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What is school readiness?

School readiness is an outcome of our work around early learning. According to the National Education Goals Panel, school readiness pertains to: (1) children's readiness to enter school; (2) schools' readiness for children, and (3) family and community supports that contribute to children's readiness for school.¹

Why does school readiness matter?

Children are born learning, and what they experience the first few years in life lays the foundation for all future learning. Current brain research shows that most of the brain's critical development occurs before age five, yet formal schooling starts after a child turns five.

By investing in kids from birth, we can ensure that they have the social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills they need to thrive, which helps them to succeed in school, graduate on time and become contributing members of society.

Studies show that investments in early learning offer a high rate of return and long-term cost savings from fewer high school drop-outs, improved health and less reliance on welfare programs. What happens in children's earliest days and years has enormous influence on their lives—on their personal relationships, their ability to work with others, their emotional resilience, their academic success, and more. When we support children and their families during the early years, we know we can positively affect the rest of their lives.

Did you know...

• United Way of King County invests $4 million a year in school readiness so that all children in our community can get off to a good start.
• Catching up is not easy: kids who start behind tend to stay behind.
• It is estimated that only 44 percent of all kindergartners, and only 25 percent of low-income children, are adequately prepared for school (meaning they have basic skills like being able to recognize letters and get along with others).²
• The quality of a child's daily care affects how prepared that child is for school, and more than 50 percent of children (0-6) in King County are enrolled in regularly scheduled child care.³
• Studies show that the single most important factor in a child's readiness to learn is their parents.⁴

To learn more, visit our Resources page.

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¹Child Trends, 2001; Kagan, Moore and Bredekamp, 1995.

² An Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) survey of kindergarten teachers conducted in 2004.

³ Communities Count 2005: A Report on the Strength of King County's Communities

⁴ Shonkoff, J.P. & Phillips, D.A. (2000). From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Washington, D. C.: National Academy Press.

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