Predictive Factors of School Readiness in Children Conditionally Entering the First Cycle

Abstract

The uncertainty surrounding the enrolment of a child through the conditional admission system into the first year of primary education may be a source of anxiety for parents and educators. Speech and Language Therapists play a fundamental role in this process, as they can carry out formal language assessments by analysing children's language skills. Academic achievement depends on multiple factors, namely motor, social, cognitive and linguistic competencies, all of which are essential for school readiness. The present study aimed to analyse the main predictors of school readiness in children who entered the first year of primary education through the conditional admission system. It also sought to determine whether it is possible to identify school readiness factors through the assessment of oral language and overall development, as well as to verify whether these results are associated with academic achievement. Thus, an observational, descriptive and comparative study design was adopted, based on data collection through formal language assessment tools and the analysis of the North Carolina Curriculum (NCC), followed by statistical data analysis and correlation analyses between variables. The results revealed a consistent progression of competencies and a strong interdependence among the different developmental domains. The findings suggest that stronger language skills are associated with better academic achievement. The findings reinforce the importance of early, comprehensive and multidisciplinary assessment, as well as collaboration between education professionals and speech and language therapists, to promote better adaptation to the school environment and foster children's academic achievement.