Readiness Levels

Readiness is a student's proximity to specified learning goals, such as knowledge, understanding, and skills. It is important to keep in mind that readiness is not a synonym for ability, and the two terms should not be used interchangeably. The term ability connotes what we sometimes believe to be a more or less fixed and inborn trait. Readiness suggests a temporary condition that should change regularly as a result of high quality teaching. To grow academically, students must work consistently with tasks that are sharply focused on essential knowledge, understanding, or skills and that are a bit too difficult for their current level of readiness. In addition, students must have a support system in the form of peers and/or teachers who will help them surmount this difficulty and emerge from the task (or sequence of tasks) at a new and more advanced level of readiness (Souse, 2001; Vygotsky, 1978, 1986; Wolfe, 2010).