“School Ready” is a State of Mind

School Readiness is a term we hear a lot, especially if we care for young children. Sometimes it feels like, when children arrive for their first day of kindergarten, they are expected to know all the facts and skills that, in the past, they would have learned over the course of the year! This can be motivating during the preschool and pre-K years, but it can also be stressful for parents. That’s especially true for those with children who have unique and developmental needs or behavioral and mental health challenges. But what, exactly, does school readiness really mean?  

 According to the National Association for the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC), the key to school readiness lies not in learning the ABCs, counting to 100, or identifying colors and shapes, but rather, in a healthy state of mind. This healthy state of mind lays the groundwork for a child’s ability to receive and retain information, listen and pay attention, cooperate with peers, focus, and more. But that healthy state of mind is only possible when many supportive factors work together.   

Research on mental health has shown time and again the crucial nature of a child’s earliest relationships for lifelong mental and emotional wellness. That’s why St. David’s Center’s Mental Health and inclusive Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs prioritize stable, supportive, and engaging relationships with caregivers. That goes for teachers and therapists, who receive ongoing professional development to help them best-support, guide, and connect with each child in the classroom or clinical space. That’s also why our programs support the child, and their families, helping foster the most stable, connected relationships possible between caregivers and children. While that kind of holistic support for children and parents is crucial, it’s also rare. But St. David’s Center isn’t alone in understanding that need. In fact, even the National Institute of Health emphasizes the importance of parent-child relationships early in life for cognitive development. Experts agree that positive, caring relationships with other caregivers, for example preschool and pre-K teachers, can have a similarly positive impact to relationships with parents and caregivers. 

Developing a “healthy state of mind” takes more than solid relationships with caregivers and peers. Other strategies and factors also help support children’s mental and emotional development to get them ready to learn. Researchers increasingly suggest that time outdoors has many cognitive and behavioral benefits too, including:  

• Reducing anxiety  

• Promoting social interactions and teamwork 

• Encouraging the development of STEM skills through observation and experimentation 

• Providing the opportunity for risk-taking and exploring 

• Promoting gross motor skills and physical health 

• Improving sleep, which helps cognition, memory, focus, and more.   

Inclusive classrooms also help prepare all students to learn, and lead, in a complex and diverse world. For children with developmental needs, classrooms and teaching styles that are designed to engage them alongside their typically-developing peers support cognitive and language development, as well as other skills like problem-solving and critical thinking. These kinds of skills are essential for learners with unique needs to reach their full potential, in kindergarten, and beyond. Inclusive classrooms also benefit learners with typical development who, research shows, demonstrate greater problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership abilities than their peers. That’s why St. David’s Center is so committed to ongoing professional development for teachers so that our classrooms always remain nurturing and inclusive, to the benefit of all children.  

Put all that together and we see that school readiness includes skills like having self-regulation, calmness, and the open and curious attitude needed for learning. It is these qualities that will equip children to listen to teachers, follow instructions, explore, work together with peers, and express themselves at school, home, and in their communities. When children leave St. David’s Center, their mindset is a learning mindset—not only because of the content of the activities and lessons our committed teachers plan, but because of the emphasis on relationships, inclusion, and exploring the big, beautiful world around them!  

Additional Resources  

Snell-Rood, C., Rubes, M., & Vendenberg, R. (2015). Toward a complex systems approach to fostering resilience among vulnerable populations. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America*, *112*(51), 15674-15679. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1521575112 

Tran, T. M., & Tran, D. P. (2023). Expanding community mental health resources to underserved populations: A model for future care. *Journal of Community Health*, *48*(3), 987-998. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-023-01122-8 

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Readiness is not a state of knowledge, but a state of mind. https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/readiness-not-state-knowledge-state-mind 

McGurk, M., & Sinclair, R. (2019). Outdoor play is essential to whole child development. *Young Children*, *74*(3), 22-28. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2019/outdoor-play-is-essential 

The Nature Conservancy. (n.d.). Benefits of being outdoors for kids. https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/youth-engagement/benefits-of-outdoors-for-kids/