carousel
About School Readiness
The concept of School Readiness can best be described as a developmental frameworkfor children aligned with the foundational social, educational, and health related norms of this society. Fundamentally, children are developed in the ground rules of how we function, educate, interact, communicate, and maintain good mental and physical health in this society. Stated simply, the concept of school readiness is about the socialization of children, beginning at birth and continuing through school entry and into the third grade.
To achieve school readiness,children are developed in a set of interrelated skills, knowledge, and behaviors that together form the foundation, that:
- All of their future learning and development will be built upon
- Will allow their innate capacity for learning to function freely and productively
- Helps them to contextualize their learning
- Supports them in being able to handle a structured school curriculum
- Eliminate the social, emotional, language, cognitive, and health related CONFLICTS that research has demonstrated limit, impede, or block learning altogether
- Supports the development of a child's attention and engagement in learning and the effective use of their critical thinking and problem solving abilities
- Best positions them for success in school and later life
The US Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2050, persons of color—Hispanics (29%), African Americas (13%) and Asians (9%) will be the majority population in the United States. But will African Americans and Hispanics be any more relevant in 2050 than they are today?
- Today, African Americans and Hispanics are at the bottom of every major statistical category that measures social, educational, or economic progress in this country; Both racial groups have the highest percentage of persons living in poverty; and there is statistical evidence that over the next five years, children of color who are disproportionately poor—nearly 1 in 3—will be a majority of all children in America.
- Noted management guru Peter Drucker once said that “trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window.” But when you consider the social, educational, and economic plight of African American and Hispanics in this country today, doesn’t it make you wonder if the data isn’t trying to alert us to the possibility of a 2050 where the majority of African Americans and Hispanics in this country are poor, undereducated, and with little or no hope of realizing any significant economic or social progress in their lifetime. But more importantly, you also wonder—DOES ANYONE CARE?
- Twenty-first century America will be characterized in history as time of great change. One of the most significant changes taking place is the transformations of our society from a “herd” mentality to valuing the individual. Today, America honors those individuals that have developed a consciousness rooted in the concepts of leadership, diversity, innovation, creativity, resilience, curiosity, problem solving, critical thinking, and the ability and willingness to work in collaborative environments. SCHOOL READINESS IS THE VEHICLE THAT DEVELOPS WITHIN A CHILD THE FOUNDATION NEEDED TO EVOLVE TO THIS LEVEL OF INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION.
- School readiness is the vehicle with the greatest potential to change the life condition of African Americans and Hispanics in this country. School readiness will provide children from minority and low-income families with a set of skills, knowledge, and behaviors that will position them to succeed in school; heighten their awareness of the world around them; and enhance their ability to effectively maneuver themselves through our highly structured and complex society. Likewise, school readiness will eliminate the social, emotional, cognitive, and health related conflicts that over the years have prevented African American and Hispanic children from entering our educational system on a more level playing field with their White, Asian, and more affluent counterparts.
- Today, the majority of all African American (56%) and Hispanic (74%) children in this country enter kindergarten significantly behind in their school readiness development. The research is clear. These children will never catch up without the assistance of an extraordinary intervention. Unfortunately, the intervention of choice—high-quality, center-based preschools—is 10 to 20 years from becoming a functional and productive reality in those areas of greatest need. So the question becomes—WHAT DO WE DO IN THE MEANTIME?
- Achieving school readiness for children from minority and low-income families is as important a civil rights issue today as voting rights was in the 1960’s. Therefore, the African American and Hispanic communities must be willing to make school readiness a priority and begin to take the actionable steps necessary to insure that greater numbers of children from these communities are given the support, guidance, and leadership needed to prepare them for entry into this country’s network of public and private schools. However, achieving this goal requires the ability to accomplish a series of uncommon acts: The ability to “WALK-AND-CHEW-GUM.” The willingness to GIVE. The courage to act SELF-SUFFICENTLY. And the confidence and sense of urgency to act outside this country’s (social policy) change paradigm which only supports limited incremental growth and where funding and legislative priorities determine what will or will not get done.
Connect With Us!