It seems
that with every passing year December seems to arrive quicker. Admittedly I too have been caught a bit off
guard this year and this post on school readiness should have gone out two
months ago. I am not alone here as there
has only now been an influx of school readiness assessments.
The final
term is generally daunting as little ones begin to understand more and more the
move that will happen in the new year; even if they are staying within the same
school, there will be a shift to another part of the school, a new uniform, a
new bag – lots of newness. Which applies
to the parents too: whether it is your first child or not, the move into grade
one is big. Apart from all the talk and
shopping about the new year, the final term is filled with assessments to
ensure the littlies are ready. What
happens to those who are not?
Generally,
an independent school readiness assessment is suggested to find out where the
underlying pitfalls may be (poor colouring may be due to poor fine motor
development, lowered muscle tone, eye sight, motivation or simply just not an
activity that is enjoyed). The scoring procedures are used to determine objectively where a child’s current
level of development is and options provided to overcome or at least close the
gaps between age and performance.
Parents are
often upset to be told late in the year that there is a possibility their child
will not be ready for grade one the following year. Unfortunately, it is a difficult course to
navigate because a few months makes a huge difference in a young child’s
development and areas which may have been identified as weak in April, are
found to be within age appropriate ranges in September.
There is a
tendency to focus on the academics, however, the emotional and physical
development are just as important.
Children who are emotionally young tend to struggle with the volume or
pace of work, even if they are cognitively capable; the more structured
environment with less free time may also be difficult for them to accept. Children who are less co-ordinated may also
struggle with the pace or volume of work as their little bodies tire more
quickly than their peers; they may be less co-ordinated and battle with the
games at play time resulting in disagreements or avoidance of the game. This last example may result in feelings of
isolation or not ‘fitting in’ which, if perpetuated, can negatively impact on
the academics.
Knowing where
your child is emotionally, cognitively and physically can make the rest of this
fascinating, exciting, scary time a bit more manageable.
