On Your Mark, Get Set, “GO” ing to Kindergarten!

On Your Mark, Get Set, “GO” ing to Kindergarten!

Alyssa Schneider (Guest Blogger) @ Kids Matter

As I stroll up the aisle of Target in mid-July, I cannot help but begin feeling the buzz about the upcoming month, the month that children return to school.  For those parents whose child will be entering school for the first time, as a kindergartener, there is an elevated level of organization, excitement, and maybe panic. I remember when my own children were at this stage; I was busy making lists.  Lists of back to school clothes that they needed, the endless list of school supplies, and of course we cannot forget the new backpack and lunch box featuring Spiderman or the newest disney princess. Preparing for kindergarten, as a parent, seems to be getting the needed items on the list, just in time for the first day.  Have we asked ourselves a bigger question; is my child really ready? Not just ready to begin waking up at the crack of dawn and getting on the school bus; but, is my child ready socially, emotionally, and skilled enough to have a successful transition into the world of  school?

School readiness in Kentucky means that each child enters school ready to engage in and benefit from early learning experiences that promote a child’s success. The developmental areas for school readiness are:  (www.kidsnow.ky.gov)

·       Approaches to learning.

·       Health and physical well-being.

·       Language and communication development.

·       Social and emotional development.

·       Cognitive and general knowledge.

Many, many years ago this definition had not been adopted by the state, so there I was wondering. And by wondering, I mean worrying; is my child ready for kindergarten. Fortunately, he was, although we still had things that were “in progress”.  He had these skills not by chance, but rather, I and the quality childcare providers had been strengthening these skills since he was a baby.  As an early childhood professional, I knew the importance of quality pre-school, language development, self-help skills, confidence, and allowing my child to move at his own pace.  It was not about reciting the ABCs and 123s, although knowing them is important; it was about fostering the skills of the whole child. My child was excited to go to school. He was curious, always asking questions, and by answering his question with more than just a yes or no answer he was gaining broad and colorful language.  We read books daily, and in turn he also shared stories with me. We had conversations that were turn taking with listening and speaking. As I read to him, I realized we worked on being able focus for ten minutes; which supports skills for following directions.  We worked on him being able to articulate his needs to an adult and control his emotions.  We encouraged other self-help skills such as using pencils and scissors, and putting on a coat.  All these daily skills that were poured into him were building a boy ready to make a successful transition to school.

The first day of kindergarten came with much anticipation. There he was: new clothes, back pack, and a cute little haircut, smiling with excitement and confidence for this new adventure. The bus came around the corner and stopped just long enough for him to board and wave from the window.  As I got back into my car and wiped away the tears, I realized that over the last few months while I was busy checking items off my list of “back to school to dos,” I had not added preparing him for kindergarten. Thankfully, I had been doing that since birth. He was kindergarten ready!

 

Alyssa Schneider is the STARs Quality Coordinator, Quality Enhancement Initiative

Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten?

Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten?

Belinda @ Kids Matter

With kindergarten registration quickly approaching, you find yourself mentally preparing for the big day when your baby becomes a big kid and steps on that school bus the very first time. First day of school outfit… check. Adorable backpack loaded with school supplies… check. Awesome new shoes… check. One last hug and a few encouraging words as your now ‘big kid’ gets on the school bus. Your eyes well up with tears… not so much because you will miss your child, but for the sudden impact of how quickly she has grown. The bus pulls up; you hold your child’s hand until that very last second. Your eyes follow that bus as far as you can see. You fight the urge to jump in your car and travel the bus route just to make sure your precious cargo arrives safely at its destination. As you turn to leave the curb, tears begin streaming down your cheeks. By the time you reach the house, you are in a full blown ‘boohoo my baby has grown up’ bawl. As you sit weeping your heart out on the couch, your mind is filled with precious moments from the past five years. Scenes from birth to the last view of them on the bus causes your mind to race. Suddenly, you are overwhelmed with thoughts such as, will my baby be safe, what if her allergies act up, will she make new friends, will she like her teacher, and oh no… will the teacher like her? Panic quickly grasps you in a choke hold.

Breathe! Your baby will be just fine. The first day of school is months away yet. You will savor that moment of watching her venture out on the first day of school. Don’t make it a memory of pure panic. Treasure that memory with great fondness and acknowledge the fact that you did a great job in preparing your child for the independence of riding the bus that very first day of school. Children, for the most part, are great explorers of the world. Though it may seem like a scary thing to them, stepping on that bus, the moment the parent is out of sight it becomes a whole new adventure. Besides… just a few short hours from her getting on the bus, you will be a nervous wreck again, waiting for the moment when she steps back off that bus, safely home once more.

We’ve got you on the path to coping with your child heading off to school, now it’s time to start priming your child. You find yourself asking… ‘How do I know my child is ready for kindergarten’? If she attended a preschool then, chances are, she is advanced beyond the kindergarten skill level you remember as a child. Preschool is a phenomenal advantage for our children and they will, no doubt, arrive at kindergarten level by the summer before kindergarten starts. If your child didn’t attend preschool, there are many sites on the Internet to help you get your child kindergarten ready. Below is a list of some of those sites. Work with your child at their level of development. Make learning fun and interesting. Infuse excitement into prepping them for school and how much fun they will have learning. Above all, be very patient. What they don’t know this week, they could easily learn by next week. A child’s brain is pretty much equivalent to a sponge. They absorb knowledge very quickly. The key to success is practice, practice, and practice while reaching for greater and more challenging goals.

1.     Family Education – Kindergarten Readiness (checklist)

2.     Baby Center – Kindergarten readiness: Is your child ready for school?

3.     Education.com - 10 Kindergarten Readiness Skills Your Child Needs

4.     Kinder IQ – Readiness Assessment

5.     Scholastic – Ready for Kindergarten?

From The Director’s Chair: The Kinder Garden

From The Director’s Chair: The Kinder Garden

Julia @ Kids Matter

"Children are like tiny flowers: They are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers." - Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) the founding father of Kindergarten.

Kindergarten has come quite a long way from when I entered the hallowed halls of Glendover Elementary in 1981. We only went half a day for one thing. Most of our day was spent with cookies, juice, Alphabet Buddies, a nap, and the Electric Company. Nice day, huh? These days, Kindergarten is one of the hardest years a little one will face as they begin their academic career. I have known parents who are pulling their hair out over the amount of daily work and homework sent home with their 5 year old child. So, what can we, as early educators, do to aid these wee babes as they march, determined with their oversized backpacks, into their scholastic life? The answer is simple; get them ready with kindergarten prep!

               On that note, let me ask you this… Are your Preschool classrooms up to par? Are the teachers you have in place aware of the role they play in early education? Are your Learning Centers helping them in their educational quest? Is your curriculum outside of the same old rote style teachings of the alphabet and days of the week songs? If you answered no to any of these questions, believe me, you are not alone. So let’s break the questions down one by one, shall we?

·        Are the classrooms up to par? Work with your teachers on rearranging the classrooms every 3 months. I know it is a lot of work, but by changing the room around, you are giving the children a somewhat ‘new’ room. They get excited with change which may promote well-mannered behavior.

Just remember the golden rule of room arrangement. Book Center should be in a quiet area of the room and away from the doors. Block Center should also be away from the doors and certainly away from books (it is often a noisy center). Keeping these centers away from doors is a safety precaution for fire drills.

·        Are your teachers aware of their role? Teachers in this age group can get downright tired and overworked trying to come up with new and exciting ways to keep 3, 4, and 5 year olds interested in learning rather than playing. Well, the answer is in the statement.

Your centers should be set up with things that children can learn through play. A great Science Center, Math Center, Writing Center, and Word Center can really help. Also, reaching out to your local elementary school kindergarten teachers can be a gold mine! Ask if your teachers can come observe for a day or two. Have staff pepper the kindergarten teachers with questions of what they expect in their new students and what centers they utilize in their classrooms.

·        Is your curriculum really teaching the children? Curriculum is the foundation of a truly great class. If your budget does not afford you the top of the line curriculum plans, there are always ways around that. Group trainings are a great way for your staff to get familiar with lesson planning. Websites like Scholastic and Dr. Jean can really help your teachers! Also, give them a ‘lesson planning hour’ where they can find a quiet place away from the classroom to research and plan. Hold them accountable for these lesson plans as well. Make sure you have final say on all lesson plans a week before implementation.

Giving them a road map every month also helps greatly! As a Pre-K teacher, I worked at a few day care centers. At one, I was completely on my own for planning. At the other center, I was given a packet every month with the weekly themes, work sheets, ideas, inspirational quotes, and a teacher professional development project. This extra guidance made all the difference in the world!

If you work in the office alone, ask a lead teacher to take on the monthly project of creating a packet for staff to follow. I assure you, it works wonders in your classrooms; the teachers will love you for it!

               Well, until next time folks, remember- Children are like flowers in a garden. They each are unique, beautiful, and require individual as well as group care. Give them the tools they need to succeed both academically and emotionally. Grow your garden well!

Promoting a Successful Child

“School readiness means each child enters school ready to engage in and benefit from early learning experiences that best promote the child’s success.” That opening quote was taken from a movement called Kentucky School Readiness Ready to Grow… Ready to Learn… Ready to Succeed. 

This movement focuses on three core groups: 1) Health and Physical Well-Being, 2) Emotional and Social Preparation, and 3) Language, Math and General Knowledge. Indicators have been established for each group that allows the parent, family, friends, daycare, school, and community to aid in the success of our children. Is there anything in this world that you want more than to see your child succeed in life?

Another important quote from this campaign is, “These indicators represent the hopes and aspirations for incoming students, not the expectations.” Hopes and aspirations, those words alone bring ideas to life. What can we do today that will promote our child’s future? Under each group are targets to set for the child, guidelines to work toward, and goals to achieve. For instance under Health and Physical Well-Being is the point, “eats a balanced diet”. Are you doing the best you can to ensure your child is eating healthy? Does your child live off fast food and snacks all day or do you prepare daily home cooked meals that include all the essential foods required for a child’s healthy balanced diet?

Under the Emotional and Social Preparation, group we have the point, “is curious and motivated to learn”. A child’s brain thirsts for learning much like a sponge. They absorb knowledge extremely fast and have a great need to learn. We, as parents, grandparents, and teachers, need to be alert and promote our children’s desire to learn. Understanding how the brain develops will enable us as caregivers to stimulate growth. The University of Harvard’s study on Three Core Concepts in Early Development is an excellent resource to help us help our children.

The Language, Math, and General Knowledge category is a point of great stimulation to a child through music, reading, television or play. When television is brought up in connection with “child” it brings much controversy. Television in itself is not the problem. Television used correctly, under adult supervision, may be a tremendous learning tool. It was not meant to be a babysitter. A child needs interaction. Limiting the amount of time spent in front of the television and monitoring what the child watches can greatly benefit their growth and development. How TV Affects Your Child, an article by Kids Health, is a good resource in learning how we need to change our television habits. Educational TV is good, but too much time in front of the TV is not. Introduce the child to the history channel, wildlife channel, and public TV.  Learn how to monitor show ratings and use the V-chip in your television. Spend time as a family watching shows that stimulate your child’s growth.

A parent is the first teacher in a child’s life. We must spend our time wisely; encouraging growth and development for the success of our child.

Belinda @ Kids Matter