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Discussion Topic: MODULE 7 Discussion: School Readiness (CO# 1,2, 3 & 7)MODULE 7 Discussion: School Readiness (CO# 1,2, 3 & 7)
The image features a circular diagram representing various components of school readiness. At the center, a large blue circle contains the text “Children Are Ready for School.” Surrounding this central circle are five smaller circles, each labeled with a category. Starting from the top and moving clockwise are: “Ready Educators” in red, “Ready Families” in green, “Ready Schools” in purple, “Ready Communities” in blue, and “Ready Systems” in orange. Arrows connect these circles, indicating a cyclical relationship. Text between the circles provides additional context: “Physical Development and Health” between Ready Educators and Systems, “Social and Emotional Development” near Families, “Approaches to Learning” near Schools, “Cognition and General Knowledge” near Communities, and “Language and Early Literacy” nearby Systems.
After reading the assigned chapters and looking at the graphic above from
researchgate.net, post a response to the following question by this module’s initial date: What is School Readiness & why is it crucial to the advancement of Early Childhood & Elementary Educational Pedagogy?
Then, respond to 2 peers within 2 days. These posts will also contribute to your participation grade.
Jul 29 12:16pm
Reply from Leah Gregory
School readiness is when young children possess the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for success in school and later in life (Morrison, 2021). Children typically learn school readiness skills in preschool, so they are prepared for kindergarten. School readiness is not solely a child’s responsibility. Instead, it is seen as a shared responsibility among families, educators, and communities, regardless of a child’s background. Families encourage readiness by implementing routines and social behaviors at home, while teachers encourage readiness by fostering an engaging and comfortable classroom environments. Some important factors of school readiness include independence, self-regulation, attention skills, interpersonal skills, experiential background, and mental/emotional health (Morrison, 2021). Some examples of these skills in school look like going to the bathroom independently, playing and interacting with classmates, and staying focused during lessons. Moreover, recognizing school readiness is a shared effort that ensures all children have the foundational skills and knowledge they need to start school.
School readiness is crucial to the advancement of early childhood and elementary education because it helps educators develop instruction that meets the developmental needs of their students. When kindergarten teachers understand what their students have already learned in preschool, they can design lessons that build off of those skills, instead of teaching students those skills for the first time. As stated in Morrison (2021), “You must be very familiar with your state’s early learning standards and use them as you plan and teach” (pg. 283). For preschool teachers, following your state’s readiness guidelines will help students gain the skills and knowledge needed for kindergarten. However, it’s important to note that despite preschools and readiness guidelines, children can still arrive at kindergarten with varying levels of readiness. For this reason, kindergarten teachers need to recognize that differentiation of instruction is necessary to support students of varying abilities. Essentially, understanding and supporting school readiness at every level helps create a smoother transition between preschool and kindergarten.
References:Morrison, G. S., Breffni, L., & Woika, M. J. (2021).
Early childhood education today (15th ed.). Pearson.
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KC
Jul 25 6:38pm| Last reply Jul 28 10:53pm
Reply from Kristen Chimento
After reading the assigned chapters in the course textbook as well as examining the graphic from
researchgate.net, I have gained a better understanding of what school readiness includes. School Readiness is the concept that “children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children’s learning, and schools are ready for children” (Morrison et al., 2022, p. 283). The graphic provided helps to visually see the organization of this approach, as the central circle states, “Children Are Ready for School,” which emphasizes that readiness is the goal among factors that influence one another, such as educators, families, schools, communities, and systems (Horsford, 2012). Additionally, it is clear that not only does school readiness include academic skills, but physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development are also crucial aspects of school readiness (Morrison et al., 2022; Horsford, 2012). Although voluntary, pre-kindergarten plays an important role in supporting a smooth transition into kindergarten by encouraging school readiness.
Moreover, school readiness is crucial because it provides a foundation with a clear understanding of where children are developmentally before they enter kindergarten and how prepared the child is to succeed in elementary school. As mentioned in Chapter 9, when students demonstrate strong school readiness, they are more likely to experience positive outcomes throughout their schooling (Morrison et al., 2022). This readiness allows educators to teach grade level content using developmentally appropriate practices, which is a key component of effective pedagogy. Additionally, school readiness supports the advancement of pedagogy through a structured approach to create environments that support children. For instance, teachers and schools are guided to implement strategies and structure environments to meet students’ individual needs and diverse backgrounds. As educators, it is important that we acknowledge that not all students come in with the same needs or develop in the same way, so it is important to create “rich and supportive environments [to help] ensure that all children will develop to their appropriate levels” and have an opportunity to succeed (Morrison et al., 2022, p. 283). Ultimately, school readiness is crucial to the advancement of pedagogy because it provides a foundation for children’s success and helps teachers understand the tools that they need to create equitable learning experiences for all students.
References
Horsford, S. D. (2012).
Framework for school readiness [Figure] Researchgate.
to an external site.
Morrison, G. S., Woika, M. J., & Breffni, L. (2022).
Early childhood education today (15th ed.). Pearson
