tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/school-readiness-20407/articlesSchool readiness – The Conversation2022-12-01T19:02:55Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1896242022-12-01T19:02:55Z2022-12-01T19:02:55ZA push to raise the school starting age to 6 sounds like good news for parents, but there’s a catch<p>The decision about whether to send a child to school “early” or “hold them back” can be a tortuous one for families who have a child born in the first half of the year. </p>
<p>So a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/04/an-extra-year-of-early-education-in-nsw-and-victoria-what-do-experts-think-of-the-plan">recent New South Wales proposal</a> that all children should start school in the year they turn six may seem very helpful for parents, taking the guesswork out. </p>
<p>But if we are going to have stricter rules around when children start school, we need to make sure it does not harm those from disadvantaged backgrounds.</p>
<h2>A plan to raise the starting age</h2>
<p>NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell recently suggested all <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/lift-school-age-to-six-to-put-students-on-more-even-footing-says-education-minister-20220802-p5b6ja.html">children should start school</a> the year they turn six. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A board with ice-creams to teach counting and numbers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497546/original/file-20221128-13-eawpl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497546/original/file-20221128-13-eawpl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497546/original/file-20221128-13-eawpl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497546/original/file-20221128-13-eawpl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497546/original/file-20221128-13-eawpl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497546/original/file-20221128-13-eawpl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497546/original/file-20221128-13-eawpl1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The NSW proposal is geared at reducing large age gaps between students in the same year.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Joel Carrett/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Currently, children in NSW can start school the year they turn five if their birthday is before July 31, and must be enrolled before they turn six. </p>
<p>This means that a kindergarten class (the first year of school in NSW) may have children aged from four and a half to six years. This large age span, combined with developmental differences within any age group of young children, present many challenges for teachers and schools. </p>
<p>Cut-offs in other states differ, which only adds to the confusion. In the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria it is April 30, in South Australia it is May 1, in Queensland and the Northern Territory it is June 30. </p>
<p>In Tasmania, a child who has turned five on or by January 1 must start their first year of schooling. </p>
<h2>‘Hold them back’</h2>
<p>As researchers in early childhood education we want to caution against simply raising the school starting age or creating blanket rules. </p>
<p>It has become popular for parents of boys in particular to “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/trust-your-gut-study-reveals-no-advantage-to-holding-kids-back-from-kindy-20210129-p56xwh.html">hold them back</a>,” so they start school in the year they turn six. But this is not an option for many families. </p>
<p>Research from <a href="https://theconversation.com/which-families-delay-sending-their-child-to-school-and-why-we-crunched-the-numbers-111826">Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323045721_The_gift_of_time_School_starting_age_and_mental_health">overseas</a> shows families living in high-income areas are more likely to hold their children back. </p>
<p>We also know families living in low-income areas are more likely to send their children to school sooner rather than later. Not only is access to early childhood education in their area a problem, it means they no longer have to pay costly childcare fees.</p>
<p>So a decision about whether or not a child is “ready” is largely related to the household budget. </p>
<h2>A fifth of children start school behind</h2>
<p>Federal education department <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/early-childhood/announcements/report-now-available-2021-australian-early-development-census">data</a> shows more than 20% of children start school developmentally vulnerable. This means they are behind in milestones such as language and cognitive, emotional or social development. Only <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-study-finds-australias-preschool-expansion-has-not-better-prepared-kids-for-school-194048">54.8%</a> are regarded as “developmentally on track”.
We know children who start school developmentally behind are likely to be from <a href="https://www.aedc.gov.au/resources/detail/2021-aedc-national-report">socio-economically disadvantaged areas</a>. </p>
<p>This disparity needs to be addressed if we want children to start school on a level playing field, whatever their age.</p>
<h2>The importance of early learning</h2>
<p>This is why good quality, affordable, and accessible early childhood education is so important. But again here, access is not equal. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-study-finds-australias-preschool-expansion-has-not-better-prepared-kids-for-school-194048">New study finds Australia's preschool expansion 'has not better prepared' kids for school</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Education experts recommend children have <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/early-childhood-education/whats-happening-in-the-early-childhood-education-sector/media/documents/Lifting-Our-Game-Final-Report.pdf">two years of quality preschool</a> before starting school. </p>
<p>But most Australian states only fund one year, although NSW and Victoria have recently announced plans for two. The ACT is also moving towards two years for all children. </p>
<p>Currently, “<a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/how-accessible-is-childcare-report.pdf">childcare deserts</a>” – where there are more than three children for each available place – are more likely to be in low-income and rural and regional areas. Services in these areas are also more likely to be <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-07/occasional_paper_8_-_desktop_published_version_6_1.pdf">operating below minimum quality standards</a> than more advantaged areas.</p>
<p>We also know that children living in areas of disadvantage are <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/child-care-package/preschool/preschool-reform-funding-agreement">less likely</a> to go to preschool (called kinder in Victoria). </p>
<h2>Play versus ‘ready for school’</h2>
<p>Why is preschool so important? High-quality, play-based early childhood education lays down foundations that give children the best chance of educational success. </p>
<p>Play is children’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/play-based-learning-can-set-your-child-up-for-success-at-school-and-beyond-91393">natural way of learning</a>. It’s what builds the positive dispositions we all need in our professional and personal lives – curiosity, flexibility, problem-solving, confidence and resilience. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young students line up against a whiteboard." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497548/original/file-20221128-22-10w2ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497548/original/file-20221128-22-10w2ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497548/original/file-20221128-22-10w2ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497548/original/file-20221128-22-10w2ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497548/original/file-20221128-22-10w2ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497548/original/file-20221128-22-10w2ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497548/original/file-20221128-22-10w2ef.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Play-based learning helps prepare children for school by building their confidence and independence as learners.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Play provides children with a space to explore, discover and build relationships. It helps them develop their motor skills, language, emotional regulation, and social skills. </p>
<p>But this can be overshadowed by a focus on “<a href="https://theconversation.com/do-kindy-bootcamps-get-children-ready-for-school-66117">school readinesss</a>”. This leads to prioritising a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-019-00938-4">narrow range of skills</a> like learning letters and numbers, rather than building children’s confidence and independence. </p>
<h2>A good idea that needs more support</h2>
<p>So, school at six is good idea, but it needs to be supported by free, high-quality, play-based early childhood education that is available to all children. </p>
<p>And this will require significant investment from governments.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189624/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marianne Fenech receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Department of Education. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Niland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If we are going to have stricter rules around when children start school, we need to make sure it does not harm those from disadvantaged backgrounds.Amanda Niland, Lecturer in Early Childhood, University of SydneyMarianne Fenech, Associate professor, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1376592020-05-20T12:15:32Z2020-05-20T12:15:32ZNapping helps preschoolers unlock their full potential for learning<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334377/original/file-20200512-82375-r3k6mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C0%2C4947%2C4004&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Napping reboots the preschool brain and clears the deck for learning.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/children-napping-on-floor-of-preschool-classroom-royalty-free-image/122399167">Ingram Publishing via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For many parents of young children, the highlight of their day is nap time – not for them, but for their little ones. Especially now, with most preschools closed, getting a child to nap is the golden ticket. Not only can it mean uninterrupted work or self-care time for parents, but their unrecognizable tyrants often wake as happy campers after a nap.</p>
<p>Researchers have validated this experience. One study presented <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2011.00962.x">3-year-olds with an unsolvable puzzle</a>, one with a missing piece, either after they napped or after they missed their nap. They found the nap-deprived children showed more negative emotions – sadness, worry and anger – when faced with the puzzle than rested children did.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bvGVrocAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a cognitive neuroscientist</a>, <a href="https://www.somneurolab.com/">I study sleep</a>. My research shows that naps help young children regulate their emotions and solidify memories that accumulate so quickly at this age. </p>
<h2>Emotional sensitivity</h2>
<p>My colleagues and I recently demonstrated that nap-deprived preschoolers not only showed more negative emotions, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12411">paid closer attention to the emotions around them</a> than rested children did. </p>
<p>We presented young children with pairs of faces on a computer screen, a neutral face and an emotional face – either happy or angry. Those faces were then removed to reveal a star hiding under one of them. The children were asked to identify which side of the screen the star was on by pressing a button.</p>
<figure>
<img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1041/XL9y2g-1.gif?1589548576" width="100%">
<figcaption><span class="caption">Where is the star?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This task measures whether a child is paying special attention to emotion stimuli or not. If a child is biased toward the emotional face, she will be quicker to press the button when the star is behind the emotional face than when it is behind the neutral face. </p>
<p>We found nap-deprived children were biased toward the emotional faces, responding 22 milliseconds faster than if they were rested. After a nap, however, children showed no bias. They responded equally whether the star was behind an emotional or neutral face. So a child who doesn’t nap is quicker to respond to emotional stimuli in his environment.</p>
<h2>A growing preschool agenda</h2>
<p>Although these results come as no surprise to parents, it is important to provide scientific backing of the nap benefit.</p>
<p>Most preschools offer a nap opportunity. However, the length of this period <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/03/15/time-may-be-up-for-naps-in-pre-k-class/b6149643-6e7c-4997-88ff-588c0f740829/">has been shortened in recent years</a> because studies have found a preschool education not only <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12411">improves school readiness</a> but is also associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532480XADS0601_05">long-term academic performance</a> and even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.2.188">health outcomes</a> such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.037">reduced obesity</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1248429">improved cardiovascular health</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rested preschoolers have a remarkable capacity for learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/pre-school-children-royalty-free-image/157720194">FatCamera via Getty images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To capitalize on the advantages of preschool during this fertile learning period, regulatory agencies have added expectations such as <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tools-assess-sel-in-schools-susanne-a-denham">socio-emotional curriculum</a> and <a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/oral-health/article/oral-health-policies-procedures-standards">even dental hygiene</a> to the preschool day. Sleep is often viewed as optional and is an easy target to cut when making room for more educational opportunities.</p>
<p>However, naps make it possible to reach these early education goals. Beyond the emotional regulation payoff, naps also provide a direct benefit to learning. Research shows when preschool children were read storybooks introducing new words, the children who napped after hearing the stories <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00184">learned more of the new words</a> than the children who did not nap. Following learning opportunities with a nap enhances memory.</p>
<h2>Storing memories</h2>
<p>The reason napping enhances learning has to do with the way brains process new information. </p>
<p>Research in rodents suggests that while we sleep, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/s0896-6273(02)01096-6">memories are replayed</a>. Just as if you wanted to learn all the words to your favorite movie scene, you might replay that scene repeatedly, sleep is a time to replay memories without interference from ongoing learning. Furthermore, the research suggests <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107581">memories are replayed in fast-forward</a> during sleep, allowing them to be replayed repeatedly during the night.</p>
<p>This replay <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2010.01.006">happens in the hippocampus</a>, an area of the brain where memories are processed in the short term. As memories are replayed in the hippocampus, they are moved (or copied) to unique areas of the cortex, making them more stable and easier to retrieve later. In the cortex, the <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00426-011-0335-6">memories can be sorted and stored with other similar memories</a>. </p>
<p>Imagine the hippocampus as your desk at the end of the day, with stacks of papers and mail from different sources. Sleep moves these “papers” to the cortex, which is much more like a filing cabinet. Not only is there more space, but now when you want to find something, you can do so more quickly because of its organization.</p>
<p>In children, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.03.009">the hippocampus is less mature</a> – think of it as a smaller desk – so fewer memories can be held before there is catastrophic interference. This explains why naps are critical at this young age, and memories must be more frequently moved to the filing drawers. </p>
<h2>Naps in the time of coronavirus</h2>
<p>To parents still learning to implement a nap time, a few pointers:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Maintain a consistent pre-nap routine. After lunch, give your child time to unwind, then join them in a quiet activity such as reading.</p></li>
<li><p>Maintain a consistent overnight sleep schedule. Keeping bedtime and wake time within a stable 30-minute window day to day will allow for an appropriate and predictable amount of sleep pressure to build up.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are out of the nap routine, you may need to retrain your child to nap consistently. Stay with them as they fall asleep (soothing with back rubbing) initially, and leave the room earlier and earlier over the following days.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Not only is napping key to early education objectives, it is central to the emotional and cognitive development of young children. And it goes without saying, whether in school or at home, turning unrecognizable tyrants into happy campers is good for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137659/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Spencer receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (R01 AG040133; R01 HL111695; R21 HD094758) and the National Science Foundation (BCS 1749280).</span></em></p>Research shows napping helps young children learn, as well as enhancing their emotional well-being.Rebecca Spencer, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1165232019-06-19T19:57:10Z2019-06-19T19:57:10ZHere’s what teachers look for when kids start school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280148/original/file-20190619-52771-11dampb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Teachers don't care about a child's academic skills as much as they do about their behaviour.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many parents believe teaching their child to read is the best way to get them ready to start school, but <a href="https://www.cdu.edu.au/newsroom/school-readiness">teachers often disagree</a>. Teachers generally consider it more important for children to know how to regulate their emotions, be confident in their abilities and be curious learners.</p>
<h2>Parents and teachers in my study</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.cdu.edu.au/newsroom/school-readiness">recent study</a>, I wanted to find what parent beliefs and behaviours were most effective in helping children succeed at school.</p>
<p>I collected data from 120 parents on what they believed was their role in supporting their child’s learning, as well how often they did certain things to prepare their child to succeed at school. </p>
<p>These were often regular activities parents did that would help prepare their child for school but weren’t necessarily done with that goal. </p>
<p>My study also included 52 teacher and parent pairs in schools around South Australia and the Northern Territory. I married up what parents reported they did with their child before starting school with how these children fared at school across a range of developmental areas. </p>
<p>I also conducted follow-up interviews with 16 parents. Some were employed while others were stay-at-home parents. I interviewed fathers and mothers, as well as parents from different cultural and economic positions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280150/original/file-20190619-52807-s3gebf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nearly every parent read to their child.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/cwGk-u9PHOo">Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Reading most important to parents</h2>
<p>Literacy was what mostly came to mind when parents discussed how they prepared their child for school, usually in informal and incidental ways, such as shared reading. Around 94% of parents did literacy activities three or more times a week. </p>
<p>One father told me:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We’ve read to them since the day they got out of hospital basically […] so they have both had wide exposure to reading and books. Both the kids have got upwards of 200 to 300 books in their room.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Literacy development is important in the early years and offers a host of benefits to children. A <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jrnldbp/Citation/2019/06000/When_Children_Are_Not_Read_to_at_Home__The_Million.9.aspx">recent study</a> found parents who read one book a day with their child are giving their child a 1.4 million-word advantage over their peers who have never been read to.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-tips-to-help-you-make-the-most-of-reading-to-your-children-93659">Five tips to help you make the most of reading to your children</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Playing with children</h2>
<p>I asked parents to indicate how many toys and learning materials their child had at home, from a checklist of 29 widely accessible items. These included balls, colouring books and building blocks. </p>
<p>My later analysis showed the more play-based resources a child had at home, the more prepared they were for the academic demands of school. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280152/original/file-20190619-52763-gj6pz9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The more items children have to engage with at home, the better prepared they are for school.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This doesn’t mean parents must spend more to ensure their child’s success. Paediatricians <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/143/1/e20183348.full.pdf">recommend simple toys</a>, rather than electronic or expensive ones, as best for supporting child development.</p>
<p>Parents preferred playing and other informal activities over formal learning, the interviews showed. Around 64% of parents said they engaged in cognitively stimulating activities three or more times a week. </p>
<p>Most parents said they engaged in unstructured play with their child, which often led to conversations and incidental learning. Parents spoke of using their child’s play time as opportunities to engage with their child’s interests and design activities around them with the goal of learning.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/let-them-play-kids-need-freedom-from-play-restrictions-to-develop-117586">Let them play! Kids need freedom from play restrictions to develop</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Gaps between teachers and parents</h2>
<p>But there was some disparity between what parents most valued in preparing the child for school (literacy) and what teachers found most important for school-readiness. </p>
<p>Around 62% of teachers in my study were concerned about at least one aspect of children’s development. More than 45% of these related to the child’s emotional readiness – in particular, a child’s confidence in their ability and self-regulation skills.</p>
<p>These concerns aren’t surprising. Research from <a href="https://www.pacey.org.uk/Pacey/media/Website-files/school%20ready/School-Ready-Report.pdf">the UK</a> also showed teachers felt academic skills weren’t as important as children being confident, independent and curious learners. </p>
<p>In other research, <a href="http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n2/dockett.html">one teacher said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We can teach them to write their name, but it’s more important to have kids who can function in the classroom.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This doesn’t mean parents are failing their children; it reflects the difficulty parents face in teaching social and emotional skills.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-my-child-being-too-clingy-and-how-can-i-help-115372">Is my child being too clingy and how can I help?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It’s a shared responsibility</h2>
<p>More than 90% of parents in my study saw the role of teaching children emotional regulation as a shared responsibility between them and teachers. Research has long recognised education as a collaborative task, with both parent and teacher <a href="http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/687476/52828-DET-Defining-Parental-Engagement-A4-Report_AccPDF_01.pdf">knowledge being important</a>.</p>
<p>In the landmark UK <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=3155&context=sspapers">EPPE study</a>, children experienced greater cognitive gains in preschool centres that had high levels of parental engagement. The most effective settings shared information relevant to the children with staff and parents, and parents had a greater say in decision-making about their child’s learning. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/preschool-benefits-all-children-but-not-all-children-get-it-heres-what-the-government-can-do-about-that-117660">Preschool benefits all children, but not all children get it. Here's what the government can do about that</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Parents need more help</h2>
<p>A child who spends their preschool years in a play-based, nurturing and responsive environment, with a range of conversations, experiences, peers and resources, will likely adjust well to the demands of school.</p>
<p>But how can parents teach their child emotional regulation and the adjustment skills they need to function in the classroom? </p>
<p><a href="http://everychancetolearn.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/School-readiness-ebook_updated_Sep_2013.pdf">Research shows </a>that parents should look for teachable moments, harnessing children’s interests to incorporate learning into daily life. They can use these opportunities as a vehicle to hold positive conversations and boost a child’s confidence.</p>
<p>Social connections are <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298354385_Transition_to_Primary_School_A_Review_of_the_Literature">also important</a>. Children should have plenty of opportunities to play with their friends.</p>
<p>Being a role model is especially important. Parents should model self-regulation, keeping calm when dealing with mistakes and scaffolding their children to develop these <a href="https://childmind.org/article/can-help-kids-self-regulation/">tricky skills</a>. They could be positive about school and how much fun their child will have when they go. </p>
<p>It’s important to find times to talk with your child about their feelings so they learn to be aware of their<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298354385_Transition_to_Primary_School_A_Review_of_the_Literature"> own emotions. </a></p>
<p>Some research has also found mindfulness for kids can help them learn <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/mindfulness_help_kids_learn_self_control">greater self-control</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116523/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Graham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Most parents know how important it is to read to their child, but not as many know the importance of helping them learn emotional skills. And it’s the emotional skills teachers find most important.Amy Graham, PhD Candidate, Charles Darwin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1118262019-04-08T20:08:04Z2019-04-08T20:08:04ZWhich families delay sending their child to school, and why? We crunched the numbers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/266488/original/file-20190329-139371-hu6ypj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parents are often anxious about whether or not their child is ready for school.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Boys, younger children and children from relatively advantaged families and neighbourhoods – particularly in Sydney – are more likely to delay starting school. These are some of the findings of our study on who chooses to delay sending their children to school and how a child’s age when they start school is related to their “school readiness”.</p>
<p>Every year, thousands of Australian families with four-year-old children <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-to-send-a-child-to-school-causes-anxiety-and-confusion-for-parents-81330">face a difficult decision</a>: to enrol their child in school or delay for another year. Delayed entry typically <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/publications/child-care-and-early-childhood-education-australia">incurs a cost</a>, such as childcare fees or lost wages. For this reason, not all families may be in the same position to make the decision to delay, even if they wanted to.</p>
<p>Research shows <a href="http://www.canberra.edu.au/researchrepository/items/be4b4052-1770-b576-6d05-be92eb9a3731/1/">New South Wales tops the charts</a> when it comes to delaying school entry. Our paper, published today in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200619300110">Early Childhood Research Quarterly</a>, found one-quarter of children in NSW delayed school entry in 2009 and 2012, with geographic and social variation in the tendency to delay. </p>
<p>We also confirmed what many <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-20/when-should-your-child-start-school/8723332">parents</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-013-0126-8">teachers</a> believe: older children are more likely to have the developmental skills in place to hit the ground running in the first year of school.</p>
<h2>Measuring development</h2>
<p>Rules about when children can start school <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.AGES?end=2011&start=2011&view=bar">vary internationally</a> and across Australia. In NSW, the enrolment cut-off is July 31 and children must start school before they turn six.</p>
<p>This means parents of children born January to July must decide whether to send their child to school at the age of between four-and-a-half and five, or wait 12 months until they are five-and-a-half to six years old. Children with August-to-December birthdays have no choice about when to start school, except in special circumstances. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-more-parents-choosing-to-delay-when-their-child-starts-school-59375">Why are more parents choosing to delay when their child starts school?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our study used data on more than 100,000 NSW public school children in their first year of school. The data sets were collected as part of the <a href="https://www.aedc.gov.au/">Australian Early Development Census</a> in 2009 and 2012. The census takes place every three years and is based on teachers’ knowledge and observations of the children in their class.</p>
<p>Teachers fill out a <a href="https://www.aedc.gov.au/resources/detail/about-the-aedc-domains">questionnaire for each child</a>. It asks more than 100 questions covering five key domains of development: physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive, and communication.</p>
<p>Children’s development is scored between 0 and 10 on each domain. Children with scores in the bottom 25% are considered developmentally vulnerable or at risk. In this study, we considered children with scores above 25% in all five domains to be developing as expected.</p>
<p>We combined the developmental data with information from other routinely collected population data sets, such as birth registrations, midwives and hospital data, to better understand children’s health and family circumstances.</p>
<h2>Who delays school entry?</h2>
<p>Besides finding boys and children from more advantaged neighbourhoods are more likely to delay starting school, we also found children with higher developmental needs – such as hearing and communication impairments, and children who were born preterm – were among those more likely to delay school entry. </p>
<p>Family background played a role. Children born to mothers from Australia or northern Europe were more likely to delay. Children born to mothers from Asia, North Africa or the Middle East were less likely to delay. This may reflect a range of cultural, social and economic circumstances, as well as attitudes and beliefs. However, we did not have information about why families made their choices in this study. </p>
<p>Delayed school entry varied depending on where children lived, ranging from 8% to 54% of children in an area. In general, it was more common for children in regional areas to delay, compared with children from cities.</p>
<p>There was substantial variation within Sydney. Delayed school entry was least common among children living in the southwestern suburbs, which have great cultural diversity and more low-income households, compared with other areas in Sydney. </p>
<hr>
<p><iframe id="IjSWu" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/IjSWu/6/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<p>We found children were more likely to be ready for school with each additional month of age at the start of the school year. The differences in children’s development were quite small month to month – there wasn’t a big gap between August-born and September-born children, for example. </p>
<p>But the differences did add up: there was a substantial development gap between the youngest and oldest children in the first year of school. For example, around 60% of children who started school aged five-and-a-half to six years old had scores above the 25% cut-off point in all five development domains. Only 36% of those who started aged four-and-a-half met this threshold.</p>
<h2>What does this mean for families and policymakers?</h2>
<p>Every parent knows their child best. Families should consider the available evidence together with their own personal circumstances, advice from their local school or preschool, and any other factors that are important to their family when making the decision about when to send the child to school.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-to-send-a-child-to-school-causes-anxiety-and-confusion-for-parents-81330">When to send a child to school causes anxiety and confusion for parents</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our findings are also relevant to the ongoing debate about school enrolment policies in Australia and the potential impact of these on the make-up of classrooms and children’s school readiness.</p>
<p>One option for policymakers is to change the school enrolment cut-off date. For example, raising the minimum school starting age would remove the youngest group of children from the classroom, who are less likely to have the developmental skills to thrive in school. This would narrow the age range and development gap between the youngest and oldest kids in the classroom.</p>
<p>However, raising the school starting age might place pressure on families to provide preschool care, or restrict workforce participation for parents. A later start to school might also mean children enter the workforce a year later, potentially impacting total lifetime earnings. </p>
<p>A key question for future research is whether these initial age-related development gaps remain over time. The available evidence from other countries is mixed. Some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775716301753">studies have found</a> younger children quickly catch up with older classmates. Other research shows older children have an advantage over their younger peers throughout childhood in multiple areas, including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273229700905161">sports</a>, <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w21610">mental health</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/121/4/1437/1855234">test results</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111826/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Hanly has received funding from the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Edwards receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, Federal and Victorian Departments of Education, Federal Department of Social Services and the United Nations. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Falster has received funding from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council, New South Wales (NSW) Ministry of Health, and the NSW Department of Family and Community Services. </span></em></p>Research has found one-quarter of children in NSW delayed school entry in 2009 and 2012, with the tendency to delay varying according to where families live and their socio-economic status.Mark Hanly, Research Fellow, UNSW SydneyBen Edwards, Associate Professor, Child and Youth Development and Longitudinal Studies, Australian National UniversityKathleen Falster, Senior Research Fellow, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/987042018-06-25T05:00:11Z2018-06-25T05:00:11ZThe ‘right’ age to start school varies for each child<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224583/original/file-20180625-152168-167d55x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The right age for your child to start school will vary, depending on their readiness, your family situation and the readiness of the school for the child.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Howard County Library System/flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s that time of year again, when the noticeboard outside your local primary school is likely to read “Enrol your child for kindergarten/prep now”. But how do you know what the “right” age to start school is? </p>
<p>There is variation in the ideal age to start school for each child, because it’s not simply about the readiness of the individual child. It’s also about the family context and the readiness of the school for that child to start. In other words, what happens at school once the child gets there is more important than their age.</p>
<h2>The ‘right’ age to start school in Australia</h2>
<p>Since the <a href="https://www.acara.edu.au/home">Australian curriculum</a> was endorsed in 2015, there has been <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-03/calls-for-uniform-school-starting-age/6908846">ongoing public debate</a> about whether there also should be a uniform school starting age. But across Australia, the cut-offs for starting school are still varied:</p>
<hr>
<p><iframe id="mt1L9" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/mt1L9/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<p>At independent schools, the recommended starting age may vary yet again. When parents read <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/when-is-the-best-age-to-start-school-how-about-7-20180610-p4zko8.html">media reports</a> of educationally successful countries (such as Finland, Denmark and Sweden) where children start school aged seven, the question of the “right” age becomes even more confusing. </p>
<h2>Questions parents can ask to decide the right age</h2>
<p>A review of the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1747938X1830229X">research</a> on school transitions was published recently by Australian researchers. It shows that while there are different theoretical approaches taken to framing school transitions, six concepts are common: readiness, relationships, transition activities, teaching methods, power, and policy. </p>
<p>In relation to these six concepts, and drawing on ongoing <a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319583273">research</a>, here are some key questions parents can ask to determine whether to send child to school this year.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224585/original/file-20180625-152140-bmb7aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224585/original/file-20180625-152140-bmb7aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224585/original/file-20180625-152140-bmb7aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224585/original/file-20180625-152140-bmb7aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224585/original/file-20180625-152140-bmb7aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224585/original/file-20180625-152140-bmb7aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224585/original/file-20180625-152140-bmb7aw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Social, cultural and other contextual factors particular to your family and the school are as important as the needs of individual children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Readiness</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>How does the preschool/school define readiness? </p></li>
<li><p>are there particular types of knowledge, skills or abilities children are expected to have prior to starting at that school? </p></li>
<li><p>what are the social and emotional skills expected in different contexts, such as during whole class activities, in working independently, when working in small groups or in the playground? </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Parents can reflect on their child’s and family’s needs, and how well matched these are to a school’s definition. Children are often required to increasingly self-regulate, focus and participate independently in a range of activities during the first year of school.</p>
<p><strong>Relationships</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>What is the quality and nature of my child’s peer friendships? Will they have friends starting at the same school? </li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-more-parents-choosing-to-delay-when-their-child-starts-school-59375">Why are more parents choosing to delay when their child starts school?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<ul>
<li>how does the school work with families and local community to establish and develop strong relationships?</li>
</ul>
<p>Relationships are key to children developing a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220670309596617">sense of belonging</a> in their new school.</p>
<p><strong>Transitions activities</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>What formal and informal programs and activities are in place to help children and families settle into school, in the year before school starts and during the first year? </li>
</ul>
<p>These focus on helping the child and family prepare for school, as well as for the school to prepare to meet your child’s needs.</p>
<p><strong>Approaches to teaching and learning</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>Does the school emphasise a play-based program, or is there a stronger academic focus in kinder/prep?</p></li>
<li><p>what literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge does the particular school anticipate a “typical” kinder/prep student to start and finish the first year with?</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224587/original/file-20180625-152160-1hxwov6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224587/original/file-20180625-152160-1hxwov6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224587/original/file-20180625-152160-1hxwov6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224587/original/file-20180625-152160-1hxwov6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224587/original/file-20180625-152160-1hxwov6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224587/original/file-20180625-152160-1hxwov6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224587/original/file-20180625-152160-1hxwov6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parents need to ask questions about not just academic considerations, but social-emotional readiness and development as well.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Howard County Library System/flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p>what are some of the teaching and learning strategies used by class teachers to engage different students (for example, children with disabilities)?</p></li>
<li><p>how structured is the classroom environment in the first year of school? What is expected of children in a typical day? </p></li>
<li><p>is there homework in the first year of school and what does this involve?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>All primary teachers have professional knowledge that prepares them to modify and adapt their teaching and learning to suit wide-ranging student needs. Asking these questions should help parents decide if their child is suited to the approaches that commonly featured in teaching and learning programs at that particular school.</p>
<p><strong>Power</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>Are there opportunities for children to participate in decision-making processes in the classroom and at school (for example, is there a student council)?</p></li>
<li><p>how can families become involved and contribute to programs at the school and in the classroom?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Primary schools usually see themselves in partnership with parents in each child’s education. Many schools seek ways to meaningfully involve the children themselves and the parent community.</p>
<p><strong>Policy</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>What school-based policies are there to guide decisions that will enhance the learning of my child? </li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-you-know-when-your-child-is-ready-for-school-42614">How do you know when your child is ready for school?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While certainly not exhaustive, these questions can provide a basis for conversations you might have within your family and with early childhood educators at your child’s preschool or daycare as well as the school’s principal and kinder or prep teachers.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia-2011/schools-and-schooling/school-structures">Australian curriculum</a> assumes students will start school by the time they have turned six. So the learning outcomes in the first year of school have been written to suit “typical” learners of this age. </p>
<p>But chronological age is only a crude indicator of the “right” age to start school for any child. Social, cultural and other contextual factors particular to your family and the school are as important as the dispositions, traits and needs of individual children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98704/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn is currently engaged in a research evaluation funded by the NSW Department of Education. </span></em></p>There are a number of questions parents should be asking to determine what age is best to send their child to school.Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn, Senior Lecturer and researcher in Education, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/661172016-09-29T03:22:26Z2016-09-29T03:22:26ZDo ‘kindy bootcamps’ get children ready for school?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139533/original/image-20160928-727-em6t7s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'Kindy bootcamps' tend to be run by untrained teachers.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A recent surge in private companies offering “skill and drill” school-readiness programs has been likened to “<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/prekindy-bootcamp-the-threeyearolds-with-homework-20160923-grmv0c.html">kindy bootcamps</a>” by the media. </p>
<p>These programs typically run for one hour a week (with fees in the range of A$40 an hour) for small groups of around five children aged between two and five.</p>
<p>The programs are often housed within companies that also offer tutoring to school-age children. They are not regulated or accredited, as child care, preschool and kindergarten full-time programs are. </p>
<p>Parents with disposable incomes seem to be seeking out these add-on programs to ease their anxieties about their child’s future academic achievement and competitive entry into elite schools.</p>
<h2>Flaws in these programs</h2>
<p>These school-readiness programs generally have four main flaws. </p>
<h3>1. Run by untrained teachers</h3>
<p>Commercial school-readiness programs are largely run by people without early childhood teaching qualifications. Because they are not regulated, there are no qualification requirements. </p>
<p>There is no guarantee that the program will be delivered by someone who is a qualified teacher or has any training. They may just have had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2005/jan/05/schools.uk2">some training in their scripted program</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.keeplearningeducation.com.au/page28.html">Some programs are facilitated by</a> primary-trained teachers. However, such degrees are largely based on curriculum content, whereas early childhood qualifications specialise in the nuanced development, pedagogy, curricula, environments and relationships of early childhood to provide customised educational programs to meet individual children’s needs.</p>
<p>Attending a commercial school-readiness program is effectively like having someone with a first-aid certificate (granted they have had some training in the prescriptive program) treat your child’s long-term health-care needs instead of a doctor. </p>
<p>All licensed early childhood education and care services in Australia must have access to, or employ, at least one qualified full-time early childhood teacher (depending on child numbers). Funded kindergarten programs must be planned and delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher. </p>
<p>Internationally, there is <a href="http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/49325825.pdf">strong evidence</a> that higher specialised early childhood qualifications raise the quality of interaction and pedagogy in early childhood education and care. This enhances student educational outcomes. </p>
<h3>2. ‘Readiness’ places pressure on children</h3>
<p>The idea of “school readiness” places all the pressure on the child – who at this point is around four or five years old. But how do you really know when a child is ready? </p>
<p>Commercial school-readiness programs are designed to accelerate maturation. They do this through rote-learning-style drills to teach the alphabet, phonemes (letter sounds) and numbers.</p>
<p>In 1925, it was proposed that children matured based on internal predetermined timing of growth and maturation. Since then many developmental psychologists and learning theorists have argued and demonstrated that children’s growth and development are influenced by a number of factors. These include relationships, family resources and experiences, neighbourhood, community resources and responsive early childhood programs provided by qualified early childhood teachers.</p>
<h3>3. Sole focus on literacy and numeracy</h3>
<p>Commercial school-readiness programs are largely focused on learning literacy and numeracy. For example, in the Keep Learning program they learn blends through basal readers and worksheets. This is simply focusing on the alphabetic code (knowing the letters and their corresponding sounds). </p>
<p>A quality early childhood program will embrace a holistic approach which enhances children’s sense of identity, their capacity to look after themselves (dressing and feeding, for example), to plan, play and create with others, to show care and respect for others and the environment, to make choices, take risks, manage change and celebrate achievements. All this (and more) is achieved through provocative learning environments, child-initiated inquiries, intentional teaching and exploratory creative play.</p>
<h3>4. Too few hours</h3>
<p>Most of these commercial programs run for only one hour a week. That is not going to have a lasting impact. Young children learn through being immersed for ongoing periods (days, weeks, months) in purposefully designed early childhood environments, which provoke learning inquiries and offer opportunity for child-directed activity with open-ended materials guided by experienced early childhood teachers. </p>
<p>The United Nations Children’s Fund has set a global benchmark of 15 hours per week for preschool children aged four and five. Regular ongoing participation in programs provided by early childhood teachers has been <a href="http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3155&context=sspapers">proven to be most beneficial for learning outcomes</a>.</p>
<h2>School transition programs</h2>
<p>The problem with such “bootcamps” is that they put the pressure on the child to fit in with school systems – and what they perceive as being “ready”. </p>
<p>Yet <a href="http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n2/dockett.html">extensive research</a> on starting school has identified that what really counts is schools working with early childhood and community services, neighbourhoods, children and families to facilitate children’s ongoing development as capable learners. </p>
<p>This involves schools taking the responsibility to plan for successful transitions for young children to school. They do so using community data (such as Australian Early Development Census Data) and getting to know children and families through early childhood and community services. </p>
<p>By making the effort to know and understand next year’s student cohort, schools can plan for responsive environments and effective teaching practices that meet the specific children’s needs. </p>
<p><a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/pdf_with_bookmarking_-_continuity_of_learning-_30_october_2014_1_0.pdf">National guidelines</a> are available for transition to school. State education departments also provide transition-to-school guides and resources.</p>
<p>Community-facilitated transition programs aim to respond to each child’s strengths and challenges, and include children’s views as a way to inform the direction of the program. </p>
<p>As <a href="http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n2/dockett.html">research tells us</a>, children can make valuable contributions to transition programs that are educational for all involved.</p>
<h2>Impact of quality early childhood education</h2>
<p>Participation in a quality early childhood education program has consistently demonstrated developmental and academic benefits, with the greatest gains for children from <a href="http://aihw.gov.au/workarea/downloadasset.aspx?id=60129552948">disadvantaged backgrounds</a>. </p>
<p>Data shows that children who have had at least a year of quality preschool education <a href="http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/research/preschoolparticipationandqualissummarypaper2013.pdf?Redirect=1">perform better</a> in Year 3 NAPLAN and in the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results-overview.pdf">Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)</a> for 15-year-olds.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/66117/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Louise Phillips receives research funding from the Spencer Foundation and the Queensland Department of Education and Training. She is affiliated with the Australian Literacy Educators' Association as co-editor of Practical Literacy: the early and primary years. </span></em></p>Parents are sending their children to private pre-school programs as a way to ensure they are ready to start school. But are these effective?Louise Phillips, Lecturer in Arts and early years education, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/468442015-09-16T10:07:51Z2015-09-16T10:07:51ZWhy storytelling skills matter for African-American kids<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94876/original/image-20150915-29630-919n4h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">African-American kids have strong storytelling skills.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/unirodlibrary/8725570357/in/photolist-ei3Q5e-ei3QLx-ei3Qx2-ei3Q7K-ei3QDi-ei3QBD-ei3QVe-ei9z6w-ei9yWA-ei9yay-ei3NZr-ei9zeu-ei3QST-ei9zRu-ei9z3C-ei3PPn-ei9zJA-ei3NSP-ei3NMV-ei3QFM-ei3Qop-ei9xXf-ei3R1n-ei9ypW-ei3Qsg-ei9yEW-ei3R26-ei3PCk-ei9y69-ei9zWh-ei9zwW-ei3PXv-ei9yvu-ei3Q8D-ei3P7x-ei3QPV-ei9yim-ei9xMQ-ei3PQK-ei9zj3-ei3R6c-ei3QsH-ei3Qzr-ei3QBH-ei3QvM-ei3PWK-ei9yzY-ei9y1u-ei3NVR-ei3QmD">Rod Library</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Children begin telling stories as young as age two or three. And they continue to develop storytelling skills in their interaction with parents and others who provide guidance and feedback. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://edr.sagepub.com/content/39/4/305.short">ability to tell</a> a coherent and well-developed narrative may be important for children’s literacy development. However, <a href="http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1781411">most</a> of the <a href="http://fla.sagepub.com/content/24/2/123.short">studies</a> on <a href="https://brainmass.com/file/369304/edu-101-4-765Reading+Comprehension.pdf">children’s storytelling and reading</a> skills have been conducted with samples of middle-class white children.</p>
<p>To address this gap in the research, my colleague, <a href="http://cyfs.unl.edu/faculty-staff/affiliates/bios/iruka-iheoma.php">Iheoma Iruka</a>, and I studied data of children from different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups from across the United States.</p>
<p>What we found surprised us. </p>
<h2>Storytelling among African-American children</h2>
<p>For our research, we used national data from the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/ecls/">Early Childhood Longitudinal Study</a>, a study of about 14,000 children born in the US in 2001, that examined their development, school readiness and early school experiences. We focused on 6,150 children who were identified as African American, Asian American, Latino and European American. </p>
<p>To understand the role that storytelling skills play in the link between language and early literacy, we used data from when children were two years old until they were five years old. </p>
<p>When the children were two years old, parents were asked to describe their children’s language abilities. Later, when children were four years old, their storytelling skills were measured by asking them to retell stories they had just heard a researcher tell them. At five years old, children were given an assessment of their early literacy. </p>
<p>For most racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups of children, we found that children who had better language skills as toddlers did better on the literacy assessment when they were five years old. </p>
<p>But when we looked at how storytelling plays a role between early language and early literacy, we found that when it came to African-American children, it made a big difference. For these children, the higher their storytelling scores, the better they did on the early literacy assessment. Interestingly, it didn’t make a difference for the other groups.</p>
<h2>What this study tells us</h2>
<p><a href="http://fla.sagepub.com/content/24/2/123.short">Storytelling skills</a> may be less important for the early literacy skills of most children. But for African-American children, these skills seem to be important for early literacy in a way that may not be true of other children. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94895/original/image-20150915-29611-7iwwta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/94895/original/image-20150915-29611-7iwwta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94895/original/image-20150915-29611-7iwwta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94895/original/image-20150915-29611-7iwwta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94895/original/image-20150915-29611-7iwwta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94895/original/image-20150915-29611-7iwwta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/94895/original/image-20150915-29611-7iwwta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">African-American culture inculcates orality.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/unirodlibrary/8725568965/in/photolist-ei3PEe-ei3P4X-ei9ydN-ei3PsZ-ei9yc7-ei9ypo-ei3Q5e-ei3QLx-ei3Qx2-ei3Q7K-ei3QDi-ei3QBD-ei3QVe-ei9z6w-ei9yWA-ei9yay-ei3NZr-ei9zeu-ei3QST-ei9zRu-ei9z3C-ei3PPn-ei9zJA-ei3NSP-ei3NMV-ei3QFM-ei3Qop-ei9xXf-ei3R1n-ei9ypW-ei3Qsg-ei9yEW-ei3R26-ei3PCk-ei9y69-ei9zWh-ei9zwW-ei3PXv-ei9yvu-ei3Q8D-ei3P7x-ei3QPV-ei9yim-ei9xMQ-ei3PQK-ei9zj3-ei3R6c-ei3QsH-ei3Qzr-ei3QBH">Rod Library</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also know from <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885201496900131">other</a> <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZvwEDOhLbpEC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=heath+ways+with+words&ots=mmELKAF_pU&sig=TbaWohKSol10G1X-PSROnAM833A#v=onepage&q=heath%20ways%20with%20words&f=false">research</a> that <a href="http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1557864837.html">from early on</a>, African-American children <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10409289.2010.481552">tell stories</a> that are vivid, elaborate and rich in imagery. The <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10409289.2010.481552">quality of stories</a> produced by <a href="http://lshss.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1780357">African-American children</a> has been found to be <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03004430.2010.490946">on par with or exceed</a> that of stories told by their white peers. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0898589894900094">Other studies</a> find that African-American children have a wide repertoire of storytelling styles, which they use flexibly depending on the context. </p>
<p>The strong storytelling skills of African-American children may stem from the cultural and historic influences that have fostered a <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=5XuRAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=tempii+champion+book&ots=u6FexFy8Kh&sig=nUUvxu4HI6vjdjbcxSVkJTA9OqM#v=onepage&q=tempii%20champion%20book&f=false">preference for orality</a> among African Americans. </p>
<p>All this should lead us to believe that African-American kids, with their strong storytelling skills, should do better with their reading skills. However, we know that African-American children are failing to learn basic reading skills. A nationwide test of <a href="http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_2013/#/gains-by-group">reading achievement</a> showed that <a href="http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/dataset.aspx">four out of five African-American</a> fourth graders failed to achieve competency in reading in 2013. </p>
<p>So, why are African-American children not performing better in reading? More research is needed, but <a href="http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1162/003465304323031049">possible</a> <a href="http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1162/003465304323031049">explanations</a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061698/">suggest</a> that the low-quality schools many of these kids go to end up having a negative impact on their reading skills. In addition, many of these kids may have language skills that <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061698/">differ</a> from those expected at school. </p>
<h2>Why does storytelling matter?</h2>
<p>For most other kids, studies suggest that storytelling skills may show their influence when <a>children are older</a>. </p>
<p>And that could be because storytelling uses “decontextualized” language. Decontextualized language differs from conversational or contextualized language in that decontextualized language functions independently from the immediate context or shared knowledge between listeners and the storyteller. </p>
<p>As children tell stories, they gain practice in using the same type of language that is used in written text, which can help them as they learn to read. </p>
<p>While teachers and parents have been told to read books to children to support their language and literacy development, encouraging children to tell stories as a way to support language and literacy has received less attention. </p>
<p>So, what can teachers and parents do? </p>
<p>Many schools have a “show-and-tell” time that can allow children a chance to practice storytelling skills as they share information about a valued object. As teachers and peers ask questions, they can facilitate children’s storytelling skills. </p>
<p>Parents and teachers can also model storytelling for children by sharing their own experiences, in the form of a story that has a clear beginning, middle and end, and addresses the questions of who, what, where, when and why. Using props like wordless books, puppets, dolls and photographs may also help children in developing stories. </p>
<p>While learning to tell stories can be useful for all children, this skill may be most needed for those at risk of achieving reading competency.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46844/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Gardner-Neblett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>African-American children tell stories that are vivid, elaborate, and rich in imagery. These skills help support their early literacy skills. How can schools take advantage of this?Nicole Gardner-Neblett, Investigator, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.