In 2015, the world made a historic commitment to ensure that every child not only had access to education but also received meaningful learning opportunities. Under Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4), countries pledged to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” This marked a significant shift in global thinking about education. It recognised that it is no longer enough for children simply to be enrolled in school. The real question is whether they remain in school, actively learn, and achieve their full potential.
This shift reflects the understanding that education is more than classrooms, textbooks, and examinations. It is about creating the conditions and support systems that enable every child to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Countries around the world increasingly acknowledge that early learning experiences shape lifelong outcomes. A child who enters school unprepared may struggle to keep pace with peers, affecting confidence, motivation, and long-term success.
School readiness
School readiness is often misunderstood. Many assume that it refers only to a child’s ability to read, write, or count before entering Grade One. While early academic skills are important, readiness encompasses much more. It includes social and emotional development, the ability to manage emotions, follow routines, cooperate with others, and confidently separate from parents when entering the classroom. Research consistently shows that these competencies are just as important as literacy and numeracy in helping children adjust to school life.
School readiness is strongly linked to retention and long-term learning outcomes. Children who begin school feeling secure and confident are more likely to participate actively, enjoy learning, and progress steadily. Early experiences shape attitudes toward education that can last a lifetime. Instead of questioning whether the child is ready for school, the focus should shift to whether schools and communities are ready to support the child’s growth and development.
Strengthening parental collaboration for school readiness
Raising awareness among parents of preschool children is recognised as a key requirement in Sri Lanka’s early childhood education framework. Research conducted by the National Education Commission (NEC) (last year [2025]) on primary school teachers’ perceptions of school readiness highlights the importance of early learning support at home. Home literacy activities, social skill development, and healthy lifestyle habits — strengthened through collaboration between families and communities — are essential components of readiness.
According to Grade One teachers, when parents actively engage in their child’s early learning, children develop stronger language skills, better emotional regulation, and more positive attitudes toward learning.
However, it cannot be assumed that all parents are aware of simple yet effective home-based activities such as storytelling, shared reading, and conversations during daily routines, drawing, singing rhymes, and guided play. These activities significantly enhance vocabulary, listening skills, attention span, and early numeracy concepts. Regular communication between parents and preschool teachers can create opportunities to share and coordinate such activities, extending learning beyond the classroom.
The Child-to-Child (CtC) approach addresses this need through an innovative model that promotes both peer and parental collaboration. Introduced through research led by the Colombo University’s Education Faculty, the approach trains older children to support younger children using systematically organised materials. Preschool teachers guide this process according to structured, research-based guidelines.
Repeating these activities at home with parents strengthens the learning experience and extends it into the family and community. This shared responsibility enhances children’s social competence, empathy, and collaborative skills — key elements of readiness for formal schooling. Children learn best through repetition, and activities implemented in group sessions are supposed to be reinforced at home. Mixed-age settings further create a nurturing and cooperative atmosphere rather than a competitive one, fostering confidence and mutual support.
This research, conducted in partnership with the Education Ministry, the Women and Child Affairs Ministry, and the National Institute of Education (NIE), focuses on facilitating a smooth transition from preschool to primary school. The initiative is supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange and the International Development Research Centre. It is led by the Islamic University of the Maldives in collaboration with the Aga Khan University and the Colombo University. This collaboration reflects growing international recognition that early childhood education is a global priority and that evidence-based interventions can significantly improve learning outcomes.
Learning through playing together
Play forms the foundation of the CtC model. The activities introduced here are not merely fun games. They provide opportunities to practice sharing, taking turns, and resolving conflicts in a safe and supportive environment. They are fundamental to cognitive and social development and nurture creativity, strengthen memory, and build critical thinking skills, while also enhancing confidence and independence.
Peer facilitation lies at the core of the CtC approach. Each preschool child is paired with an older child who acts as a guide and facilitator. Through structured, play-based activities aligned with the national preschool curriculum, younger children receive personalised attention and encouragement.
Learning within the family, especially among siblings, has long been a natural and valued practice in the Sri Lankan culture. Older brothers and sisters naturally guided younger children — helping them with daily routines, teaching them simple skills, sharing stories, and modelling behaviour. Through this informal interaction, younger children learned language, social norms, responsibility, and cooperation. At the same time, older children developed leadership, empathy, patience, and a sense of accountability.
However, demographic and social changes have gradually altered this dynamic. With smaller family sizes and fewer children in households, many young children no longer have the opportunity to grow up with older siblings who guide and support them.
The CtC approach responds directly to this cultural shift by recreating, within the school setting, the kind of supportive sibling interaction that was once common in Sri Lankan homes. By pairing older children with younger ones in structured, play-based activities, the approach revives the traditional values of caring, sharing, and mutual responsibility. Older children act not as authority figures but as supportive guides — mirroring the role traditionally played by elder siblings. Younger children, in turn, feel protected and encouraged, much as they would within a family environment. In doing so, it aligns with cultural expectations that children grow not only as individuals but also as responsible members of society.
Evidence from the field
The CtC approach has been implemented in 10 preschools in the Western Province, involving 325 preschool children and 80 older children. This pilot project, titled Scaling the Impact of a Play-Based CtC Approach to Make Preschool to Primary School Transition Fun and Inclusive has generated valuable insights into effective practices for strengthening school readiness.
Preliminary findings indicate that structured peer facilitation combined with guided play significantly enhances children’s social, emotional, and cognitive readiness. Participating children demonstrate greater confidence, improved social skills, and higher engagement in learning activities. Teachers report more positive peer interactions, better adherence to classroom routines, and increased curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
The CtC approach demonstrates how small, well-designed interventions can have a significant impact. By pairing younger children with older peers, guiding play-based learning, and fostering supportive classroom environments, schools can create a smooth and enjoyable transition from preschool to primary education.
What is next?
Scaling the programme while maintaining quality and sustainability is the next challenge. Policymakers, educators, and researchers are exploring strategies to expand the model to new regions, integrate it into national preschool policy, and strengthen coordination between preschools and primary schools.
Expansion will require careful planning, additional teacher training, continuous supervision, and strong monitoring mechanisms. Greater parental involvement can further strengthen the model, reinforcing school readiness as a shared responsibility.
Sri Lanka’s ongoing education reforms present a timely opportunity to institutionalise the CtC approach. Standardised activity guides, training materials, and trained teachers are already in place. By leveraging these resources, the country can provide consistent support to preschool children nationwide and strengthen the transition to primary education.
As the project progresses, the hope is that more children will begin school with confidence, curiosity, and a positive attitude toward learning. By prioritising school readiness, Sri Lanka can take a significant step toward fulfilling its commitment under SDG 4 — ensuring that children do not merely enter school, but thrive and succeed.
The writer is a former Chairperson of the NEC, a retired education specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund, and a Chief Project officer at the NIE
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The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication