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To many, August is all about getting ready for school to start. Families rush out to buy clothes, shoes, and supplies. In reality, though, school readiness starts at birth. School readiness includes all the skills that develop from a child’s birth through the time they enter Kindergarten.
School readiness includes the areas of social/emotional, cognitive, language/literacy, and physical development. School readiness also includes a child’s ability to stay on task, maintain focus, and show curiosity in learning. In addition, the interactions children have, their developmental history, and their environments all influence the development of school readiness skills.
Social and Emotional Development includes developing self-control, learning problem-solving skills, forming relationships with others, and identifying feelings and emotions. When children develop strong social and emotional skills, they are better equipped to form and maintain friendships and focus on learning.
Cognitive Development includes building thinking skills, reasoning skills, problem solving skills and memory skills. Developing cognitive skills forms a foundation for all learning.
Language and Literacy Development includes building language skills, vocabulary skills, comprehension skills, and letter knowledge. Building strong language and literacy skills supports growth in other developmental domains, and is related to later school success.
Physical Development includes building large motor skills (big muscles in the arms, legs, and trunk) and fine motor skills (small muscles in the hands and fingers). Building large motor skills is important for physical growth and development. Developing fine motor skills is important for successful completion of small motor tasks.
For more information on how to support these skills, please visit:
https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/early-care/tip-pages/all/school-readiness
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