How to Judge Kindergarten Readiness
5How do you judge kindergarten readiness?
Judging kindergarten readiness is an important parenting issue that is more complex than chronological age or simply being able to recite letters, numbers, shapes and colors. Kindergarten readiness is a combination of a number of factors. Rarely will a child be completely ready or unready by the time they’re the age the school district will allow them to enroll. In fact, most kids will fall somewhere in between.
I chatted with Janet Jenness, a preschool teacher and parent educator at the South Seattle Community College Parent Cooperative Preschool Program, to explore this issue further and get her professional advice.
Janet encourages parents to learn about all the readiness factors (not just academic) and work alongside their children to help them learn what they need to know for kindergarten. However, she also cautions parents to understand that it isn’t right or wrong if their children don’t start early or need to start later than others their age. Everyone is individual and the end goal should always be to put your child in a position to succeed.
When it comes to readiness skills, however, Janet encourages parents to look beyond the academic.
“There are a number of academic requirements for kindergarten, and your school district will share those with you, but you really want to make sure you look at social skills,” she said. “These are so important for success in kindergarten and life, really. These social skills have to be learned. They don’t come naturally. So working with your child, including enrolling in preschool, will provide the best preparation for kindergarten.”
Janet will sometimes encounter a parent with a child born early in the school year (September or October) who wonders if the child should test into kindergarten early. The Seattle School District requires children to be 5 by August 31 to start kindergarten in September, but does allow for children with birthdays in September and October to test early. Kids that test in early will turn 5 shortly after starting kindergarten, rather than just before their 6 birthday, the time they’d start if they followed the requirements.
“I really encourage parents in these situations to look closely at the social and emotional readiness for kindergarten,” Janet said. “To me that really is the biggest part of being successful beyond preschool. Can your child handle disappointment, take turns, negotiate, solve problems with peers, work and play well in a group, wait patiently for their turn, raise their hand to speak, wait for others to finish speaking, handle transitions well, be separate from their parents, work independently with a level of autonomy, follow directions and cooperate? It takes time and practice to learn these skills. Preschool is an excellent environment to learn and practice these skills, and sometimes testing out of preschool early isn’t always best for the child.
Kindergarten Readiness Test - News
Preschool is an excellent environment to learn and practice these skills, and sometimes testing out of preschool early isn't always best for the child.” There are several resources out there for information on kindergarten readiness.
Testing would take place Aug. 8-15 and would take place on an annual process. The district had about 600 students enrolled in kindergarten this past school year. If approved by the board, the district would purchase a "Kindergarten Readiness Test" for
Half the kindergarten students will take the assessment test on the second Friday of school, and the other half will take the assessment on Tuesday, after Labor Day. North Dakota does not require schools to conduct a school readiness assessment.
For example, if the campaign's key impact area is education, United Way may focus on kindergarten readiness, she said. The agency could work under this impact area to provide parents with more books to read to their children, and could lay out specific
Then, we test these children for “readiness” before they enter kindergarten, identify deficits and, on Day 1, begin drilling academic skills. Children's can-do spirit and natural eagerness to learn is subsumed too quickly by seat-work, homework and
Kindergarten Readiness
How do you judge kindergarten readiness?
Judging kindergarten readiness is an important parenting issue that is more complex than chronological age or simply being able to recite letters, numbers, shapes and colors. Kindergarten readiness is a combination of a number of factors. Rarely will a child be completely ready or unready by the time they’re the age the school district will allow them to enroll. In fact, most kids will fall somewhere in between.
I chatted with Janet Jenness, a preschool teacher and parent educator at the South Seattle Community College Parent Cooperative Preschool Program, to explore this issue further and get her professional advice.
Janet encourages parents to learn about all the readiness factors (not just academic) and work alongside their children to help them learn what they need to know for kindergarten. However, she also cautions parents to understand that it isn’t right or wrong if their children don’t start early or need to start later than others their age. Everyone is individual and the end goal should always be to put your child in a position to succeed.
When it comes to readiness skills, however, Janet encourages parents to look beyond the academic.
“There are a number of academic requirements for kindergarten, and your school district will share those with you, but you really want to make sure you look at social skills,” she said. “These are so important for success in kindergarten and life, really. These social skills have to be learned. They don’t come naturally. So working with your child, including enrolling in preschool, will provide the best preparation for kindergarten.”
Janet will sometimes encounter a parent with a child born early in the school year (September or October) who wonders if the child should test into kindergarten early. The Seattle School District requires children to be 5 by August 31 to start kindergarten in September, but does allow for children with birthdays in September and October to test early. Kids that test in early will turn 5 shortly after starting kindergarten, rather than just before their 6 birthday, the time they’d start if they followed the requirements.
“I really encourage parents in these situations to look closely at the social and emotional readiness for kindergarten,” Janet said. “To me that really is the biggest part of being successful beyond preschool. Can your child handle disappointment, take turns, negotiate, solve problems with peers, work and play well in a group, wait patiently for their turn, raise their hand to speak, wait for others to finish speaking, handle transitions well, be separate from their parents, work independently with a level of autonomy, follow directions and cooperate? It takes time and practice to learn these skills. Preschool is an excellent environment to learn and practice these skills, and sometimes testing out of preschool early isn’t always best for the child.
Kindergarten Readiness Test - Bookshelf
Essentials of testing and assessment, a practical guide for counselors, social workers, and psychologists
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Get Ready for School - School Readiness Test
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Kindergarten Readiness Testing
Why: The tests evaluate your child's school readiness, the skill level of the preschool or kindergarten class as a whole, or indicate whether a ...