How do you know if your child is ready for Kindergarten? Children develop and mature at different rates so you must consider mental age, social maturity, prior school experience and age.
First, we must look at age. The age requirement varies by state, most of which require a child to be five before entering Kindergarten. You should always check with your local school district and if you are considering private school, check with those individual schools. What is the cutoff date? If your child's birthday is close to that date, are they able to handle being the youngest in the group. Some do well in this situation and others really need that extra year of development. Look down the road in this situation, if they are immature for their age, waiting a year may be best.
Second, visit the elementary school, attend an open house, see if they have an assessment program or if you can meet with someone to discuss your child's readiness.
Third, they should be able to take care of their personal needs such as dressing themselves (zippers, buttons, snaps, velcro), bathroom independence and knowing their name (full name and nickname) and address.
If your child has been in a preschool program or day care, ask their current teacher/care giver their opinion on your child's readiness. Listen carefully, ask questions and consider their opinion. If their are concerns, are the issues something that can be worked on over the summer?
Parents tend to think that academic knowledge such as knowing the alphabet, colors and counting are important. While teachers tend to be more concerned with behavior and social issues. Does your child have the ability to follow class rules and get along with other children? Both of these views are important but it helps you understand that their is a balance. My personal opinion is that a parent should work on behavior and social issues more than academics. The academics should still be a factor, but if a teacher has to deal with more behavior and social issues in the classroom the academics will suffer. You want to prepare your child for success and that means a healthy balance of all three - academics, behavior and social awareness.
If you are unsure, research available Pre-K programs or Young 5 Kindergarten programs. These are not childcare programs but schools that offer other alternatives to the traditional Kindergarten program. Some programs are designed for younger children that may not be ready for a full day Kindergarten program. Some are designed for the more advanced children that would benefit from a Kindergarten program at a younger age. Some offer morning only programs or 3 full days, which not only help reduce the cost but may work best for your child.
If you have any doubts or questions it is better to put it off a year and focus on those issues, rather than put your child in a situation in which they are not be ready.
Please share any additional things to consider, questions, experiences or comments below.
Cammie Moise