Ready for Learning and Ready for Life

Many of our children are poorly prepared to face the challenges of school and growing up in our complex society. The term readiness is misrepresented in the field of education; this book implies a different type of readiness involving a process that can be taught and nurtured within each child. Going beyond what our schools typically assess to determine readiness to attend school, which is often based upon age, this book addresses the synergistic aspects of readiness, learning, and adaptation that allow children to be optimally ready to learning and capable of handing for challenges and transitions. This more holistic and interactive understanding of readiness involves not only the typical physical development, but also psychological aspects including the cognitive, emotional, spiritual, behavioral, and environmental pieces. The goal of this book is to provide the necessary lens through which we can see what is really hindering many children in schools today, along with possible approaches and interventions typically not seen as educational in nature, but what may be just the needed prescription for our ailing youth.

Betsy Gunzelmann is Professor of Psychology at Southern New Hampshire University and author of several articles involved with improving our schools. She has worked in the field for over 30 years and is a psychologist, educator, and parent concerned with issues hindering our children's education.

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Understanding the Concept of Being Ready and the Disconnects Chapter 1: What is Being Ready All About? Chapter 2: The Paradoxes and the Disconnects? Chapter 3: Catalysts to our Understanding: Theoretical and Research Foundations Chapter 4: The Meaning of Readiness Part II: A Synergistic Readiness Chapter 5: The Physical Piece Chapter 6: The Cognitive Piece Chapter 7: The Emotional Piece Chapter 8: The Core Piece Chapter 9: The Behavioral Piece Chapter 10: The Environmental Piece Chapter 11: The Synergistic Process: Promoting Readiness for Learning and Readiness for Life Part III: The Interventions and Discussions Chapter 12: Getting Ready Physically: Predominantly Physically Based Interventions and Consideration Chapter 13: Getting Ready Cognitively: Mainly Cognitive Interventions and Contemplations Chapter 14: Getting Ready Emotionally: Essentially Emotionally Based Interventions and Reflections Chapter 15: Getting Ready with Our Center: Core Interventions and Respects Chapter 16: Getting Ready Behaviorally: Generally Behavioral Interventions and Considerations Chapter 17: Getting Ready Environmentally: Needed Changes Part IV: Bringing it All Together and Hope for the Future Chapter 18: Ready for Learning & Ready for Life in a Nut Shell Chapter 19: Where Do We Go From Here? References