Considering Kindergarten

If your child is five years old or will be turning five soon, you might be wondering if it is time to sign him up for kindergarten. Age is what schools have traditionally used as the deciding factor to determine a child’s readiness for kindergarten. While age does play an important role in kindergarten enrollment, both preschool and kindergarten teachers are also now looking at a variety of skills and behaviors to determine if a child is ready.

Things for parents to consider.

Preschool is good practice. Kindergarten teachers recommend that before children start kindergarten, they attend a preschool or nursery school program for at least two half days a week. Preschool differs from daycare because it provides more structured, educational activities. In addition to simply practicing being away from their parents, preschoolers also learn how to participate in group activities, interact with other children, and listen to, understand, and follow directions. Your child should be able to sit through circle time or story time that lasts at least 15 minutes, understand the concept of sharing, and get along most of the time with other kids.

ABC's and 123's. It is recommended that children know all of the letters and numbers one through ten, are able to write their name when they enter kindergarten, and can recognize and name shapes and colors. However, just because your child does not know the alphabet or cannot count past five is no reason to hold her back from attending school. She should be eager to learn, enthusiastic about “reading” and being read to, and be able to answer when you ask her to describe what she likes or remembers about a story, event, or activity. It is recommended that you read to your child every day. In addition she should have some fine motor skills including being able to hold a pencil/marker/crayon and use scissors.

Teachers know their stuff. Preschool teachers often have a pretty good idea of whether children are ready for kindergarten. Your child’s teacher knows how he acts in the school setting. If he still cries after you drop him at preschool, he might not be ready to get on the bus to kindergarten. Do not hesitate to ask your child’s teacher for her opinion and advice. She might suggest something in-between, like a pre-kindergarten classroom that many public schools have. Also, be sure to visit a kindergarten classroom that your child might attend, talk to the teacher, and observe how the other children behave and interact. Many schools even have a time when you can bring your child with you to visit.

Physical development is important, too. In addition to consulting preschool and kindergarten teachers, you could also ask your child’s pediatrician if he or she thinks your child is ready for kindergarten. A child who is smaller or younger but has strong social and intellectual skills might be ready for kindergarten, whereas a child who is at the right age might not be socially ready.

Basic independence is key. Although letters and numbers are important, there are other basic things your child should be comfortable doing before starting kindergarten. Your child should be on the road to independence. Although it might be easier for you to hang up his jacket or help him in the bathroom, he will have to do it himself in kindergarten with little or no assistance. Your child should know his name, your name, his address and his phone number. These are things you can practice with him to get him ready.