School readiness: interventions in action

Children, especially the youngest, face many transitions in their lives, one of the biggest being the move from the home or early years setting to primary school, normally in the reception year. This can be a stressful time for children and families and it is essential that they are ready for school entry.

Interventions that focus on the period of transition between early years and school will have an impact, as will specific programmes to improve speech, language, and communication skills. The latter will almost certainly stem from a health review or from ongoing observation in an early years setting. Many areas will take a more collaborative approach, employing programmes that take in more than one area of learning or development. There are simply too many to mention here; nurses and early years professionals will be familiar with those local to them but it is worth researching those used in other areas.