Worried Your Child May Not be Ready to Start School?

Starting school is an important step in a young child’s life and many parents worry that their child may not be ready to start school. So how can you tell if your child is ready?

There are many factors to consider, but above all the two most important factors are:

(1) What is the level of your child’s cognitive/ intellectual ability?

(2) Is your child socially and emotionally ready for school?

The two most common reasons for holding children back from school entry are when children are born close to the entry cutoff date, or when there is evidence of developmentalPreschool child delay. Each child is unique and there is no one rule for all. The specific advantages/disadvantages of holding your child back must be carefully considered for each child individually. Our assessment will help inform you as to whether your child has any evidence of cognitive, emotional or social delays which may affect them at school. If there are concerns, it is important that they are recognized as early as possible so that your child can undergo appropriate programs to accelerate lagging abilities.

What does a school readiness assessment involve?

A school readiness assessment is conducted by a qualified psychologist to evaluate how your child compares intellectually, socially and emotionally to children the same age. It will evaluate your child’s strengths and weaknesses, and show areas of potential concern in your child’s development that may affect them at school.

The evaluation involves the assessment of the following general cognitive skills:

  • General intellectual functioning (IQ)
  • Memory
  • Attention, concentration, impulsivity  (including ADHD screening)
  • Language: comprehension, expression & fluency
  • Speed of information processing
  • Visual perceptual skills
  • Visual-motor integration

In addition we assess early educational skills including:

  • Pre-literacy skills
  • Phonological awareness
  • Early number skills
  • Basic concepts

We also screen your child’s emotional, social & behavioural development including:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Withdrawal
  • Oppositional behavior
  • Social problems
  • Emotional control

Who should have a school readiness assessment?

  • Worried your child isn’t developmentally &/or cognitively keeping up with their peers?
  • Worried your child may not be emotionally ready for school?
  • Does your child have language delays?
  • Does your child have motor problems?
  • Does your child have difficulties concentrating and paying attention?

If you have answered yes to any of the above questions a school readiness assessment may be appropriate for your child.

A school readiness assessment can be conducted to clarify any specific areas of strength and weakness of your child. The assessment will describe skills that your child may need to develop, and we will also give you recommendations for how problem areas can be improved. We work together with you to put together a program to help accelerate your child’s cognitive development so that starting school doesn’t have to be a struggle.