Parents should prep kids

The “Naughty Numbers” article raised a lot of questions. OSPI’s WaKIDS report bears out what the article alluded to - students coming to kindergarten socially unprepared. Some 34.7 percent had social-emotional skills expected of a child 0–3 years of age, while 62.6 percent possessed skills appropriate for a 4- or 5-year-old. Also assessed were physical skills, cognitive skills, math, literacy and language with similar results.

Only two-thirds of students come to kindergarten ready to begin their school career and build on the social and academic skills developed over the first five years of their life. While we traditionally expected teachers to work on language and math skills as well as physical skills, we now count on teachers to make up a social-emotional deficit.

Let’s also talk about what could be done at the home. Parents have a responsibility to get their child ready for school, academically and socially. Play with friends, assign chores, set expectations, practice manners and sharing, read books. By equipping children with basic social skills, parents put them steps ahead from the beginning. Teachers are there for support, but parents bear a responsibility for giving their children tools to succeed.

Rachel Brabeck

Spokane