The adaptation to the new school-environment might not be a smooth process as the great number of children in a class and the fixed curriculum require a quick adjustment ability, mature self-control and awareness of the assignments. Moreover, children need a strong receptive and expressive language capacity as well as a proper level of the thinking processes by the time they reach school age.

In Hungary, it is acknowledged since the early 1960s that the somatic, mental and psychical development of pre-school children is dissimilar consequently not everyone can be obliged to start school compulsorily after the age of 6. The strengthening of the preventive and connective pedagogical attitude may help to notice the occurring problems in time. The State and Movement Examination Test elaborated at the beginning of the 1970s is a complex examination that can be applied even as early as the age of 5 because some immaturities of the functions of the nervous system can be discovered that later can greatly influence or delay the enrollment in primary school education.

The test mostly contains neuro- and sensorimotor examinations. Among many other skills, it checks the children’s skillfulness, their general knowledge, orientation in space, capacity of distinguishing the colors. Besides, during the inspection the expert can also notice the children’s capacity to solve problems, their oral expression-skills, their self-discipline, and last but not least, their ability to tolerate monotony.

This test results in an extensive quantity of information but critics noticed that the causes of the mistaken functioning are not revealed thus, there are no guidelines to treat these problems. Another drawback is that it does not take into consideration the children’s different socio-cultural backgrounds. Moreover, only a reduced number of examiners can direct this method of inspection, as it is used only by experts working in educational counseling committees and by those examining learning capabilities."

Translated from gyogytestneveles.webhely.ws by Ana Minadora Sbarci for XpatLoop.com