Making the transition to an online school can be overwhelming and a daunting experience for some children (and their families), if they are not physically or emotionally ready. Yes, they may be able to count to 20, write their name and even recognise a few words, but how does this prepare them for the reality that is entering the schooling system, and all that that brings? So many physical and emotional skills and attributes are needed as a foundation to being truly ready to learn.

 

What is online school readiness?

School readiness refers to whether a child is ready to make an easy and successful transition into school. The term ‘preschool readiness’ might be used in the same manner (in reference to starting preschool). School readiness can be  facilitated with a little forward planning. This will ensure that children regularly participate in activities that develop the skills required  for optimal learning. While many people think of academics (e.g. writing their name, counting to ten, knowing the colours) as the important school readiness skills, school readiness actually refers to a much broader range of skills.

In addition to some academic basics, school readiness skills also include:

• Self-care (independent toileting and opening lunch boxes)
• Attention and concentration
• Physical skills (e.g. having the endurance to sit upright for an entire school day)
• Emotional regulation
• Language skills 
• Play and social skills.

According to Dr Ursula Walton, Head of an Early Years Development School; vital skills for ‘online school readiness’ include:

• Resilience, self-esteem and self-regulation to help manage emotional challenges and frustrations rationally. Self-regulation in particular,  gives  students the skills and tools to deal with stress associated with online schooling.
• Self-awareness, self-care skills are required to help deal with their physical and emotional needs. Children need to be able to identify when something is not right, what they might do about it and how they can ask their parents / guardians or tutors for help.
• Good listening and communication skills, to help them process what they are being asked to do and knowing when to ask for help.
• A strong physical core and spatial awareness to help them focus on their work while exploring their new online learning platform.
• A healthy body and good physical skills in order that they can feel comfortable throughout the day, take part in private sport and cultural activities with confidence and get themselves dressed and undressed as needed.
• Prosocial skills such as empathy, cooperation, respect and kindness will help children to see the world beyond themselves. 
• Ability to be inquisitive, recognise risks, problem solve, speak up and challenge what is not right – even in an online environment.

It goes without saying that we are not suggesting children will have mastered these skills by the time they start their first online class. These skills will need to be built upon and developed throughout their formative years. However, the pressure on schools to demonstrate progress in mathematics, literacy, communication and language through the Baseline Assessment sends the message to parents and many teachers / tutors that these areas of learning need to be the priority.

We want to ensure this is not the experience our children have as they become young adults. This requires a focus on children’s health and wellbeing as the priority, rather than formal assessments. To achieve this, we must:

• Ensure that children have plentiful opportunities to be active
• Get fresh air and spend time in natural environments
• Enable them to celebrate diversity
• Build their confidence through experiencing the arts and being creative

Children should be encouraged to read, write and know how to count in order to have the best opportunities as adults.We do, however, believe that all these things, and more, will arise when emphasis is placed on the child’s physical, emotional and neurological wellbeing. These aspects often serve as an indicator that they are ready for any type of school – online or the traditional brick and mortar.

Why are school readiness skills important?

The development of online school readiness skills allows tutors and parents to expand and further develop a child’s skills, specifically:

• Social interaction
• Play
• Language
• Emotional development
• Physical skills
• Literacy & Fine motor skills

Without these basic skills already established upon entry to online school, children may find themselves playing ‘catch up’ compared to their peers that are advancing more quickly. Students that begin school with the building blocks already in place may advance quicker. 

What are the building blocks necessary to develop school readiness?

• Self-regulation: The ability to obtain, maintain and change emotion, behaviour, attention and activity level appropriate for a task or situation.
• Sensory processing: Accurate processing of sensory stimulation in the environment as well as in one’s own body that influences attention and learning that effects how you sit, hold a pencil and listen to the online lesson.
• Receptive language (understanding): Comprehension of spoken language (e.g. the online teacher’s instructions).
• Expressive language (using language): Producing speech or language that can be understood by others (e.g. talking to friends).
• Articulation: The ability to clearly pronounce individual sounds in words.
• Executive functioning: Higher order reasoning and thinking skills (e.g. What do I need to successfully complete the task that has been given to me?).
• Emotional development/regulation: The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and regulate emotions (for a child’s own responses to challenges).
• Social skills: Determined by the ability to engage in reciprocal interaction with others online or physically (either verbally or non-verbally), to compromise with others and to be able to recognise and follow social norms.
• Planning and sequencing: The sequential multi-step task/activity performance to achieve a well-defined result (e.g. a cut and paste task or a simple maths activity).