By Melodie de Jager
School readiness is a transition — a bridge between two phases of childhood: the playful child phase and the school child phase.
Life is full of transitions: birth; from home to school; from school to further learning and then work; from living alone to sharing space with another; becoming a parent; moving from one job or boss to another; relocating; retiring – and many others in between.
The success (or not) of each transition determines how the next phase will unfold. When we plan and prepare for a new phase and things go smoothly, we literally “bloom where we are planted.” But when a transition is unexpected, unplanned, and catches us off guard, things can go awry — especially with school readiness.
Is School Readiness a Gimmick?
In everyday language, there are trends. From the modern person’s mouth, the word trend slips out to describe something new that presents itself as absolute fact. The air fryer is one such example – suddenly a must-have. Bright-coloured sneakers too.
If you resist a new trend, you’re in the “out” group. But maybe you just recognize a gimmick faster for what it is: a passing trend. A gimmick.
By contrast, there are facts and necessities.
School readiness is a necessity. It is not a gimmick.
What Is School Readiness?
It’s a term used to describe a state in which a pre-schooler has already developed various brain areas and skills – playfully.
School readiness is a prerequisite for writing, reading, and doing math.
It’s also a foundation for other subjects, learning areas, relationships, sport, and choir – all of which require the ability to:
- perceive (feel, smell, taste, listen, and look)
- think critically
- put thoughts into words
- speak
- write
- read
School readiness is the natural result of a healthy full-term pregnancy, a respectful birth (first transition), and nothing less than six years of full-body play. Not play with bums on chairs, eyes fixed on screens, and twitching thumbs – but play with the whole body.
PLAY = SMART
When you carefully observe a child playing with their whole body, you see the entire executive functioning process unfold before you.
Through the ages, play has been nature’s way of preparing children to survive. Children are not separate from reality – they are part of it.
Nature equips children with brain cells designed to imitate what they experience (mirror neurons). Eventually, they stop imitating and start thinking for themselves.
Research shows that by age six, if a child has experienced loss (through death), they have encountered most of the emotions they’ll face again as adults.
Childhood is preparation for adulthood.
In healthy environments, caring adults guide the child – teaching them how to deal with life. This might be family or the broader community. Where the environment is supportive, the child gains skills to adapt to life’s realities.
It’s much easier to learn hard lessons on a soft lap or holding the hand of someone bigger and stronger who cares and explains.
“Smart” Means Adaptable
To be smart means: I’ve learned how to adapt.
It means: I’m ready for the next phase of being human.
In terms of school readiness, “smart” means:
I’ve used up all the play in my body and now I’m ready to sit still and turn what I know, feel, and have learned into symbols (abc; 123; +-).
Examples of Play-Based Learning (in a box):
- “But it’s not fair — she has more than I do!” (math)
- “Big blocks go on the bottom or the tower falls.” (math)
- “Grab the thicker branch or I’ll fall!” (math)
- “Wash hands first, then eat.” (sequence, logic)
- Painting, crayons, bleach art, glue — turning internal images into picture symbols (early writing leads to writing letters and numbers)
- Listening to stories snuggled up to mom/dad/teacher builds vocabulary to express feelings and thoughts (early literacy – reading and writing build on listening and speaking)
- “Waiting is hard! I want it NOW!” (Impulse control – essential for success in every phase of life)
Shame, Poor Thing…
Becoming “smart” is not easy. It means making lots of mistakes and trying again, and again, and again.
Persistence wins. And makes you smart. And independent.
Too often we say, “Shame, he/she is still so little! Let me do it for you.”
Usually muttered with pouty lips and paired with the quiet thought, “I’ll be your rescuer.”
Doing things for a child may be good for your self-image, but not for theirs.
Doing things for a child is good for your self-esteem – but not for the child.
A child who learns, through play and repetition, to eat on their own, go to the toilet, wash, dress, clean up, and not always win – that’s a child becoming emotionally ready for the transition into the schoolchild phase.
It takes years and thousands of repetitions of the same action to develop real skill, because repetition builds brain pathways.
Strong brain pathways = skills + independence.
A “shame, poor thing” attitude undermines learning and robs a child of the chance to be capable.
It also robs them of that thrilling feeling: “I can do it myself!” And once that is in place, the child is ready to make friends.
As long as a toddler depends on mommy/bottle/blankie/comforter, emotional development is stunted and the transition from play to writing and reading is harder.
They move slowly because they’re still dependent, and “shame, poor thing” limits the pace of work and task completion.
Enough with “shame, poor thing.”
Your trust in a child’s ability to do things for themselves lies at the root of a successful transition from playful child to school child.
Does Age Matter?
Repetition builds brain pathways.
Fewer repetitions still build pathways – but they’re more like potholes in a load-shedding street: things go slower (eating, dressing, cleaning up, being on time), and tempers flare more easily.
When a 5-year-old enters Grade 1, their brain has fewer strong pathways than the same child would have had at 6+ years.
School readiness plays a big role in determining the course of a child’s future.
The more ready they are, the greater their resilience to cope with challenges and transitions – and the higher their chance of learning to write, read, and do math successfully.
For more information about the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive skills needed for school readiness, see:
- PLAY LEARN KNOW a FREE Chapter for you: https://www.mindmoves.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Play-Learn-Know_Chapter-1.pdf
- Mind Moves Bookshop: https://elearning.mindmoves.co.za/bookshop/
- School Readiness e-Learning course: https://elearning.mindmoves.co.za/school-readiness
For children already in school who may be struggling due to insufficient school readiness, see:
- Neuro Dynamix Remedial Obstacle Courses: https://elearning.mindmoves.co.za/neuro-dynamix-remedial-obstacle-courses
- Neuro Dynamix of Writing and Reading: https://elearning.mindmoves.co.za/neuro-dynamix-remedial-obstacle-courses
