I wrote about school readiness back in 2009 (see here). Since then we have assessed countless preschool children to help parents make an informed decision about their child’s readiness for school. We have gained a lot of experience along the way and we have refined our assessment process to include emotional readiness.
You should be aware that some school readiness assessments do not take into account the social or emotional aspects of development. Frankly, such assessments are a waste of time, effort and money. You want to know where your child is really at with their broader development, not just what their IQ is. Not only that, but a high IQ alone may not be sufficient to gain early entry to school.
What is different about our school readiness assessments?
We spend two thorough 60-90 minute sessions with your child. In these sessions we conduct cognitive (IQ), developmental, social and emotional assessments.
We also gather information from child care or kindergarten and from parents. Sometimes we even ask Mum and Dad to report independently on their child’s social skills, so we get the bigger picture. We then write a detailed report for parents with specific recommendations and discuss the pros and cons of your child starting school.
Is my child ready for school?
We know you want the best for your child and you need to make an informed decision about whether or not they are ready for school.
Of course, some parents are keener than others to send their kids to school… For example, your child might be leaving a path of destruction behind them and need some discipline! You might want to return to work. Maybe a new baby is on the way and it would be nice to have little johnny at school. Or perhaps you just can’t stand them at home any longer!
But mostly parents just want to know how well their child will cope with the demands of school, both socially and intellectually.
Some questions to ask about school readiness
- Can your child listen and follow instructions?
- Can your child sit still?
- Can your child tolerate frustration and not getting his/her own way?
- Can your child accept and follow rules?
- Can your child hold a pencil and draw simple drawings?
- Can your child cut with scissors and paste things?
- Can your child write his or her name?
- Can your child copy basic shapes?
- Does your child know the alphabet?
- Can your child count at least to 20?
- Can your child recognise shapes and colours?Does your child separate from you easily?
- Can your child dress independently and pack a bag?
- Does your child know to ask for help?
- Can your child ask to go to the bathroom?
- Can your child go to the bathroom independently and wash his/her hands?
- Can your child play with other children?
- Does your child smile at possible new friends?
- Can your child play and take turns with other children?
- Can your child talk with other children and adults?
- Can your child walk, run and climb easily?
- Can your child skip and balance on one leg?
- Can your child go without a midday rest?
It is really valuable to have an educational and developmental psychologist conduct an independent assessment of your child to determine their school readiness.
Our school readiness assessments give you a comprehensive “snapshot” of your child’s learning profile – their specific strengths and weaknesses – and you can use this information to help them not only to survive at school, but to thrive!
To find out more and book your assessment, go here next.