School Readiness - what it is all about!

Do I believe in School Readiness? YES definitely - schools need to prepare themselves and be ready for our vulnerable young people transitioning through life!

​It makes me sad, angry, frustrated, mad when I hear that early childcare centres staffed by professionals, where children should be nurtured, valued and supported through researched and developmentally appropriate experiences, are formally "preparing" children for school. This usually involves:

• prolonger periods of whole-group-time-crowd-controlling a large group of 4, 3 and even 2 year olds on the mat
• groups being crowd-controlled lining up during transitions 
• children being 'managed' to learn letters, numbers and writing​

Where does this come from? Parental expectations and fears, formal school expectations and lack of educator knowledge .....this is what my investigations have revealed. All well intentioned. Nothing to do with what is right for the individual child.

I have not yet started practicing with my zimmer frame, I can do that when the time comes. Source: unknown Facebook image

Companies large and small have sprung up with a huge commercial interest in promoting school readiness programs using and abusing parental fears that their child is going to be left behind. "Tutors" feeding off these fears now offer extra lessons to children under 5  at astronomical costs to families. There is NO RESEARCH evidencing the long term benefits of such drastic early interventions. There IS RESEARCH showing that developmentally inappropriate experiences are harmful to children especially when 'done to children' at the expense of developmentally appropriate opportunities such as play.

Sitting still is inappropriate when research shows children learn through movement, Being forced to learn to read and write is inappropriate when research shows most children best pick up this skill at the age of about 7. Sitting at a desk in front of a worksheet is inappropriate when research shows children learn best through sensory experiences. Developmentally appropriate learning is physical, active and sensorial - children need to develop their core strength before they are able to sit still, they need to develop upper body strength before they can effectively control a pencil. Many children do developed these early and have a desire to read and write at an early age, I would never hold back a child just as I would never push a child who is not developmentally ready yet. Occasionally a child may need early intervention to support development.

We can't teach a child to crawl or walk, we can provide a supportive environment. Some children walk at 8 months, others at 18 months - does it matter? Some children are skilled talkers, readers or writers at 2, others at 4, or 5 or 6 - does it matter? Why do some adults feel that children need to be taught certain skills such as maths and literacy that have a 'commercial' value attached to them when providing a rich and supportive environment will allow children to develop these and other skills at their own rate without stress or even trauma! Childhood is not a race, every child develops at their own unique rate.

As PROFESSIONALS working with children we need to nurture and support parents and not unreasonably add to their fears and concerns. We should be aware of developmental milestone ranges and not send parents to their doctors because a 4 year old boy is unable to sit still on the mat for 20 minutes. Our professional judgment is then called into question, my own GP recently commented "what is it with these early childhood teachers? They keep sending parents to me because the children don't sit still and can't concentrate, I then see a perfectly normal active child, often a little boy". Could it be that 'crying wolf' too often harms our professional status? 

We are the advocates for children and at times we may have to stand between the child and others - if we don't stand up for their rights - who will! When supporting children during the transition to school process in the last term we can talk about some school expectations such as all sitting together and lining up - we don't need to practice or prepare for years. I have not yet started to practice for my even older age!

Mentoring and supporting parents, who only want the best for their children, is one of the roles of a skilled educator. Sharing that our curriculum is a play based curriculum researched and created by experts in their field. That play in an intentional environment  is the foundation of academic learning. That teaching letters and numbers explicitly puts us in breach of the early years curriculum. Sharing research on the benefits of play such as these:

Play shapes the structural design of the brain. Secure attachments and stimulation are significant aspects of brain development; play provides active exploration that assists in building and strengthening brain pathways. Play creates a brain that has increased ‘flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life’ (Lester & Russell, 2008, p. 9). 

Young children’s play allows them to explore, identify, negotiate, take risks and create meaning. The intellectual and cognitive benefits of playing have been well documented.
Children who engage in quality play experiences are more likely to have well-developed memory skills, language development, and are able to regulate their behaviour, leading to enhanced school adjustment and academic learning (Bodrova & Leong, 2005).

During a recent PD session in Perth, WA, Australia, a young educator approached me with information she shares with her families. Thank you very much Kathryn Yew of  Whole Hearts Personal Child Care, for so generously allowing me to share some of your work. Her document, "Working Smart IS Play", considerations for School Readiness, Life balance and Navigating Child-Rearing (0-7), explores a number of life skill factors including::
(document shortened)
Well-being (Interpersonal)

• Practical routines for belonging and responsibility (peers, family, physical property)
• Boundary setting – essential for thriving, social competence and as a protective factor against bullying/injustice: 
• Cultivating a sense of abundance/‘having enough’ – time, things, love, ‘self’, wonder
• Feeling truly loved: listened to, respected, supported and guided through rain and shine
• Remembering to pause, listen, reset mind/body, listen, then find a good plan (together)

Well-being (Personal/Mental Health)

• Develop emotional intelligence and self-regulation through child-directed play (freedom), and adult-led interactions during daily routines/habits (structure)
• Time to relax, unwind, recuperate (feed, rest and sleep)
• Time to discover, make sense of and play with who they are, during this period of rapid unfolding – All the joy, initiative, curiosity, dreams, anger, fear, sadness, hurt and more…
• Permission to make mistakes, discover ‘happy accidents’, repair and be well-rounded
• Exposure to new experiences and challenges

Core Strength
(for sitting in class) and Healthy Mind/Body Relationships

• Full body movement using music, parks, playgrounds, couch cubbies, group play
• Allowing children’s bodies to mature at their own pace (particularly for babies)

1. Fine motor (e.g. art/craft, drawing, play dough, peg toys, beading)
2. Sensory development – different sensations for little feet, hands, mouths, eyes, noses, ears

Social skills

• Listening and observational skills (facial movements, tone of voice, context, intentions)
• Turn-taking – requesting, giving and receiving with genuine goodwill/understanding
• Following instructions; learning to give clear instructions and explanations
• Seeking assistance and co-operative skills (with peers and adults)

Foundational Academics:
(Literacy, Math, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Music/Art, Social Sciences, etc)

• Varied, explicit self-expression and awareness of symbols as a form of expression
• Supporting complex, interest-led pretend play/thought
• Stories, rhymes and songs
• Exploring concepts to understand everyday life 
• Welcoming observations, questions, hypotheses and supporting scientific inquiry
• Fun, ‘safe enough’ exploration to support development of self-discipline, judgement/self-preservation skills, and trust in authority

Core Worldview:
Learning Dispositions, Executive Function and Character Building

• Flexible thinking: questioning and critical thought, making connections and applying concepts across different contexts, experimentation, perspective-taking
• Initiative and independence; organisation, planning, making priorities
• Impulse and emotional control: focus, resilience, stress management, trust
• Problem-solving skills; depth of interest and understanding; memory

 
“Children's extraordinarily powerful drive to play…came about to help them survive. Throughout human history and pre-history, play has been children's primary means of acquiring the skills, values, and knowledge they need to survive within their culture. Children do not play to avoid the realities of life; they play at the realities of life. In doing so they come to grips with those realities--physically, intellectually, and emotionally”                 
Peter Gray Ph.D. Value of Play III: How Children Confront Life's Challenges.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200812/value-play-iii-how-children-confront-lifes-challenges