School Readiness

Grade level reading communities across the country, including Haverhill, are focused on improving school readiness in the effort to see more children reading proficiently by the end of grade 3. But what does the term “school readiness” actually mean? And which specific measures determine whether or not a child is "ready" to start kindergarten?

What is School Readiness?

School Readiness means all children are ready to start kindergarten and participate to the fullest of their ability. Every adult in a child’s life plays an important role in supporting their brain development and physical, social, and emotional well-being to be school ready.

ryan-fields-Xz7MMD5tZwA-unsplash.jpg

In March of 2021, Haverhill Promise submitted a Community Solutions Action Plan to the Campaign for Grade Level Reading and received our official designation as a “grade level reading community”. The Haverhill Promise Community Solutions Action Plan (CSAP) is the result of nearly three years of research and collaboration between the Haverhill Promise steering committee, volunteer workgroups, and local leaders meeting regularly to develop innovative solutions to the problems impacting grade-level reading outcomes in Haverhill.

Below are the highlights from the School Readiness portion of the CSAP.

 

CSAP (Community Solutions Action Plan) School Readiness “at a glance”

Big Vision for School Readiness in Haverhill:

All Haverhill students enter kindergarten “literacy-ready” or “ready to learn to read.”

picsea-EQlTyDZRx7U-unsplash.jpg

Problems Identified in the CSAP:

  • What does “school readiness” even mean?

    • A standard definition of school readiness and a consensus about which skills/knowledge children need to have upon entering kindergarten has not been officially adopted amongst early childhood experts and parents.

  • How “ready” are our children, and how do we measure it?

    • A wide range of developmental screening tools and assessments are used at various public and private preschools, making it difficult to determine the aggregate readiness of Haverhill students when they begin kindergarten.

  • Accessibility of Early Literacy Enrichment Opportunities

    • Nearly all playgroups, story-times, and other early literacy enrichment programs offered each month for families with children ages 0-5 are presented in English, and take place on weekday mornings, limiting access for working parents and non English-speaking families.

  • Pre-K Vision Screening

    • Each year only around 30% of kindergarten registrations include vision screening documentation. Children who need vision care or correction could be slipping through the cracks.

Goal (Year 1: 2023)

  • Define school readiness. Which skills are children expected to have upon entering kindergarten? And just how many Haverhill students are entering kindergarten “literacy-ready”?

  • Create resources available to all community members that align with the definition and prepare families and educators to support children in being school ready.

Goals (Years 2-5)

  • Effectively communicate to parents/caregivers what literacy readiness means and which skills children are expected to have upon entering kindergarten.

  • Increase opportunities for positive parent/child interactions that support early literacy development and are culturally and linguistically appropriate.

  • Improve access to books, early learning programs, and information about early learning resources, especially for economically disadvantaged and ESL families.

  • Pursue funding for preschool expansion and alignment between early education programs.

  • Increase percentage of students who are able to provide proof of vision screening upon registration for kindergarten. 

Interested in learning more about the School Readiness effort in Haverhill? Want to help implement the strategies outlined in our CSAP? Consider volunteering with the School Readiness workgroup!