The purpose of this paper is to dispel some of the fantasies surrounding school readiness and to look at some of the realities presented to parents and schools by children. Section I provides developmental guidelines for assessing the school readiness of 3-year-old preschoolers, examines behavior patterns normally exhibited by children on entering school, describes coping styles used by children in attempts to master the new school situation, examines areas in which regression to earlier behavior patterns commonly occurs, and reviews the roles of parents and teachers in providing support and setting expectations for a smooth adjustment into school. Section II briefly explores reactions to separation among 4- and 5-year-old children. Section III lists nine observable diagnostic signposts of school readiness in 6-year-old students, suggests ways kindergarten children can be prepared for first grade, explores ways by which teachers can make the child's experience of the first grade setting more continuous with prior school experience, and concludes that there is currently a discontinuity between the young child's capacities and the school's expectations. Reactions to the paper are presented by two child psychoanalysts. The first discussion focuses on the mother's readiness for separation. The second briefly reviews observational and projective studies of factors related to children's adjustment to school. (Author/RH)