Ready or Not, Here we Come!

by Teri Spray

"Is my child ready?" is a question that plagues every parent regarding education. Let us show you how to find out.

Readiness is a concern in every compassionate educator's mind as the summer begins to wane and the fall season looms ahead with all the promises of a bright and wonderful new school year. We usually think of readiness in terms of reading readiness, which is very important. However, we should also look at readiness in terms of capitalization skills, punctuation problems, algebra understanding and logic for learning literature.

It is important to remember that Readiness is determined by physical growth, hormonal balance as well as brain development. Students who mature at a slower pace may not be lacking in ability, but merely maturing at a slower pace.

Reading Readiness:
Why-oh-why do most educational systems in America believe that six years of age miraculously causes a child to be ready to read fluently? Children do not fit the same pair of shoes at that age, why should they fit the institute timetable? Did every child learn to walk at the same age? Certainly not! Then do not expect them to learn to read at the same age either. (And don't try to use the "walking early theory" to apply to "reading early," because it doesn't work either!) So when is a child ready to read?

The answer is not as difficult as you may think. Most children are ready to read when they can discern lines and shapes into letters and numbers easily. Then they must also be able to distinguish individual sounds (phoneme awareness). They must also be able to recognize the shape of words. ("Daddy, does that sign spell "Stop?"") When your child begins to point to words and ask what it says, or begins to write his/her own name using sounds for the letters, you have a child ready to read at their own pace. Your little Wiggly Willy-type kids will only want to read large words on paper or boards in marker. The most important thing to do in measuring your child's readiness is to RELAX and love your child no matter how well they read. Be sensitive and keep reading together as positive as possible.

Dot's and Tittles Readiness:
When your seven-year-old bursts into tears because you have impatiently told him to put a capital letter here and not there, don't be surprised. I have worked with children who could read like little geniuses but could not possible understand how to capitalize anyone's name. It is not an instructional problem, nor it is it a curriculum problem, it is a READINESS PROBLEM! Somewhere around the age of nine, most children begin to understand the dots and tittles of general capitalization and punctuation rules. Until this time, please relax as this area is always taught repeatedly. Unlike Mathematics which is a steady progression, Grammar is always repeated and expanded each time it is taught. RELAX! We'll teach it again later.

Algebra Readiness:
Did you know that Algebra and teenage hormones don't mix? I'm not kidding! This is know fact in Math teaching circles. We have witnessed it ourselves many times.
Here is the sad tale: Marvelous Mike the Math Whiz is placed in high school algebra in the 8th grade during a huge growth spurt. The Algebra is harder than Mike expected, but he struggles along, hoping one day it will make some sense. But wait, here comes Geometry in the following year and now Mike's the troubles really begin. All of the Algebra he barely learned is suddenly gone with the summer growth spurt between 8th and 9th grade! Whoops! Now Marvelous Mike the Math Whiz is in trouble trying to do Geometry without Algebra. An attempt to "brush up" on Algebra only brings Mike more misery because he never understood it in the first place because Mike was not READY FOR ALGEBRA! Marvelous Mike is now Miserable Mike and none of it was his fault.

So what should we do with our Marvelous Math Whiz Kids? Well, when Pre-Algebra skills are completed we can begin a light Algebra curriculum alongside the practical skills of Consumer Math. (Consumer/Business Math is a graduation requirement.) We will plan on finishing our Algebra as the growth spurt is slowing down. We should also be careful to only teach Algebra with appropriate materials and techniques so that when readiness is in place, the Algebra is not bewildering. Aren't you glad that you are enrolled with Christian Cottage? :)

Literature Readiness:
High school literature requires levels of abstract reasoning and logic which can baffle the younger student. Junior high students tend to be little "data masters." They love trivia, data and facts. This is a wonderful time to learn facts about all other states, presidents, continents and countries of the world.

When the hormonal surges have mellowed and more reasoning ability begins to develop, the mind can now ponder the significance of theme, the meaning of moral tone and the foreshadowing of the climax. This usually occurs at about 15 to 16 years of age. Then high school students are ready for abstract reasoning.