a difficult time hearing what the teacher says because they have undiagnosed hearing problems

What is the role of parents in school readiness?

School readiness of a child is a family affair.  School readiness and success does not mean much unless parents are at the heart of their children's success. State-financed school readiness programs and the monitoring of these programs provide a safe and stimulating environment for children to learn, but learning also takes place at home where parents become the teachers. 

Parents can help by promoting their children's health and physical well-being by providing them with:

• Nutritious food
• Enough sleep
• Safe places to play
• Regular medical care
• Opportunities to exercise and develop physical coordination

Parents can help their children develop socially and emotionally, by serving as role models for their children, showing respect to others, and building up their child's sense of personal effectiveness with encouragement. Parents can also teach children such important social skills as sharing and getting along with others.

From home, parents can help their children develop their language skills and help them understand the world by:

• Talking with them
• Asking and answering questions
• Discussing everyday activities while eating lunch or cleaning up toys
• Listening to their children

Parents can also build their children's language and literacy skills by reading with them regularly and thus giving children a love for reading and books. 
For a list of parent resources and web links, please click here. 

The Early Learning Coalition
And
Its role in school readiness

The Coalition works to offer parents a wide variety of early learning options for their children, including licensed child care centers, license-exempt child care centers, family child care homes, and school-based classrooms.  The Coalition works to ensure that all participating providers offer quality programs that meet the requirements of law.  School readiness providers offer programs that include:

• Research-based early learning activities and instruction
• Developmentally appropriate curriculum
• Literacy programs
• Character development programs
• Healthy and safe environments
• Appropriate staff-to-child ratios
• Personnel with required qualifications
• Family-friendly environment that supports parent involvement opportunities
• Parent support services

The Early Learning Coalition contracts with Family Central, Inc to provide the above services.  For eligibility information, contact:

Family Central, Inc
3111 South Dixie Hwy, suite 222
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
561-514-3300/1-800-683-3327
www.familycentral.org