Kindergarten Readiness

Cooperative Extension Fact Sheets

Early Childhood Educators #3

Moving from early childhood centers or from homes to Kindergarten is a major transition for young children. Transitions are always stressful to some degree, and we want to be sure that the young child is prepared for them. Transitioning to Kindergarten involves adjusting to a new peer group, taking on a new role as 'student', accepting a new authority figure, adjusting to new surroundings, routines and expectations, and, in some cases, separation from parents for the first time.

Children with more preschool experience (center based or licensed family home care) displayed fewer stress behaviors during the early weeks of Kindergarten because they have already adapted to separation from their primary caregiver, met and interacted with new peers, accepted new authority figures, been exposed to new routines and developed many of the skills needed through participation in a structured program.

Certain major areas involving specific skills should be considered when preparing children for Kindergarten. The average child who is ready for Kindergarten will have familiarity with the following:

· Size: big and small; related size concepts; matching predicated on size

· Color and Shape: primary colors; circles, squares, triangles and rectangles

· Numbers and Math Readiness: counting; matching; one-to-one correspondence

· Reading Readiness: basic vocabulary; verbal expression; awareness of letters; sentence sense; story comprehension and storytelling

· Position and Direction: word meaning (up, down, here, there…); relative positions; left to right progression; top-middle-bottom progression; descriptive language, including opposites

· Time: day or night; seasons; calendar

· Listening and Sequencing: sound recognition; story recall; attending

· Motor Skills/Gross: hopping; running; jumping; climbing; kicking; throwing

· Motor Skills/Fine: coloring; cutting; drawing; buttoning; zippering

· Social and Emotional Development: self help; knowing one's full name, address and phone number; the ability to work independently; cooperation and general social skills (very important)

· Speaking Skills: should be able to take an active part in conversations with the teacher and with classmates; should speak clearly enough to be understood

A definite link has been found between social skills and school adjustment and performance. Actively disliked children who were rejected by Kindergarten peers have a significantly less favorable school perception, demonstrate more school avoidance behavior and poorer performance. Children who have difficulty relating to peers are at risk for difficulties throughout the school years. Certain social behaviors - playing cooperatively, demonstrating positive peer group entry behaviors and communicating effectively with peers increase the likelihood of successful adjustment to Kindergarten

Children's home lives and parents' expectations and attitudes also play an important role in successful school transitions. Share with your parents the Kindergarten Survival Handbook by Allana Elovson, PhD. It is available in English and Spanish and can be found at The Kindergarten Survival Handbook or ordered for $12.95 plus $3.50 for shipping and handling from: Parent Education Resources / 725-18^th St. / Santa Monica, CA 90402

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· Children with a good, developmentally appropriate preschool background will have more success in Kindergarten than children who attend a preschool that stresses academics.

· Developmentally inappropriate classrooms cause children to exhibit more stress behavior.

· School systems need to be encouraged to work towards more communication, collaboration and continuity between the private preschool sector and the public school Kindergartens.

· Kindergarten Readiness is not a function of chronological age, but of developmental readiness.