Introduction

“Schools seem to expect the children entering kindergarten to know a lot more than their parents had to when they went to school," says Margaret Bodison, a family service and parent involvement manager with the Head Start Program in upstate New York. "From soup to nuts, they are expected to know certain things when they walk in the door. It's like they need to hit the ground running, not learn it once they get in."[1]

Taking turns is a big kindergarten activity. Make sure your child knows how to take turns, be fair in games and walk away from other children who may not have these skills. The last thing you want to happen is for your child to start kindergarten off on the wrong foot by becoming the class bully.

Listening to the teacher is one of the most important things your child needs to be prepared for. Usually this is not a big issue as most children will listen to other people much better than they listen to you and kindergarten teachers are experts at commanding attention. Teach your child torespect the teacher and follow instructions.*[1]

Parents often have some anxiety around their children entering school for the first time. Although today many children attend preschool, which often prepares them for the routines and learning environment of kindergarten, parents still may anguish over whether their children will meet the expectations of kindergarten. To help allay parents' fears, here are the readiness skills that various education experts cite as important predictors of kindergarten success.

Emotional and social maturity

  • Does your child demonstrate a certain amount of independence by taking responsibility for personal tasks such as putting on and taking off his or her coat, and putting things away after using them?
  • Is your child able to exercise some control over his or her behavior?
  • Is your child comfortable being away from you for a good portion of the day?
  • Is your child generally cooperative and able to interact positively in a group, e.g., sharing, taking turns, and following directions?

Interest in and desire to learn

  • Does your child demonstrate curiosity about his or her world, and how things work?
  • Is your child eager to exhibit his or her word and number knowledge, as well as eager to learn new things?
  • Does he or she like to play with blocks and paints, work puzzles, play make-believe, and generally manipulate his or her play world?

Parents also should feel confident of the kindergarten teacher's expertise and desire to make this transition to formal schooling a positive one. As one kindergarten teacher put it: "It is my belief that every child is somewhere in the developmental process of learning to read, write, cipher, follow directions, solve problems, and think critically. It is our job as teachers to determine upon which rung our students stand, while holding their hands and guiding them to the next step up the ladder." [2]

Kindergarten Admissions Testing

Students entering BuistAcademy kindergarten should have a strong grasp of the basic academic skills and concepts. Being ‘ready’ to learn is expected of all children entering kindergarten. The curriculum at Buist is designed for children who already:

* Have experience with letters

* Have experience with books

* Work with numbers and number concepts

* Listen attentively

* Follow directions

* Express themselves verbally

* Have fine motor skills for cutting, pasting,

and writing

Ask your child’s current teacher for his or her assessment of your child’s progress. Look for one of the many books available which help parents assess their child’s readiness for beginning formal schooling.

THE FORMAL ASSESSMENT

There is no foolproof way to assess a young child’s academic development and potential. Any assessment gives just a snapshot of the child, at that moment, on that given day. With this understanding, we use an achievement test, chosen for its depth and variety of questions.

It allows children to demonstrate knowledge beyond the average age level expectations. It has a strong general information component with questions that demonstrate cognitive ability. This allows children with untapped academic potential to show their abilities.

The test is a nationally norm-referenced test.Each child’s test results are compared to results from children of the same age from across the country, and given a percentile ranking. The 50th percentile is the average. The largest number of children will, therefore, fall between the 40th and 60th percentile, or in the average range. A child must score in the 75th percentile or higher, for admission to Buist.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What type of questions will my child be asked?

Questions will fall into five basic categories:

General Information - Skills and Activities

Remembers what he seesShow a tray of objects for a few

seconds. Hide the tray with a

towel. See how many items can

be recalled.

Remembers what he hearsSay words in a series. Ask for

the words to be repeated in order.

Reading

Knows when things look the

same or differentLook at a series of letters. Find

the ones that are the ‘same’.

Knows when sounds are the

same or differentSay words in a series (bat, chair)

Ask if they are the ‘same’ or

‘different’.

Puts words and things in orderDays of the week/Months of the

Year

Mathematics

Groups thingsLook at a group of toys and tools.

Ask where does the ball belong?

Compares thingsTells why the ball belongs with

the toys.

Writing

Student can write his/her name.Student knows the purpose of writing.

Spoken Language

Talks about what he does or what he

knows or what he thinksAsk – What is a mailbox?

Ask – Why do we use umbrellas?

**All samples of skills taken from the State Department of Education website.

What can we do to prepare?

Allow your child to be a part of a play group, church group or another group where he/she will learn to work and play with others.

Read to and with your child. The single most important activity for building the knowledge for success in reading is reading aloud to children.

Talk to your child as you go through the day’s activities. Try to spend at least 30 minutes a day talking and listening to your child.

Use online learning activities or educational website to practice math and reading skills.

Limit your child’s TV viewing. Children who are watching television are not playing outside, thinking, or being creative.

JUST ONE MORE THING

If your child has had a rich four years of life, access to and experience with books, a variety of enriching experiences, has been encouraged to ask questions and think for himself, then your child is well on the way to becoming the best student he or she can be. If your child is not beginning to do each of the things listed earlier, those skills can be practiced at home. Ask your child’s preschool what they are doing to help prepare your child for kindergarten. Regardless of where your child ultimately goes to kindergarten, your efforts will help your child be more successful.

To alleviate stress regarding ‘test day’, we encourage you to bring your child for a visit prior to the test day. Most children feel more at ease on test day if they have met some of the teachers and have seen the classrooms ahead of time. Please call the office to schedule a tour of our school.

NOTES

The mission of Buist Academy is to educate students in a challenging environment that emphasizes academic excellence and promotes respect for individual differences. Students acquire knowledge, skills and attributes necessary to take action in their local and global community. Buist Academy students become caring, internationally-minded, life-long learners.

[1] Felicia Hodges, “Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?”, preschoolerstoday.com

[1]

[2]National PTA Website