Developing School Readiness for Children from 24 to 36 Months

Introduction

 

Parents suffer worse heartbreaks than their children on the first day of school. But it is an unavoidable part of life. The problem here is that not every child is ready to go to school. Sure, you can drag a wailing child to the waiting school bus, but once they reach the school, it will become hard for them to learn if they don’t have the necessary skills. This lack of preparation will create a bad experience, inevitably leading to children hating school. But if a child possesses all the necessary skills to brave their early school days, they will be praised by their peers for their exceptional intelligence. This commendation will make the whole experience pleasant, making the child love his or her school. But what are these necessary skills? We have compiled a comprehensive list of prerequisites that would help parents prepare their children for school.

 

List of Prerequisites That Would Help the Parents Prepare Their Children for School

 

1. Language and Literacy Skills Are the Most Important

Early language and literacy skills are developed best through everyday moments with your child—reading books, talking, laughing and playing together.

Language is the foremost tool for communication, and when it comes to children, it is imperative to teach them the language related to their routine. It is less demanding to teach language through daily activities as it is proven to have a higher chance of success than any other method.

Parents can make toddlers and children learn the language through many activities like talking about the child’s interests, or taking them along for shopping and asking them to do small tasks. These make children answer in proper sentences and give them an opportunity to interact in a better way with society and develop communication skills.

Literacy plays a vital role in your child’s cognitive development; the more they read, the better they communicate. Make reading a habit for your child in free time or before bed. Read for them as listening skills are equally important in developing language as well.

Take them to a bookstore and ask them to pick a book of their choice that seems to attract them. It could be anything, but letting them understand you value their choice makes them more forthcoming in choosing a lot of books, which they would eventually learn with your help.

 

2. Thinking Skills Need to Be Channeled Properly

Children develop to think more when they are between two-four. It is estimated that a four-year-old asks 200-300 questions per day. With that many questions go that much thinking. However, this energy is not channeled properly for a productive outcome. Instead of letting the child watch cartoons or movies the whole day, parents could switch the TV to networks that discuss science and nature. The volume of questions the child asks isn’t going to wane, but the quality of those questions would have improved significantly. They might start to think about where rain is coming and why, or how electricity lights up a lamp.

Playing games also channels the child’s thinking prowess and helps them develop it. Many apps are designed to offer specific games and puzzles for children. 

 

3. Self-Control – a Skill That Requires a Parent to Display the Delicate Balance of Giving Leeway and Being Stringent

Most parents know this: Toddlers are impulsive. While it is not a huge deal at home, it is generally frowned upon in public places, like schools. It is important to teach a child ‘self-control,’ so to speak. Two-year-olds know few basic things like what is acceptable behaviour and what is not; what are the things that they can do, and what are the things they shouldn’t be doing when they are in school. 

Self-control can be taught and developed just like any other skill. For instance, when the child is mad and throwing a tantrum, ask him/her to go through their feelings with you. It is always expected to handle such situations in a neutral voice and attitude.

You have to remember, obedience bought with bribes is unacceptable. No cookie to go to bed soon. It isn’t good to accept the child’s negotiations. When you say no, it always stays as a no. While it seems harsh, it is not. This will teach the child not to be entitled and be graceful.

 

4. Self-Confidence – Developing This Skill at Home Helps Not Just the Child, but Also You!

Two-year-olds are very much capable of doing a few things like jumping, singing, or playing. At their respective homes, children feel strong and confident. But when they go to school, these good personality traits diminish.

Build and develop your child’s self-esteem: The messages you send him through your actions are the foundation of his/her self-confidence. He understands through your actions whether he is loved and his efforts are appreciated. As a parent, you should always make sure you send him a proper message and not something that damages his or her confidence.

One way of doing this is, ask your children to help with household chores and appreciate them for doing small tasks assigned to them. They feel great pride when they can show you how they water plants or fold their own clothes. When you give them bigger tasks, they feel like a ‘grown-up’ and are happy about it.

 

Conclusion

Be excited about your child’s first day of proper education. But please do remember, preparing children for school starts way before the first day of school, and it is your responsibility to teach the child the basic skill set necessary to acclimate to a new place. One more thing to remember is, children don’t listen to us. They imitate us. So if you want a child to read a book rather than watch TV, then you must read a book rather than watch TV. Developing these skills don’t just make the child ready for school but also help them grow to be a responsible adult.

 

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