School readiness IS NOT about …

Lining up in a straight line, counting to 100, knowing the alphabet, being able to sit on the mat for long periods of time or whether children can read or write.

Ready children

• have the learning and development that contribute to their enthusiasm, motivation and ability to learn.
• are supported by positive relationships from their family, preschool, school and community.
• have dispositions for learning such as problem-solving skills and persistence that help them stay focused on learning

Ready schools

• are flexible, adaptable and responsive to individual children whilst providing additional support or specialist staff where needed (DE, 2023).
• have a stronger focus on play-based learning, and social and emotional development.

Instead of the focus being on the 3 ‘R’s (“reading, [w]riting and [a]rithmatic”). It’s all about the 6‘ C’s; Confidence, Creativity, Curiosity, Cooperation, Commitment, & Communication and the 3 ‘I’s; Improvisation, Investigation, Imagination.

A positive transition to school focuses on children’s social and emotional development and self-regulation.

Why is self-regulation important?

Helping children develop effective self-regulation in the early years sets the underlying foundation for successful Social and Emotional Learning over their whole lives (Shanker, 2019). Self-regulation is using strategies to manage emotions. Promote self-regulation in your child by acknowledging and labelling their feelings. This is different to self-control which is keeping the emotions in. The emotion is not an issue: it is how the child manages the feeling that is important. For example, your child may need support to manage their anger. Set up a quiet place for them to be (a bean bag under a tree) or a place where they can be physically active and let off energy.

The best way to teach dispositions for learning is through play.

The most important foundation for children’s healthy development is play, and the benefits carry over into adult life (Milne, 2000).

Why is play important?

Allows expression of their own personality. Transports children to another place to become someone or something else. Contributes to healthy brain development. Essential for cognitive, physical, social and emotional wellbeing.

When children play, they create, improvise, discover, investigate, hypothesise, imagine, collaborate, negotiate, persist, share, resolve conflict, form attachments, learn about empathy for others and learn to self-regulate.

Louise Dorrat 2023 based on the Research of Dockett and Perry 2014.