33 SCHOOL READINESS Several issues need to be addressed in considering pre- school for a child. Is this the right school? Is she ready? Can she separate from home? Can she begin to learn at this level? Will she be able to make it with other children? Will behavior problems interfere? All of these questions need to be faced as a child starts preschool, and they will come up again before first grade. Although the adjustments at preschool and again at kinder- garten levels make an enormous difference to a child's ability to face later challenges, the same kinds of adjustment issues are likely to recur at each transition. If there is a choice of schools, you should visit each one. Look for a balance between cognitive and social learning. Too much emphasis on cognitive learning at this age may mean that the child's need to grow as a social being is neglected. The physical layout and the amount of adaptation of rhythms of activity, teaching, and relaxation to individual children reflect -355- |