We need to consider the child's current level of development in three areas:
- Biological readiness: The child is now physically capable of handling the demands of school, such as carrying a backpack, no longer needing an afternoon nap, and coping with the physical strain of a full day of classes.
- Intellectual maturity: the child’s thinking, vocabulary, general knowledge, memory, math skills, and drawing ability (which is an important foundation for writing) meet the standards expected for their age. As a parent without professional training, it is not always easy to assess this; in such cases, preschool teachers or other professionals can provide assistance.
- Social maturity: The student cooperates with the teacher during tasks and is able to work independently. The student follows the rules, such as understanding that a 45-minute class is for work and recess is for play. The student stays seated throughout the class, does not stand up without permission, and does not play around. The student’s attention is not easily diverted from the task at hand. And they are brave enough to answer when the teacher calls on them. Good performance brings them joy. At the same time, they can handle failure: they do not despair or freeze up when something does not go well.
There are, therefore, certain characteristics that indicate a child is ready for school; if a child possesses these, there is nothing standing in the way of starting school. If a child does not possess them, I always recommend that they stay in preschool for another school year—after all, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
This is often a major dilemma for parents. Of course, they want the best for their child, and they fear that starting school a year later could have negative consequences in the future. But the opposite is true! In my entire career, I have never encountered a child—one who was not yet ready for school—who developed learning and/or emotional problems simply because they spent an extra year playing in preschool.
I cannot stress enough that school readiness is not a measure of a child’s or a parent’s worth. Not everyone develops at the same pace. The most important thing is that we make our decision with the child’s healthy emotional development and future success in school and the workplace in mind. And if our child isn’t school-ready at age six, let’s continue to provide them with as many opportunities as possible for free play, through which they can develop their motor skills, independence, self-confidence, adaptability, resilience, and attention span.
