ATTITUDES OF PARENTS OF 6-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN ON SCHOOL READINESS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is, through a survey conducted among parents of 6 year old children, to derive, analyze and summarize some of their attitudes about school readiness at this age. Referring to the adopted in 2012 UNICEF's conceptual framework indicating the three pillars of school readiness ready children, ready families, ready schools and communities, we focus on family readiness as part of school readiness. In the modern context of lifelong learning, parents are the first and most important educators of the child, directly involved and responsible for preparing the child for entering first grade. The present study was conducted at the end of the 2021/2022 school year, in which children finish their studies in the third age group. It involved 147 parents of children of this age group studying in three municipal kindergartens in the city of Burgas, Bulgaria. In order to realize the set goal of the present study of some attitudes of parents of 6 year old children about school readiness, we used the survey method. Through a short anonymous survey conducted at the end of the school year and consisting of two closed and one open ended question, results were obtained analyzed and summarized that outlined interesting highlights of the attitudes of parents of 6 year old children in the context of school readiness. Almost categorically, the surveyed parents of 6 year old children are not inclined to use the possibility of enrolling their children in first grade at that age. The interpretation of the answers to the open question, in which parents freely have the opportunity to define the essence of school readiness, clearly demonstrates insufficient knowledge of the issues of the question and indicates the need for additional clarification or training related to the parameters of school readiness. The largest share of parents indicating school readiness as the ability to read, write and calculate shows the in depth study of the issue from various aspects from a psychological, pedagogical and social point of view. It is important for parents to realize the role of the family environment as the most important factor for the socialization of the future student. In the family, the foundations for lifelong learning are laid, and parents should understand that learning does not begin and end with school, but is only part of it. The three components of school readiness ready children, ready families, ready schools and communities are equally important in achieving a smooth and seamless transition to schooling. They must be achieved in sync, with the sole purpose of benefiting the children. Achieving symbiosis between the individual components of school readiness is evidence of a well functioning system.