THE CONTENT OF A CHILD’S MENTAL READINESS FOR SCHOOL

Аннотация

This article explores the mental readiness of children for school in preschool education institutions and highlights its distinctive features. It proposes innovative methods and approaches to assess children's mental preparedness. Keywords:mental readiness, knowledge, perception, memory, behavior, skills, competence, imaginativethinking, literacy training. One of the key components of mental readiness for school is a child’s sufficient breadth of knowledge about the surrounding world. Basement ofthis knowledge is essential as it forms the foundation upon which teachers organizetheir work. The quality ofthe knowledge that children possess is considered as primary importance in assessing mental readiness. Key indicators of this quality include: children’s conscious acquisition of knowledge; clarity and categorization of their ideas; completeness of basic concepts; their ability to apply acquired knowledge independently to solve academic and practical tasks; and consistency in understanding relationships and connections between objects and phenomena. An essential element of a child's mental readiness for school is the development of cognitiveactivity. This mainly includes firstly:  thegrowing intentionalityin cognitiveprocesses  voluntary memorization andmeaningful reproduction ofmaterial  planned perception ofobjects and phenomena  theability to solvecognitiveandpractical problems purposefully and others Secondly, improvingthe qualityofcognitiveprocesses isalso vital:  theaccuracy of perception  clarity and categorizationof observation  speed and precision ofmemory and reproduction Moreover, it is important that children develop an inquisitive attitude toward the world and an eagerness to gain knowledge and attend school. The general level of thinking activity is crucial in developing school readiness. Under regular and goal-oriented educational conditions in preschools, children develop the ability to analyze objects from multiple perspectives, use socially accepted sensory standards to explore characteristics of objects and phenomena, identify key connections and features, generalize based on those observations, and compare items by distinguishing similarities and differences. Children also develop elementary independence in intellectual activity, including theabilityto:  plan their actions independently  carry out tasks according to a plan  posesimplecognitivequestions and solvethem page2429 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue05,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai Mental readiness also includes mastering elements of learning activity. By the end of the preschool period, undersystematiceducation, children should beable to:  understand academic tasks  followaccurately carry out theteacher’s instructions  usedemonstrated methods to reach a result  control the qualityof theiractions and behavior  critically assess theirown and others’work The level of speech development is a significant indicator of school readiness. This includes accurate pronunciation, a rich vocabulary, the ability to express thoughts logically and grammatically, and skills in polite communication. Additionally, early literacy, basic mathematical concepts, sufficient knowledge, skills, and competencies in the mother tongue are important components. Thus, mental readiness for school consists of interconnected aspects of cognitiveand speech development. These are considered intellectual activity, cognitiveinterests, modes of thinking, organized knowledge about the surrounding world, vocabulary and elements of learning behavior. The unity of these factors ensures that a child is mentally prepared to absorb school material. Mental readiness encompasses not only imaginative and logical thinking but also includes self-control, curiosity, independence, observation, listening, memorizing, and comparing. The effectiveness of school education largely depends on a child's proficiency in their native language and thedevelopment of theirspeech. This is because all learning activities are built on the foundation of logical verbal development, the child’s ability to think independently without adult help, and their ability to effectively use speech for storytelling, reasoning, explaining, and clear expression. In addition, practical intelligence plays an important role in school readiness—for instance, the ability to copyapattern orcomplete verbal instructionsaccurately. Adults working with preschool children must always consider the ongoing development of their physical and mental capacities. For example, forcing children to write before their finger muscles are fully developed may be harmful. If a child struggles with handwriting, it may lead toa decrease inself-confidence orinterest inlearning. Often, mental readiness is equated with a child's worldview and knowledge about nature, people, and human labor. While th