Ready Child

The Ready Nine

1. Caring adults
   Children of all ages need positive, nurturing adults in their lives, and the more caring adults they know, the better!
   
   
2. Early literacy
   Because literacy and language skills develop from birth it’s vital that adults read to and talk to children of every age.
   
   
3. Safe environments
   If kids don’t live, learn, and play in safe places (including cyberspace) or if they’re afraid to be where they are, little else matters.
   
   
4. Good health
   When children are not physically and mentally healthy, learning comes slower and is less effective than it should be.
   
   
5. Resilience
   Resilience is the ability to cope with stress, frustration, and failure in a positive way. Resilient kids deal with their problems constructively and stayed focused on their goals.
   
   
6. Self-discipline
   The ability of a child to plan and execute his/her time and effort is crucial to achievement in school and in life. So, too, is a child’s ability to appropriately control his/her emotions and actions.
   
   
7. Opportunities to give
   Kids become more respectful, appreciative, selfless, and happy when they contribute time, effort, compassion, or money to others.
   
   
8. Marketable skills
   “Hard skills” like career preparation, academic knowledge, and mathematical ability are important assets for the future but so are “soft skills” like work ethic, respect for others, cooperation, and optimism.
   
   
9. Hope
   Ready children think about their short- and long-term future in a positive, hopeful way. They believe they will succeed!