The transition from preschool to primary school is probably one of the most daunting experiences your child could experience. During this delicate transition period, among the most debated issues is the age at which a child should go to primary school. While there’s no standard age to start primary school, below are some signs that your child is ready to tackle on primary school.
Signs of School-Readiness
- Be physically and emotionally healthy;
- Have a great attitude towards schooling, such as going to preschool;
- Could actively engage in learning and various classroom tasks;
- Could adequately concentrate when performing activities or tasks and more from one task to another whenever required; and
- Have sufficient emotional and social skills—could go to school without being upset that he or she has to leave his or her parent, make friends and play with other children cooperatively, obey basic rules and instructions, show empathy, and handle strong emotions such as disappointment and frustration without withdrawing or being aggressive.
Many parents feel that the child must know the entire alphabet, write it, including basic words (how to read them), known numbers, and how to write them. But what many parents don’t know is that although their child’s natural curiosity might lead to their child knowing all these things before starting primary school, it’s perfectly fine if it doesn’t, stresses an experienced preschool educator in Tootgarok.
She adds that all children are born ready to learn, the issue is what they’re prepared for or interested in learning, and the answer would vary from one child to another so you can’t simply generalise. This means that if your child goes to primary school not knowing the entire alphabet, etc. you shouldn’t be concerned about it since they’ll learn that at school.
However, you need to keep a keen eye on essential emotional and social skills that help build resilience and make them well-rounded human beings. These would help your child better adapt to the new social environment so being capable of managing this transition so that it’s enriching instead of overwhelming for your child is immensely crucial for a longer term and better educational results.
Key Takeaway
No child is the same, and every one of them develops at a certain pace. They have different strengths, weaknesses, interests, learning approaches, and temperament, so you shouldn’t be overly concerned if you think your child isn’t ready for primary school just yet.
The main thing to remember is that you could help make sure that your child is ready for school by weighing what he or she needs against giving him or her the best possible chance to succeed in primary school.