Kindergarten Readiness

Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?

In kindergarten, your child will develop skills in many areas. However, kindergarten makes up only a small part of each day. The key to a successful school year is a strong partnership between home and school. Review the activities in Selah's Kindergarten Readiness Brochure. Congratulate yourself on how much you are already doing to prepare your child for kindergarten. Then select a few new activities you can introduce to your child. Place emphasis on trying a new activity rather than mastering the skill. Remember that children learn by playing. You can show your child that learning is fun as well as important! There is no single measure that guarantees that a child is ready for kindergarten. In general, as your child nears his or her fifth birthday, he or she is ready to start school when it begins in the fall. In addition, the following information describes where most students are developmentally before beginning kindergarten.

Keep in mind that each child will come to school with a variety of strengths and skills. Think of the following list as a way to identify your child’s strengths, rather than using it to decide whether he or she is behind or ahead of other children.

If you want to help your child prepare for success in kindergarten, try the activities suggested in this guide. And once the school year begins, know that his or her teacher will create a learning environment that gives each individual student an opportunity to thrive and learn new skills throughout the year.

Talk to your child about the first day of school. Address any fears and concerns your child may have and reassure him/her that everything will be alright. Keep a positive attitude. If you are excited about the first day of school chances are your child will be too!