 Executive
Summary/What is School Readiness to Learn and Why is it
Important?/The Early Development Instrument
Research has shown that the first years of a child’s
life set the stage for later
development and success in school and life. We know that from
birth children’s
brains are wired to learn which is why the quality of their
early experiences is so
important. More neural connections are made in a toddler’s
brain than in the
brain of an older child or adult. These connections develop
primarily as the
result of sensory stimulation (i.e., through sight, sound, smell,
taste and touch).
We also understand that from birth to age six there are “critical
periods” during
which certain skills develop (e.g., language and peer social
skills)2. As such,
optimal brain development occurs when these skills are practiced
in happy,
healthy and stimulating environments. These environments include
not only the
home but also the neighbourhood or community in which the child
lives.
Children’s early experiences have a direct impact on
school readiness to learn.
This term refers to “the child’s ability to meet
the task demands at school and the
child’s ability to benefit from the educational activities
provided by the school”3.
Although definitions may vary slightly, it is generally agreed
upon that school
readiness to learn focuses on the following five areas of development:
physical
well-being and motor development, emotional and social development,
language
development, cognitive development and general knowledge. These
five areas of
development include such skills as physical coordination, an
eagerness to try
new experiences, cooperation with others, and understanding
verbal
communication by both peers and adults4. Some groups also include
“approaches to learning” in their overall definition
of school readiness which
includes skills such as following directions5.
School readiness to learn is receiving increasing attention
in many communities.
This is largely due to the fact that it has been shown to have
important longlasting
effects on children and also on society. Children who are ready
to learn at
school perform better in the early grades than children who
are not, and in turn,
are more likely to finish high school6. It is well-established
that high school
completion is directly related to employability, which has positive
economic
repercussions for society as a whole7.
To respond to the growing interest in school readiness to learn,
several on-line
resources have been developed for parents and educators on ways
to support
early child development and prepare children for school. In
the Ottawa
community, many service providers offer various school readiness
programming
and resources to both children and parents. As well, all of
the Ottawa school
boards offer some form of school readiness information sessions
for parents. At
the same time, researchers are developing ways to measure children’s
readiness
to learn at school. Tools such as the EDI are important as they
can help to inform
communities on the development of their young children and highlight
which
areas require support to ensure future school readiness to learn.
Executive
Summary/What is School Readiness to Learn and Why is it
Important?/The Early Development Instrument
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