What Does School Readiness Mean?

Head Start and Early Head Start (HS/EHS) aims to get children from low-income families ready for school.  According to The Head Start Approach to School Readiness-Overview, this means, "children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children's learning, and schools are ready for children. . . . For parents and families, school readiness means they are engaged in the long-term, lifelong success of their child. Head Start recognizes that parents are their children's primary teachers and advocates.”  As discussed in earlier posts, because parenting quality is the strongest predictor of child success, a strong focus on parenting makes sense.  Following the recent report from the Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation; the emphasis on parenting in HS/EHS programs is likely to increase.