Ask any reception teacher what they look for in children starting school and you can be certain that practical independence skills will be high on their list. Can the children use the toilet on their own? Can they put on their coat and shoes? In a busy classroom, these everyday skills help children settle more quickly and confidently into school life.
But if we look a little closer, communication underpins many of these skills. After all, how will a child manage their toileting needs independently at school, if they don’t know key words like wipe and flush or can’t express their needs clearly to those around them.
That’s why, when we talk about school readiness, we need to look beyond practical skills and recognise the crucial role of language and communication.
What does ‘school ready’ actually mean?
The Labour Government has set a target for 75% of children to start school ready to learn by 2028. At first glance that sounds straightforward, but in reality, it’s less clear. The School Readiness Survey (2024) by Kindred Squared, found that nine out of ten parents believed their child was ready for school, while teachers felt only around one-third met expectations.
This difference isn’t surprising: ‘school readiness’ is one of those phrases everyone uses but few define in the same way. To tackle this, early years organisations have developed shared Starting Reception guidance, outlining four core areas of development:
- Growing Independence
- Building Relationships and Communication
- Physical Development
- Healthy Routines
These areas emphasise that readiness is not about academic achievement but about the social, emotional, physical and communicative foundations that allow children to thrive at school. Running through all of these is a ‘golden thread’: communication and language.
Communication isn’t something that happens during a 15-minute activity and then gets put away. It happens everywhere: during snack time, putting on wellies, in role play, story time and creative activities.
The more opportunities children have to hear language, use language and engage in meaningful communication, the stronger those foundations become.
Top tips for supporting school readiness
- Your interactions matter most
The biggest influence on children’s language development is the adults around them. Every small interaction helps children build their understanding and confidence.
For example: Narrate what you’re doing during routines, introduce new vocabulary during play or take a few extra moments to extend a child’s conversation rather than moving straight on to the next activity.
- Build language into everyday routines
Language support works best when it becomes part of daily practice rather than an additional task to fit into an already busy day.
For example: Focus on key concepts and vocabulary during snack time, around toileting or play, use visual supports during transitions or repeat target language naturally throughout the day so children hear it in different contexts.
- Give children something worth talking about
Children are far more motivated to communicate when they are interested and curious about what’s happening around them.
For example: A surprise visitor, a strange object in the investigation area or a class pet can spark chatter!
- Bring families on board
Children make the greatest progress when the adults around them are working together.
For example: Share simple ideas for conversations at home, suggest books linked to current topics, encourage turn-taking games, or send home key vocabulary so families can use the same words children are hearing in the setting.
For the final weeks…
It’s important to remember that even small, consistent actions can make a big difference. This is a great time to embed simple language-rich interactions into what you already do each day. Prioritise key routines where children need the most independence, model the language they’ll need in Reception, and give them repeated opportunities to practise. These weeks are a valuable window to reinforce essential vocabulary and help children feel confident and secure about the transition ahead.
Small changes, big impact:
- Focus on key transition skills
Identify the most important moments in the day where children will need independence in Reception (e.g. lining up, snack time, toileting) and give extra practice with clear, consistent language.
- Model simple sentence structures
Support children who find communication tricky by modelling short, clear sentences they can practice. For example: “I need help”, “Can I go to the toilet?”, “I’ve finished.” For those children who really struggle with this, provide them with additional means of getting their message across using, for example, gestures, symbols or pictures.
- Support confidence as well as skills
School readiness isn’t just what children can do, it’s how they feel about doing it. Celebrate small successes and give plenty of encouragement to build self-belief.
- Share Reception-style routines
Where possible, introduce elements of what they’ll experience next, such as responding to simple classroom-type instructions, so the transition feels familiar rather than overwhelming.
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