READY FOR SCHOOL? FEATURE


two as it was expected that a preschool would step in at this point. Professionals in the Children’s Centres frequently encouraged and reminded mothers to apply for childcare funding as they felt their children would benefit from going to preschool as early as possible. Thus an institutional approach to early education was promoted over the more informal learning that could be supported in the home and gave mothers mixed messages: On the one hand mothers were taught to take responsibility for getting their child ‘school-ready’. On the other hand, it seemed their role was less important once their child was enrolled in preschool. Mothers that had attended groups at the Children’s Centres commented that they saw the childcare professionals as ‘experts’ who knew more about how to support their child’s learning, so once their child was enrolled in preschool they didn’t feel they needed to do much. In contrast, mothers who visited the public library and/or private parent and child classes were offered support very differently. Unlike in the Children’s Centres, children, not mothers, were the focus. Instead of being separated from each other, they were encouraged to interact and experience what was on offer together. Activities such as singing, moving and using different props were modelled by the professionals and designed to engage the children, enhance their learning and increase their ‘school readiness’. Mothers were not given specific tasks to do or asked questions to check their understanding or to find out what they


Mothers were taught to take responsibility for getting their child ‘school-ready’ but it seemed their role was less important once their child was enrolled in preschool.


did at home with their child. Monitoring their or their child’s performance was of little concern. Professionals worked on the assumption that mothers already recognised some of the benefits for their children’s learning. In addition it was hoped that, through taking part and having the activities modelled to them, they would pick up ideas about how to help their child’s development at home. My research showed that the mothers in these settings did continue similar activities at home. Rather than seeing the ‘experts’ as solely responsible for getting their child ready for school, mothers in these settings were also more likely to continue supporting their child’s learning once they were enrolled in a preschool. In this way, their children were more likely to achieve the ‘school readiness’ seen as necessary for educational achievement. Practices and policies need to change to ensure all children have a positive start to school and all parents feel empowered to support their children’s learning. I hope that my research will help policymakers and service providers to organise community resources more equitably so that young children can encounter a more level playing field when they start school and achieve educational success. n


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Contact Helen Victoria Smith, Assistant Professor (Primary Education), University of Nottingham Telephone 0115 951 4449 Email helen.smith5@nottingham.ac.uk Web www.nottingham.ac.uk/Education/People/helen.smith5


SOCIETY NOW AUTUMN 2018 29


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