WHY IS SCHOOL READINESS IMPORTANT1
Today we know more than ever before about how young children develop and about how to best support early learning.
Ready or not?
The first five years of life are critical to a child’s lifelong development. Young children’s earliest experienes and environments set the stage for future development and success in school and life. Early experiences actually influence brain development, establishing the neural connections that provide the foundation for language, reasoning, problem solving, social skills, behavior and emotional health.
Families and communities, including Head Start, play critical roles in helping children get ready for school. Children from families that are economically secure and have healthy relationships are more likely to succeed in school. Infants and young children thrive when parents and families are able to surround them with love and support and opportunities to learn and explore their world. Communities are vibrant when they provide social sup-port for parents, learning opportunities for children, and services for families in need.
Schools can improve the readiness of young children by making connections with local child care providers and preschools and by creating policies that ensure smooth transitions to kindergarten. Children entering kindergarten vary in their early experiences, skills, knowledge, language, culture and family background. Schools must be ready to address the diverse needs of the children and families in their community and be committed to the success of every child.
We know what works to support early learning and improve school readiness.
Children will not enter school ready to learn unless families, schools and communities provide the environments and experiences that support the physical, social, emotional, language, literacy, and cognitive development of infants, toddlers and preschool children. Efforts to improve school readiness are most effective when they embrace the rich cultural and language backgrounds of families and children. Today we know more than ever before about how young children develop and about how to best support early learning. The strongest effects of high quality early childhood programs are found with at-risk children—children from homes with the fewest resources and under social and economic stress.
We can’t wait. Success in school begins before a child ever enters a classroom.
Studies show that at least half of the educational achievement gaps between poor and non-poor children already exist at kindergarten entry. Children from low-income families are more likely to start school with limited language skills, health problems, and social and emotional problems that interfere with learning. The larger the gap at school entry, the harder it is to close. If we want all children to read proficiently by fourth grade—and to grow into healthy teens and productive adults—then we must make wise investments in the early years.
Enroll your child in R/K CAA Head Start today!
1 Excerpted from Getting Ready Rhode Island KIDS COUNT February 2005