Readiness is a term which often confuses both parents and educators. Parents are frequently told that their child  should be "ready" for kindergarten. However, exactly what this means varies widely from teacher to teacher and school to school. This guide will describe the three types of "readiness" used in child development research.

Readiness Based on Chronological Age- this type of readiness is based on the idea that children's psychological and physical growth are age-related. Therefore, by a certain age children should be able to enter school and progress successfully. Traditionally, this age has been thought to be 5.

Maturational Readiness-this concept of readiness is based upon developmental growth. The theory asserts that an "internal mechanism" determines the child's readiness for school, and parents should not try to make their child more "ready" for kindergarten.  Those who subscribe to this theory advocate keeping children out of school until they are considered ready. Many developmental programs, and ungraded primaries utilize this approach.

The Socially-Constructed View of Readiness-this readiness theory asserts that parents and teachers form ideas about being "ready" for kindergarten from others around them. These ideas may depend upon culture, socioeconomic status, the local school system, other parents and teachers. Ideas about readiness can vary greatly from school to school, parent to parent and teacher to teacher.

I've read these theories, and I'm still not sure if my child is "ready". What should I do?

Parents and kindergarten teachers often have very different ideas about readiness. According to the 1993 National Household Education Survey and the Fast Response Survey System Kindergarten Teacher Survey, parents tended to believe that academic skills were more of a prerequisite for kindergarten than teachers did.  Many parents felt that knowing the alphabet, be able to count, use pencil and paint brushes were VERY important for incoming kindergartners. Teachers on the other hand tended to believe that social skills, such as turn-taking, communicating needs and wants and enthusiasm for learning were more important than academic skills.

When deciding if your child is "ready" for kindergarten it is recommended that you visit and speak to the kindergarten teacher. When visiting ask questions to help you determine what the teacher feels your child should know prior to entering. Observe the classroom, observe the type of instruction, play periods, etc. Ask yourself if this program matches where your child is developmentally. For example, if children are sitting and working on papers for long periods of time and your child has a hard time focusing, your child may not be "ready" for this classroom, but might be fine in a different setting.

 Are there books or websites where I can learn more about readiness?
 Yes, there are many resources on readiness. These resources may help you understand the different expectations that teachers and preschools have about the skills a child needs for kindergarten. You can find links to websites with readiness checklists on the parent resource page. Kindergarten-It isn't What it Used to Be by Susan and Mitch Golant is a  parent- friendly book which will provide you a with a clear idea about the different types of kindergarten readiness.