First Grade: Ready or Not? (page 2)

Your child has nearly finished kindergarten and may be ready for first grade. This transition is a more significant shift than one between grades.

Elementary school will present new challenges. The day's activities will be more structured than they were in kindergarten yet there should still be time for spontaneous learning activities. Kindergarten has been a continuation of the learning that has been occurring for children every waking moment of their lives.

Is your child ready for first grade? Barbara Willer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children says, "School readiness is less a set of scores and child traits than a match between the school and the child."

Children are always changing in knowledge, skills, experiences and understanding. Readiness is not something they do or do not have. It is a process of growth and change.

Readiness addresses a child's physical, cognitive, social and emotional development at a particular time. A child's level of readiness in August will be very different from what it is in December, for example. It's OK for children to be at different levels. A child's unique differences should be welcomed and accepted. A group of children will always consist of a variety of capabilities and readiness levels.

The National Association of Elementary School Principals has recommended standards for primary grades which are very similar to those outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The similar recommendations include:

• Schools should be ready for the child and not expect the child to be ready for the school. Early childhood programs must be based on the ways children learn, not on how adults prefer to teach.
• Since young children learn best through their senses by doing, learning should be the outcome of hands-on experience, especially play.
• Children should be assigned to classes as close to the research-based recommended class sizes as possible: ratios of 2 adults:20 children for 3- to 5-year-olds and 2 adults:24 children for 6- to 8-year-olds.
• Children should be assessed by observation, not tested for success or failure. Letter grades should not be used.
• Children will learn more quickly if they have actively experienced the process of learning - in other words, if they have been read to, have acted out what they have learned, have touched the objects described, have seen some of the places or people described, and so forth.

Think about the following questions and how your child is progressing. Remember, no child should be expected to accomplish all of these items perfectly before first grade.

Supporting Your Child

At this age there is a very wide range of social and academic skills as well as emotional maturity. Avoid comparing children. Susie may be ahead of most when entering kindergarten, may lag behind when entering first grade and may move ahead again when entering second grade.

The challenge for schools and parents is to provide experiences that will meet the needs of the children instead of waiting for children to meet the pre-determined standards of the curriculum. For education to have a positive, long-range impact on a child's life, parents and teachers must work as a team in the best interest of the child. A quality program recognizes that parents, schools and the child are equal parts, each having something to give and learn from the others.

Parents can best support their child by providing a rich environment beyond the classroom, by keeping in regular contact with teachers and counselors as to their child's progress, and by attending conferences and workshops that assist them in understanding and relating with their chiId and with the school.

Most important, parents can respect their child's unique characteristics and capabilities. Children need to feel accepted and valued for who they are. Avoid sibling or friend comparisons that judge your child. Allow your child to progress at his or her own rate, and consistently support the child's efforts.