Abstract
School readiness is a construct used by educators and policy makers to describe a range of abilities that are beneficial for children transitioning to school. The association of socioeconomic disadvantage with developmental vulnerability when children start school is well established. Parents play a crucial role in supporting children’s transition to school and are acknowledged as their child’s first and foremost teacher. The aim of this study was to explore how parents experience and support their children’s transition to school. This study presents findings from an ethnographic study with 39 parents living in two Australian communities characterised by high area-level socioeconomic disadvantage. The study reports on how parents experience and support their child for transition to school, specifically through their understanding of the concept of ‘readiness’. The role of early childhood services in supporting parents is also explored. Parents conceptualised school readiness as the child’s capacity to function effectively and independently in the hitherto unfamiliar physical and social world of school. Parents considered early childhood services supportive of their children's transition to school, particularly the development of social skills.
Highlights
Starting school is a significant milestone in the life of a child and their parents or carers
Primary site selection was informed by data on births, area-level socioeconomic disadvantage, service use, Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) results, the presence or absence of a CFC, and input from government partners from the early childhood health and education sectors (Department of Education and Training 2015; Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016; Taylor et al 2017)
This study has reported on how parents experience and prepare for their children’s transition to school, through their understanding of the concept of ‘readiness’
Summary
Starting school is a significant milestone in the life of a child and their parents or carers. Childhood Education Journal and emotional competence, language and cognitive development, communication skills and general knowledge (Guhn et al 2016; Miller and Kehl 2019), as well as attitudes towards learning in the classroom (e.g., interest and engagement) and classroom skills and behaviours (e.g., following instructions, cooperating with a group) (Domitrovich et al 2012). Children, their families, communities, early childhood services, and schools are all involved in preparing children for the transition to school. The AEDC aims to drive improvements in developmental outcomes for children through parents, schools and communities working together; providing parents with information about how to support their child’s development across the five AEDC domains (Department of Education and Training 2020)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
