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
