School Readiness: An Overview for Pediatricians

Pediatricians historically have played a role in determining whether a child is prepared for entry by performing preschool physical examinations. Recent trends, including a tendency among some middle-class families and districts to delay entry of typical kindergarten-age children until the next year, the increased use of tests in schools, and the emphasis of federal legislation to identify preschool (P.L. 99-457) and school-age (P.L. 94-142) handicapped children, have placed a greater burden on pediatricians to assess the school readiness of their patients. Much controversy exists among educators about how to define readiness, measure it, and manage children who may not be ready for school. Some of these controversies will be presented in this article. In light of these issues, a cautious role for pediatricians in assessing and making recommendations for readiness, commensurate with the pediatricians9 developmental perspective and awareness of the child9s family and environment, will be described. What is School Readiness? All schools arbitrarily set a date by which children must reach their fifth birthday to enter kindergarten, and this date has moved ahead considerably during the past decades to the current typical September 1 to October 1 cutoff. Although this age approach may be the most equitable method of allowing access to public education, the earlier age of entry results in a younger group of children who are potentially less ready to participate in school.