February 6, 2020

Is your child ready for Kindergarten?

Children grow and mature at different rates. Just because your child’s chronological age is the same as his/her peers doesn’t mean they’re ready for school at the same time.  Often, placing a child in a situation where he/she may fail during his early years of school will negatively affect his/her attitude toward the school experience and, of course, his later learning.  This checklist of developmental skill levels is based upon evidence of school readiness in children.  It has been prepared with the hope that it will provide a systematic method for the parents to evaluate, in a general way, a child’s development. If you believe your child needs another year before entering the public school system, or needs more attention than is available in larger classes, Private Kindergarten at LeafSpring School may be a great option for you.

It is important to remember that delayed development is not necessarily associated with later problems in children, but simply reflects different rates of growth. These items are samples of different growth patterns. Teaching children specific answers to these items does not affect the overall pattern of growth or readiness.

 

Growth and Age:

1. Will your child be the necessary age required by your school district when he/she begins Kindergarten?
2. Is your child at or above the following norms or averages in weight and height for a 5 year old?
   Weight: 40 lbs.
   Height:  43 in.

 

Practical Skills:

Does your child:

1. Take care of his toilet needs independently?
2. Separate from you with little or no anxiety?
3. Cross a parking lot or street safely?
4. Communicate clearly when speaking to adults other than family members?

 

Social and Emotional:

Does your child:

1. Play well with others with minimal fighting or whining?
2. Suggest a solution to a conflict with another child without seeking adult help?
3. Use words to describe a wide range of emotions?
4. Differentiate imaginary play from reality?

 

General Activity Related to Growth:

Does your child:

1. Pay attention to a short story when it is read and answer simple questions about it?
2. Draw a picture, beyond a simple scribble?
3. Zip or button up a coat?
4. Stand on one foot for 5 to 10 seconds?
5. Fasten buttons he can see?

 

Remembering:

Does your child:

1. Repeat a series of four numbers without practice, such as responding to “Say after me 6-1-7-4”?
2. Repeat an 8 to 10 word sentence if you say it once, such as “The boy ran all the way around the playground”?
3. Remember instructions and carry out two or three simple errands or tasks after being told once? (Ex. “Put on your pajamas. Brush your teeth. Then, pick out a book.”)

 

Understanding:

Does your child:

1. Tell you the meaning of simple words like bicycle, apple, shoe, hammer, water, shirt, horse?
2. Count up to 20 objects?
3. Supply the last word to all of the following statements?Mother is a woman; Father is a __________.
   A fire is hot; an ice cube is __________.
   A plane goes fast; a turtle goes __________.
4. Put together a simple puzzle of 5 to 10 pieces?
5. Tell what parts are missing if you draw a stick picture of a person and leave out a leg and an arm?
6. Draw or copy a square?

 

General Knowledge:

Does your child communicate:

1. How many feet he/she has?
2. Which goes faster, a motorcycle or bike?
3. What a key is for?
4. What his/her eyes are used for?
5. The names of all the basic colors?
6. In what way a sweater, shoe and hat are the same?

 

Attitude and Interests:

1. Is your child unafraid of going to school?
2. Does your child ask often when he will go to school?
3. Does your child pretend to read, or play school?
4. Have you attempted to create in your child the idea of looking forward to the school experience rather than fear school?

 

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