Kindergarten Round-up is just around the corner and if you’re the parent of a preschooler, you might be asking yourself: “Is my child ready for kindergarten?” Every year we talk to parents who feel conflicted. For example, if your child is 4.9 yrs old at the start of school, but the thought of the financial pressures of one more year of preschool and a nice “break” during the school day might have parents leaning toward a “yes” answer. But when is waiting one more year the best option?
We had our kindergarten teachers help us create criteria to help you determine whether back-to-school nights, school lunches and teacher conferences are in your immediate future.
1) Can your child follow a consistent routine? – sitting on their designated square for 30 minutes at a time may be required of your little one in kindergarten. The more open he is to following a consistent routine, the more attentive he will be during class time.
2) Does your child exhibit fine motor skills such as holding a pencil or scissors properly? From the start of the school year, kindergarten teachers jump in with both feet with letter-writing and arts & crafts. These activities will come more easily and with less frustration if your child has had some experience practicing these fine motor skills.
3) Does your child know certain Pre-K concepts? Can he recite the alphabet and identify his colors? Having a basic cognition when beginning school will help your child keep up with fast-moving curriculum. Not have a grasp of some basic skills could leave your child feeling frustrated and left behind.
4) Is your child excited to learn and does she enjoy being independent? Having a general curiosity and excitement for learning will make kindergarten enjoyable for your child. But if she is overly fearful about new experiences, it could make for a very stressful year for both her, her teacher and for you. This stress can even inhibit learning.
5) Does your child understand how to get along with other children? Make sure to observe your child with other kids his age and consider whether or not he is willing to share, compromise and apologize when appropriate. These are good emotional skills that students should have when they enter kindergarten.
Keep in mind that just because you answer “no” or “sometimes” to any of these questions doesn’t necessarily mean that kindergarten is out of the question for your little one. If most of your answers are “yes”, then he/she is probably ready for this exciting milestone!
In either case, we highly recommend a kindergarten-readiness program to help your munchkin have a leg up when back-to-school night rolls around. If you’re interested in a kindergarten-readiness class here in the SCV, please click here to email us for more information. Classes are beginning soon!