Rethinking Readiness in Early Childhood: What Truly Prepares Children to Learn

In early childhood education, readiness is often discussed in terms of academic skills, such as writing letters, counting, or sitting for group lessons. While these skills will develop over time, research and experience consistently show that learning does not begin with academics alone. Readiness is a developmental process shaped by a child’s ability to feel safe, regulated, and engaged in their environment. Before children can focus or participate in learning activities, they need support regulating their bodies and emotions. Transitions, group expectations, and new routines place real demands on young nervous systems. When children have predictable schedules, responsive adults, and opportunities for co-regulation, they are better able to engage and learn.

Young children learn through their bodies. Core strength, balance, and movement support posture, attention, and endurance. These are skills that directly affect classroom participation. Active play, climbing, and whole-body movement are not breaks from learning. They are essential to building readiness for more structured tasks. Children develop at different rates, and readiness looks different for each child. Some may show early academic strengths while still needing support with regulation. Others may demonstrate curiosity and persistence as pre-academic skills emerge more gradually. Looking at engagement, flexibility, and recovery from challenges offers a more complete picture than any checklist of academic milestones can provide. 

When educators and programs shift the focus from “Is this child ready?” to “What supports help this child thrive?”, readiness becomes something we build together. We can do this through adjusting environments, connecting with them through meaningful relationships, and providing them with developmentally appropriate activities and expectations.