Kindergarten: Is Your Child Ready?

Many parents of children who are approaching kindergarten age wonder if their kids are ready to start school. Being legally old enough to start school and being ready are two different concepts.

All young children are ready to learn, but not all 4- and 5-year-olds are ready to perform the tasks that will be expected of them in kindergarten. Concentrating on a task for an extended period of time, sitting still, listening, standing or walking in line without pushing, taking turns and sharing are necessary skills for kindergarten.

Most educators agree that school readiness is not guaranteed by chronological age, but is defined by the total picture of the child's intellectual, physical, social and emotional development, as well as the anticipated kindergarten curriculum.

Signs of school readiness include:

• a sense of confidence and enough independence to begin doing tasks alone,
• a desire to explore and have new experiences outside the home,
• the ability to stay focused on an activity,
• the ability to relate to other children,
• sufficient verbal skills to communicate with adults and peers,
• the ability to separate from parents comfortably for the length of the school day, and
• the ability to deal with the physical demands of a new environment, such as stairs and the toilet.

While a majority of children today attend some kind of preschool, kindergarten should still be considered a transitional year of schooling. However, the kindergarten curriculum in many schools has become increasingly academic. While kindergarten was play-oriented 20 years ago, today it often resembles first grade.

Children entering kindergarten should be able to:

• ask for help and accept it,
• negotiate and collaborate with peers,
• solve problems and
• have the stamina to make it through the day.

Children who turn 5 in the last half of the year are most at risk for having a less-than-successful kindergarten experience. Boys are more likely than girls to not be ready, as are children who are small for their age, have problems with small-motor coordination, don't want to play with other children or "fall to pieces" easily. However, normal development is highly variable during kindergarten and the early elementary years, so school programs should be flexible and adaptable to each child's needs.

To decide if your child is ready for kindergarten, talk with her current caregiver or preschool teachers. These professionals are good judges of how your child is likely to react to the kindergarten experience. If possible, visit the future school while class is in session and ask yourself if you can picture your child doing what you see the kindergartners doing.

Testing Readiness
There is a tremendous amount of growth and development during the early childhood years, and it is extremely difficult to get an accurate picture of the whole child through standardized readiness tests. The American Academy of Pediatrics deems such tests "inappropriate" and recommends that they not be used to make placement decisions. Using such tests may emphasize academics in a kindergarten classroom instead of the play and exploration that motivate children to learn and set the stage for a rewarding school experience.

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