“Is Your Child Truly Ready for School?”
Starting school – The Biggest Milestone in a Child’s Life & the Parents too!
Starting school marks the beginning of your child’s academic and social journey – the first and important step towards exploring the world outside their home with growing independence. Undoubtedly, this is an important phase for you too – as a parent – a period where happiness and skepticism are tightly woven together leading to excitement and anxiety all at once. The image of your child wearing a uniform, entering a structured classroom, forming friendships, following instructions and learning new skills can be as delightful as it can be nerve wrecking! We understand that totally.
Let’s remember, no two children are the same. While some kids adapt to school environments and routines without difficulty, some children may require a little hand-holding – a little extra time, attention and the right support. This is exactly where the School Readiness Program can make a huge difference.
What is School Readiness Program?
School Readiness as the name suggests is a program that prepares your child for school. It blends therapeutic activities, skill development and early learning in a structured group setting similar to school classrooms. It also includes individual therapy support based on each child’s unique developmental needs. This wholesome approach ensures that each child learns the essential skills required for a positive and easy transition to school.
The focus areas in the School Readiness Program include:
- Emotional development – Sensory regulation, emotional regulation, build confidence, learning to wait for turn
- Social Development – Improving play skills, developing peer interaction, involvement in group activities and supporting each other
- Physical development – Focus is on developing gross and fine motor skills to build play and writing skills
- Daily living skills – Build self-care skills that include eating, dressing, toileting, washing hands, packing their bag
- Communication skills – Follow instructions, express individual needs (for example, express hunger, thirst or the need to use toilet or communicate any discomfort, pain or difficulty), language development
- Cognitive skills – Build attention, pre-school academics that includes literacy, numeracy, memory, problem solving
How is School Readiness Different from Daycare or Preschool Programs?
School Readiness Program is a lot more than a play-school/preschool or daycare program.This program is designed to prepare your child ready for school wholly – emotionally, socially and developmentally.
Daycare often provides safe supervision, basic care, free play and a loose routine. Preschool provides structured play and early academic exposure. But both these programs do not support or address individual developmental needs of a child. Even if a preschool teacher identifies that a child is in need of additional support(for instance a child who has speech problem or does not interact with other kids or does not communicate needs or does not involve in play activities), the teacher may not have the resources or professional training to provide the required support for the child. And most often, parents are left to search for solutions on their own. Sometimes, they are just advised to give the child some more time to catch up in their developmental process. Or worse, if the need is left unattended, the child may begin to feel less confident, embarrassed and lose interest in school and learning eventually. The earlier we identify and attend to the child’s developmental needs, the easier and more effective the intervention can be. And this is precisely where the School Readiness Program matters.
School Readiness Program – How is it Different?
School Readiness Program is a unique program that offers a holistic approach to support each child’s overall development – emotional, cognitive, social and physical development – specifically keeping in focus smooth transition to formal schooling. It provides,
- Structured routines similar to a school classroom
- Safe environment with individual attention
- Therapeutic activities combined with everyday learning
- Sensory regulation
- Emotional Regulation
- Peer interaction
- Improve communication, express needs, language development
- Build play skills and motor skills through therapeutic activities
- Focuses on activities of daily living (ADL) – eating, dressing, toileting, washing hands etc.
- Individual therapy (Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, behaviour therapy) based on each child’s unique need
- Develop attention, memory and pre-academic/academic skills
- Parent involvement in goal setting, home programs and reviewing child’s progress
School Readiness Program Team
The School Readiness Program has a multidisciplinary team of qualified experts – including Behaviour Therapists, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Special Educators and Montessori-trained Teachers.
Starting school is not just about literacy, numeracy and achieving grades. It is important for every child to feel safe primarily – need to feel connected to make friends, understand daily routines and express themselves freely! When a child feels overwhelmed at school, it affects their academics and also their overall wellbeing.
When Should You Consider School Readiness Program?
If your child is between 3.5 – 6 years old and you are not sure whether they are ready for formal school, this program can be the ideal choice.
Children with below-mentioned common signs benefit the most from School Readiness Program:
- Delay in speech
- Delay in motor skills
- Difficulty following instructions
- Struggles with attention and transitions
- Difficulty in social interactions
- Anxiety about separation or unfamiliar environments
- Frequent emotional outbursts
- Struggles to stay still and concentrate for long
- Needs consistent step-by-step guidance
- If the child, who was happily attending school, suddenly doesn’t want to go—and the reason isn’t obvious
The School Readiness Program also supports children with developmental or neurological conditions – like autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy ………….. – by preparing them for their formal school journey.
How Does School Readiness Program Help Your Child?
Children grow and learn at different speeds. The School Readiness Program, designed by child development professionals, provides a combination of therapeutic learning, play-based activities, structured programs and personalized attention – to ensure your child’s transition to school is smooth.
School Readiness Program can help your child to
- Develop basic life skills
- Adjust to group environment
- Follow routines
- Build pre-academic skills
- Develop positive relationships with peers
- Support independence and emotional growth
Final Words
Starting school is the start of an interesting journey for every child – and they need to start it with a sense of belonging and joy. The School Readiness Program is not just about preparing your child for school – but also preparing them to embark on their journey to love learning, connecting with others and exploring the world without reservations.