Kindergarten Readiness: An Eight Question Guide for Parents

By Dupe Aleru|Long Beach K-12 Examiner|May 19, 2011|7:52 a.m. 

Kindergarten is the onset of a child’s educational journey. A time where parents liberate their once little baby to an estranged place where the child will soon get to know as, kindergarten.

Frantic parents usually get carried away with pre-kindergarten preparation in order to ensure their child shines on the first day of school. Knowing one’s alphabets, numbers and common sight words such as a, the, and I is superb, but kindergarten readiness is more than a child knowing his or her letters and numbers.

The most vital part of kindergarten readiness is the social and emotional ability to transition from the home environment to the school environment without separation anxiety, the ability to work in small groups (sharing is caring), and the ability to listen to authority.

Parents can use as a guide to see if their child is ready for kindergarten. By no means is the quiz a pass or fail test, but instead, a guide for parents to know where they child stands on the emotional and social scale of kindergarten readiness.

1. Did your child attend preschool or child care (how long?)?
2. How does your child handle parental separation (yes, no, sometimes)?
3. Will you child have friends from preschool in his/her classroom (yes, no, I don’t know)?
4. Do you know the kindergarten teacher? What it the same teacher for your other children?
5. How would you rate your child’s level of confidence on a scale of 1 to 10?
6. How well does your child get along with other kids (excellent, good, fair, poor)?
7. How well does your child communicate (very articulate, somewhat articulate, it matters the occasion or shy)?
8. Would you call your child a good listener (does he/she follow directions)?
9. Does your child have siblings? (yes, no) *Related to socializing with peers
10. Is your child independent or dependent? Can he/she perform tasks with little guidance? (yes, no, very little).

During the first few weeks of school, parents should remember not to provoke their child in being clingy during drop off time. Most schools allow parents to observe and stay in the classroom during the first day, but after that, kiss your precious kinder goodbye and wish him/her a nice day. J