Most people assume school readiness means knowing letters and numbers and even, how to read and write before school begins.
But school readiness actually has nothing to do with academics. The most crucial foundation for lifelong learning and success is social and emotional development, let's look at why....
Sometimes we become overly focused on teaching tamariki academic skills as early as possible, prioritizing learning to read and write at an early age, introducing math concepts before the are developmentally meaningful. In this rush we are completely overlooking social and emotional learning, without it, no amount of early academic instruction will lead to life-long success.
The Reality:
Memorizing letters and numbers means nothing if a child struggles with problem solving, resilience and communication. Writing their name early won't help if they lack the confidence to ask for help or express emotions. Extracurriculars won't translate into success if they can't handle frustration, navigate friendships, or manage emotions. The real work in early childhood isn't drilling academics - it is building a strong emotional foundation that shapes confidence, relationships, and a love for lifelong learning. slow down and make space for REAL social and emotional learning - instead of treating social and emotional learning as structured lessons, we need to create more opportunities for growth. Less rigid schedules, more time for deep play and social connections, less adult led instruction and more child-driven problem solving and exploration.
Where did this rush come from?
The belief that early exposure to academics leads to long term success. Lack of awareness on brain development and how children actually learn. Research consistently shows that tamariki in play based, socially rich environments perform better in the long run than those in high academic's preschool settings. The true definition of being school ready school isn't about coming in "ready" with academics - it is about having the social - emotional foundation to thrive.
Good questions to ask if you wonder if your child is ready for school:
Can they navigate big emotions and problem solve? Do they feel safe, secure and confident in relationships? Can they communicate their idea's and needs? Are the developing independence and resilience?
When a child has these foundational skills, academic's will come naturally. Without them learning becomes an uphill battle. Our set for school programme looks at all of this and supports your tamariki to be ready, we are all different all brains are different and magical we need to support and nurture them to grow in their own ways, teach and learn about diversity.
Sometimes the best preparation in making time for meaningful reciprocal conversations to really help verbal language development and feeling valued. Social and emotional isn't something you teach in isolation - it is something you live throughout every day. Here are some photos of today's busy learning environment.