When we use the term �school readiness,� we are talking about what needs to happen with children from ages birth to eight to make them successful students. What are the social, academic, and health needs of these children? What can schools be doing to prepare for these children? What do communities need to support children and families?

For a young child to be ready to succeed in school, there are five dimensions of readiness that should be considered:

�Physical health and motor development. Are kids growing and developing properly?

�Social and emotional development. Do kids interact well with others and communicate their feelings in appropriate ways?

�Approaches to learning. To what extent do kids show curiosity, enthusiasm, and persistence toward learning tasks?

�Language development. How are kids� listening, speaking, and print awareness skills developing?

�Cognition and general knowledge. How much do kids understand about the world around them?


Children also need to be surrounded by strong structures in their lives:
�Caring families
�Supportive communities
�Ready schools
�Effective services

School readiness is directly tied into child development, family structure, community factors, and cultural diversity. All of these should be considered when discussing school readiness in a community, county, state, or nation.

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