What Is School Readiness as it relates to Infants and Toddlers?
Excepts from www.zerotothree.org
“School readiness” refers to the skills and competencies needed for children to succeed in school. For many years, we mistakenly believed that school readiness requires simply literacy and number competency. But it is the social/emotional development during the infant/toddler years that is the foundation that allow traditional school skills (literacy, numeracy) to develop. Without the ability to concentrate, persist with difficult tasks, communicate effectively and establish relationships with others, children are at a serious disadvantage in the classroom.
The link between secure attachment (a close, nurturing bond with a primary caregiver) established during a child’s first years of life and later social/emotional gains is strong. These gains include the development of trust, empathy, compassion, generosity and a conscience. Furthermore, secure attachment relationships provide a context for supporting the development of children’s curiosity, self-direction, persistence, cooperation, caring, and conflict resolution skills. In short, loving, caring interactions-with
parents and non-familial caregivers-gives children a strong emotional foundation from which they can approach learning with hope and optimism.
On the other hand, rote learning, flash cards, and one-size-fits-all approaches are developmentally inappropriate for young children. Rather, learning for infants and toddlers takes place through play and active exploration of their environment. Through play, It is possible to begin providing children with exposure to literacy and numeracy concepts. Although these experiences will often masquerade as play, they form the basis for how children perceive their own ability to learn and master new tasks. For example, encouraging literacy in a 6-month old may mean allowing her to explore a chunky board book with her eyes, hands, and mouth. While she may end up chewing it, she is learning that books offer her a positive, rewarding experience.
