You may have heard the term “kindergarten ready” tossed around on the internet or in the news often. Administrators are talking about school readiness. Parents are wondering if their kids are prepared. And we early childhood teachers worry that our kids won’t have all the skills they need to excel in the kindergarten classroom.
Let’s break down what it truly means to be “kindergarten ready” and how you can set up all your kids for success.
Getting Ready for Kindergarten: Should Kids be Able to Read?
Should we be teaching kids to read BEFORE they get to kindergarten? Let’s think about preschool development for a moment.
Children develop skills at their own individual pace. Depending on the child’s rate of development, some children may be ready to read early; if they are, they will take the initiative. These children don’t need anyone to push them to do so.
Reading is an expectation for the end of kindergarten, not the beginning. Trying to teach a 3- or 4-year-old to read isn’t a shortcut to success. In fact, focusing too much on academic skills can detract from other critical areas of development, such as social-emotional development.
We should focus on building a strong foundation of skills. This will help develop social-emotional skills and lead to academic success.
What if a Child is Not Ready for Kindergarten?
As a seasoned pre-Kindergarten teacher, I’ve seen many children enter school unprepared – they’re just not ready to be there. And in every case, those kids struggled in the same areas – executive function skills and social-emotional development.
The prefrontal cortex of the brain develops these skills—such as self-control, planning, and time management. They help children (and adults) regulate emotions, focus on tasks, pay attention, and control impulses (plus more). Without these skills, children may find it much harder to learn and thrive in school.
Developing Kindergarten Readiness
Preparing children for kindergarten is not a small task. Most kindergarten teachers would agree that the three most important skills for kindergarten readiness are:
- Executive Function Skills
- Sharing, taking turns, and following directions
- Navigating transitions and managing emotions
- Practicing self-control and problem-solving
- Language Skills
- Playing with sounds and rhymes
- Recognizing syllables and hearing the individual sounds in short words (like “cat” and “mop”)
- Developing a rich vocabulary through conversation and exposure to stories
- Academic Skills
- Recognizing and naming letters and numbers
- Counting and writing their name (this requires fine-motor skills)
- Basic writing and math foundations
Think of developing kindergarten readiness to building a house. Executive function skills are the foundation. Without a solid foundation, the whole structure can crumble.
Language skills are the frame of the house, providing structure and support.
Supporting Executive Function
Supporting the development of executive function and social-emotional skills doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some simple ways to incorporate these skills into your child’s daily life:
- Organization: Designate places for toys and materials to go. Then, practice putting the items away. Lead children to follow the routines to clean up and put away toys.
- Planning: Use a picture schedule to help children understand daily routines. Help children use the schedule: “When is lunch? Well, let’s look at our schedule. First we finish centers, next we read a book together, and then we wash our hands and go to lunch.”
- Time Management: Give reminders for transitions: “It’s almost time to go to the playground. What do you need to do to get ready?”
- Self-Control: Students can practice taking turns, waiting, and talking about their emotions. Play games that include moving fast, then “freezing” (controlling the body).
Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
When young children have well developed executive function skills and social-emotional skills, the transition to kindergarten will be much easier.
More Kindergarten Readiness Tools
Need more resources or training related to kindergarten readiness? Looking for a group of colleagues that can answer questions related to kindergarten readiness or any area of early childhood teaching? Check out Teaching Trailblazers!
Simplify Your Day, Energize Your Teaching, and Reach Every Learner
Sound impossible, doesn't it? Not if you have Teaching Trailblazers in your teacher toolkit!
Teaching Trailblazers is the #1 program for Preschool, Pre-K, & Kindergarten teachers that helps you teach better, save time, and live more. Inside you'll find everything you need to make teaching easier!
- Curriculum: A full year’s worth of curriculum + done-for-you printables…use them as a standalone program OR supplement your existing curriculum! Includes the ENTIRE play- and research-based curriculum from Pre-K Pages!
- Professional Development: Access a growing library of on-demand training sessions on hot topics like classroom management, behavior, social-emotional learning, and more.
- Community: Experience our caring community of supportive Early Childhood professionals and expert mentors. You’ll be surrounded by others you can count on to help, inspire, and empower you to be the best educator you can be!
On average, teachers spend an average of 105 hours outside of their required working hours per month. But you don't have to...
Join Vanessa Levin, a 20+ year veteran pre-k teacher, as she helps you navigate the challenges you face in the classroom every day. From literacy to social emotional learning and more, Trailblazers gives you the support you need!
