When a child turns 6 years old, and he knows how to count and read well, parents ask themselves: “Isn’t it time to send him to school?”. But psychologists advise not to rush. There are many factors that determine the readiness of children to learn. When is the best time to send your child to school?
The first time in first class
The most important thing that parents of future first graders should be aware of is that you are not competing with anyone. No need to go forward under the motto “Faster, higher, stronger!”
The further life of the child depends on the start of training — how he will learn and interact with peers and teachers, how organically he can fit into the team.
Myths about early development have given rise to the erroneous belief that one must chase unattainable ideals. But much more important is to keep the child motivated, the desire to learn and comprehend science. And this is possible only under one condition — when the child is ready for school. But how to determine whether it is already ready or you need to wait a bit?
Definition of school readiness
There are children who are ready for school as early as 6 years old, others at 7, and still others at full 8. How do you know if your particular child can study? It turns out that the ability to count and write is by no means the most important indicators.
Psychophysiological readiness. Psychologists are sure that at the age of 5–6 years, all learning skills in a child are formed only in the process of playing activities. This is because memory and attention in babies are involuntary. And for the successful education of a child at school, it is voluntary attention that is very important — that is, that which is achieved with the help of volitional effort.
If a child can hold attention even in a not very interesting lesson and at the same time arbitrarily memorize a small amount of information, these are undoubted advantages in favor of the first class. If not, it might be better to wait.
Motivational readiness. By this term, teachers understand the child’s interest in learning and the desire to learn something new. Children aged 6–6.5 may want to go to school, but this may be due to attractive external paraphernalia — the desire to carry a briefcase and a school uniform or attend a new school building, rather than an old kindergarten. Learning motivation at this age is an infrequent phenomenon. But at an older age, it can be formed.
social maturity. The adaptation of the child in the school and the team depends on it. To understand whether a child has social maturity, you need to look at whether he can communicate with peers and adults, build positive relationships, defend his point of view and when to compromise. How he reacts to conflict situations, whether he can get out of them without loss.
An important point is the desire of the child
At whatever age the child is in school, learning in it will be stressful for him. A new unfamiliar team (if not the entire kindergarten group goes to school), there is no play activity, a strict daily routine, uniform requirements for teachers.
The success of adaptation largely depends on whether the child himself wanted to go to school. But another important point is what kind of relationship he has with his first teacher. Children and their parents often have the opportunity to get to know him at preparatory courses. If these relationships are positive, there are no fears and rejection, and the child himself is ready to learn, you can plan schooling.
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