Module 1What school readiness ACTUALLY is
~7 min
A child arriving at Reception ready to learn is not one who can recite the alphabet or write their name in cursive. A child ready to learn is one who can:
The JLK 6 pillars of real school readiness:
- Regulate their body and emotions enough to sit through 10 minutes of an activity, wait a turn, cope with a small disappointment.
- Use words — 4–6 word sentences, express a need, describe what they see, ask a question.
- Manage themselves — toilet independently, wash hands, put a coat on, use a knife and fork, ask for help.
- Show curiosity — interested in books, materials, new ideas. Willing to try something they haven't done before.
- Play with peers — enter a game, negotiate, resolve a small conflict, be a good peer.
- Handle transitions — separate from a caregiver at drop-off, cope with unexpected changes to the day, listen when an adult redirects.
Notice what's NOT on this list: reading, formal phonics, writing full sentences, doing sums. Those follow — they don't precede — the six pillars.
What we don't do at JLK for school readiness:
- Worksheet drilling. A 3-year-old tracing letters they don't understand builds anxiety, not letter knowledge.
- Formal phonics before 4. Structured phonics starts in Reception; before that we build phonological awareness through rhyme, songs, sound games.
- “Sitting up straight” carpet time. A 3-year-old learns best on the floor, on their tummy, upside down, on a lap.
- Removing play to make room for “work”. Play IS the work at this age.
💡 JLK principle: the child who arrives at Reception confident, able to talk, independent, curious, playful with peers and calm through transitions will overtake the child who arrived reciting letters within a single term.
Module 2The parent conversation
~7 min
Parents often feel enormous pressure about school readiness — from social media, other parents, well-meaning grandparents, and the primary school Reception–checklist doing the rounds on WhatsApp groups. Our job is to reassure without dismissing.
Common parent worries — and the JLK response:
“Should [child] be reading by now?”
“At 3 and 4 we're building the foundations that make reading possible — phonological awareness, love of stories, mark-making, print in the environment. Formal reading starts in Reception. If we push it now we can actually damage the enjoyment. What we're focused on with [child] is [specific example from this week].”
“My friend's child at [nursery X] does phonics every day. Are we behind?”
“Different settings take different approaches. At JLK we lean into research showing that formal phonics before 4 doesn't produce better readers — sometimes the opposite. We build phonological awareness through songs, rhymes, listening games and story time every day, and formal phonics starts in Reception. Every good primary school does it that way.”
“Can [child] write their name?”
“They're doing lots of mark-making, and we're seeing letter-like shapes coming through. Some children write their name at 3, some at 5 — both are within normal. What we're really watching is grip, control, willingness to have a go, and pride in what they make.”
“They can't sit still. How will they cope in Reception?”
“Reception teachers don't expect 4-year-olds to sit still for long — the good ones plan for movement. What builds the ability to focus is regulation, not enforcement. We're supporting that through predictable routines, calm transitions, and letting [child] follow their real interests deeply for longer periods.”
The parent handout: at the pre-school stage, give parents the JLK “School Readiness — what really matters” handout at the autumn quarterly review. Frame it not as reassurance but as advocacy: this is what the evidence shows works.
Module 3The JLK pre-school day — what builds readiness
~8 min
Every day in a JLK pre-school room is a school-readiness day — but not through a “readiness curriculum”. Through embedded routines that build the 6 pillars.
Regulation & transitions:
- Consistent visual timetable at child height. Refer to it before each transition.
- Warning before every change: “2 more minutes and we're going to tidy up.”
- Calm corner available all day, no permission needed.
- Zones of Regulation language embedded: “my body feels wobbly today.”
Language:
- Story time twice a day. Same book multiple times a week to build deep familiarity.
- Adult narration during play (4 communication moves: tune in · narrate · expand · pause).
- Songs and rhymes every day — that's phonological awareness in disguise.
- Small-group vocabulary work around specific topics (autumn, family, transport).
Independence:
- Self-serve snack when possible. Child pours their own drink.
- Coat on/off practised until it's easy. Zips, buttons, hood-pulling.
- Toilet routine independently — child wipes, flushes, washes hands.
- Knife and fork at every meal — not spoon-fed once they can manage.
- “What could you try before asking me?” instead of adult rescue.
Curiosity:
- Rotating provocation table — new interesting object weekly.
- Adult modelling of wonder: “I wonder what happens if…”
- Non-fiction books next to fiction. Real photos of children's interests.
- Follow the child's question with a real investigation, not a scripted answer.
Peer play:
- Enough time in the day for a piece of play to develop — not chopped up into 20-min slots.
- Coaching in real conflict moments: “What could you say to Priya about the truck?”
- Small-group turn-taking games with peers.
Mark-making + phonological awareness (pre-formal-phonics):
- Mark-making area available all day. Multiple tools, multiple surfaces.
- Name cards at child height. Model writing your name in front of them.
- Rhyme games, syllable clapping, listening walks.
- Alliteration play: “silly Sally the sausage!” No worksheet in sight.
Bridge to local schools: in the summer term, JLK contacts each child's Reception school. We share the child's transition report, invite the Reception teacher to visit our room, and support 1–2 visits by the child to school. Family involved throughout.
ScenarioThe pushy grandmother
~3 min
At Friday pickup, Ola's grandmother arrives instead of Mum. She's warm but firm: “I taught primary for 30 years. I need to ask — when do you start proper letter drills? Ola can't write his name and he starts school in September. I'm quite worried.”
Reveal JLK response
Tone: warm, confident, informed. Not defensive. She's a former teacher — treat her as a peer, not a threat.
The response (roughly):
“That's a really fair question — and lovely that you care so much. At JLK we don't do formal letter drills before Reception, and I'd love to talk you through why. What we're building is phonological awareness — that's the sound-hearing foundation reading is built on. So Ola's doing rhyme games, syllable clapping, alliteration play — and he's making brilliant marks in the mark-making area. Writing his name comes for some children at 3, some at 5 — Reception teachers don't expect it on day one. But if you'd like to know what we ARE doing with him, I can show you his current interests and where his letter interest is emerging. Want a quick five minutes?”
Then: genuinely show her. Take her to the mark-making shelf, show his name card at his peg, share one JLK Story observation showing his emerging letter awareness. Offer her the JLK School Readiness handout to take home.
Follow up: mention it in the Monday handover so Mum knows the conversation happened.
What you DON'T do: “Oh he's fine, don't worry.” (Dismissive.) “We don't do that at JLK” (No context.) Argue that she's out of date. Send her away without something concrete to take home.
Knowledge checkEnd-of-course quiz · 5 questions
Pass 80%
You need 4 out of 5 to pass.
The JLK 6 pillars of real school readiness are:
The JLK position on formal phonics for 3-year-olds is:
A parent asks “should [child] be reading by now?” The JLK response begins with:
Real independence at pre-school looks like:
Bridge to Reception at JLK: