Assessing school readiness through the school-entry screening exam.
Although there exists no perfect screening tool that is predictive of a child's success in school, an office visit prior to school enrollment can detect potential problems. This visit should include a history and physical, and developmental assessment. The developmental assessment involves a sampling of a child's abilities in the areas of language, reasoning, gross and fine motor skills, and personal-social development. Providers must be alert to signs and symptoms indicating impediments to learning. Clinicians who are knowledgeable about trends in education regarding readiness testing, birth-date cutoffs and retention can serve as a valuable resource to parents. The clinician can also be a major contributor to the achievement of national education goals set forth by the Bush administration. Ten tools for assessing children are compared, and their appropriate use is discussed.
Wilson
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DA
Westside Neighborhood Clinic, Dominguez Hills.
Knudtson
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MD
D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D008403:Mass Screening; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000592:standards*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D012573:School Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*