How School Readiness Programs Help Kids Learn Skills

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Preschoolers are at an important phase of life. They’re no longer toddlers, have really started to develop their own personalities and are at a ripe age to develop, grow and learn a lot. Between the ages of 3-5, kids are basically in a phase of preparing for the school years to come.

It’s vital that kids get a head start on school and one way to achieve this is to have them participate in a school readiness program.

What Is a School Readiness Program?

Although not solely the domain of early learning centres, most early education facilities will offer a school readiness program as an integral part of their curriculum.

The idea of the school readiness program is to equip and prepare preschoolers for the school days ahead. Rather than entering school unprepared, unconfident and having no idea of what to expect, after completing a school readiness program, kids will head off to school armed with knowledge basics, social skills and self-confidence.

There is also far less chance of a child suffering from separation anxiety when they participate in a school readiness program.

Let’s now take a look at what a school readiness program includes.

What’s Involved In a School Readiness Program?

Each centre will have its own method of delivering a school readiness program, so it will depend on the facility exactly what’s involved. What we’ll look at in this section is what you can generally expect your child to be doing and learning when participating in a school readiness program.

For starters, kids will learn the basics in core school subjects so they will start school already armed with a foundation in these subjects. Literacy is something you’ll find in every school readiness program and this includes reading, writing, comprehension, listening, communication and spelling. Using digital technology will also be a part of the literacy program.

Basic numeracy skills are just as important as literacy skills. Kids learn to count, understand mathematical language, learn to identify math in everyday life and how it’s used. Once they complete the program, children have a sound basis in math.

Science and computers are also an integral part of the school readiness program.

Children also learn to be creative by being involved in artistic pursuits such as singing, dancing, acting, drawing and music. Learning scholastics such as numeracy and math is often also incorporated into creative activities to help kids learn better.

Fitness programs are conducted by all early learning centres. These programs help developing bodies and minds by promoting positive growth. Not only will fitness levels increase, but kids will develop coordination, fine motor skills, balance, flexibility, along with learning about nutrition and healthy eating. It will depend on the centre, but children may engage in activities like yoga, soccer, dance classes and more.

Children will also be involved in a variety of fun and interactive activities designed to improve their social skills and build their self-confidence. The more confident and social a child can become before they commence school, the easier the transition into school will be. Learning to be more autonomous and having some independence is also a key attribute kids develop during a school readiness program.

There are numerous reasons why it’s a great idea to enrol your child or children in a school readiness program. It helps give kids the very best start in life and also makes the prospect of commencing school a lot less scary.

Once you’ve decided on a few places to look into, ask what’s involved in their school readiness program for further clarification.

How To Find a School Readiness Program Near You

To have your child participate in a school readiness program, just search for an organised program in your area online. If you’re located in Sydney, for example, you could try searching for:

In Conclusion Rather than sending your child straight off to school from a home environment, it’s in their best interests to enrol them in a school readiness program at an early learning centre. This way, they’ll enter the school grounds with more confidence and an idea of what to expect.

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