Introduction
Readiness of the child for school means whether the child is ready to easily and comfortably move to a new stage of their education. On the neurobiological side, this term can refer to whether a child has a set of certain skills needed in school life, or whether their brain has matured enough to cope with the new load. The range of skills that indicate that a child is ready to go to school is wide, including academic, psychological, and physical. The basic physiological and physical skills that a child should have by school age include the ability to control impulses, concentrate, and the development of gross and fine motor skills. Despite the existence of norms for child development, not all children grow and acquire skills in the same way. Not all school-age children are truly ready for school, and this may not always indicate a deviation from the norm.
Ability to Control Impulses
The inability to control impulses is an indicator of a child’s unpreparedness for school. If a child does not have impulse control, their brain will not analyze the thoughts that arise. Lack of impulse control means that the child may behave inappropriately towards other people. Impulse control begins to develop between the ages of 3 and 5, and children should be able to control impulses by school age (Berke, 2008). ADHD is one possible consequence of poor impulse control (Barkley, 2003). The child in this case may be inattentive, distracted, impulsive, and hyperactive, which will prevent them from getting academic knowledge.
Ability to Concentrate
Concentration is the mental process of focusing the brain on one thought or task. The ability to concentrate appears in preschool children and requires constant development (Berke, 2008). The ability to hold attention is an individual trait, and some children find it easier in this area than others. The cerebral cortex is responsible for the ability to concentrate, which is connected with memory, thinking, and consciousness (Huttenlocher, 2002). Violation in the development of the cerebral cortex can cause difficulties with concentration. However, this is a very individual process, which is not always an aberration. Some children find it easier to concentrate at school, others at home, some concentrate well in background noise, and others experience difficulty.
Development of Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Physical activity and skills are very important for preparing for school. The development of fine and gross motor skills is associated with high rates of future academic performance and is indicative of high brain development (Restak, 2001). The development of fine and gross motor skills is important in everyday life. If children cannot hold a fork or drink without spilling, this indicates that they are not ready for the independence that is required at school. The development of motor skills can also affect the child’s self-perception, as well as their social behavior (Berke, 2008). The stage of development of motor skills may indicate the general normality or abnormality of the child’s development.
Conclusion
The development of a child’s brain directly affects school readiness. The inability to control impulses and concentrate will interfere with the assimilation of academic knowledge. The underdevelopment of motor skills can lead to the fact that the child will be socially and commonly unadapted. Often, the unattainability of certain skills by school age signals the underdevelopment of the child. However, all people grow and develop differently, and not all children can achieve a set of skills by a certain age, which may be a variant of the norm.
References
Barkley, R. A. (2003). Issues in the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. Brain and development, 25(2), 77-83.
Berke, L. E. (2008). Exploring lifespan development. Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Huttenlocher, P.R. (2002). Neural plasticity: The effects of environment on the development of the cerebral cortex. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Restak, R. (2001). The secret life of the brain. New York: Dana Press/Joseph Henry Press.