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Kindergarten…are you both ready?. Carrie Washburn Children’s Minister. How OLD does my c hild need to be?. What is the minimum age for admittance to kindergarten in CA?
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Kindergarten…are you both ready? Carrie Washburn Children’s Minister
How OLD does my child need to be? What is the minimum age for admittance to kindergarten in CA? A child shall be admitted to a kindergarten maintained by the school district at the beginning of a school year, or at a later time in the same year if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before: October 1 for the 2013-14 school year September 1 for the 2014-15 school year and beyond Are there immunization requirements for school entry? California law requires each child to have a health examination report for school entry. This report consists of a health examination and an up-to-date immunization record or waiver signed.
What should my child be able to DO before they start kindergarten? Independence • Adjust own clothing before and after using restroom • Take off and put on outer clothing Attention Span • Be able to listen and follow 2-3 step directions • Sit for a story for 5-10 minutes Small Motor Skills • Use appropriate three-finger grasp when using writing instruments (pencils, crayons and scissors) Social Skills • Shares materials and toys with other children • Be confident and ready to separate from parent • Be able to solve problems without aggression
What should my child KNOW before they start kindergarten? Name • Be able to state first and last name when asked • Be able to tell others how to spell their first name only • Be able to write first name with first letter upper case and remaining letters lower case Alphabet • Sing the song! • Make most letter/sound matches • Identify most upper and lower case letters Numbers • Count to at least thirty and tells what number comes before or after a given number • Identify numerals 1-10 in random order • Use finger to accurately touch count items to ten
What should my child KNOW before they start kindergarten? Shapes & Colors • Identify basic geometric shapes (triangle, circle, square, rectangle, oval, star, diamond, and heart) • Know basic colors (red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, black, white, brown, pink) Literacy Awareness • Be able to rhyme words • Knows concepts of print (front and back of book, which page comes first, track words left to right) • Retells simple stories in sequence
Kindergarten Readiness Online Resources & Apps! Bob’s Books #1 Piggy HD Math Montessori Hundred Board Space Aliens Alphabet Sequencing Super Why! Little Writer • enchantedlearning.com • kidzone.ws• education.com •
Preparing my child EMOTIONALLY! EXPLORE! Going to interesting places such as the beach, park, zoo, airport, farm or lake. Use car rides to talk, sing, and play (“I Spy” encourages children to identify shapes, colors and helps develop their vocabulary). NO BABY TALK! Keep your language simple, but put away the baby talk. Conversations with adults enrich a child’s vocabulary and understanding of world. ACTIVELY LISTEN! Make eye contact with your child while listening to them speak, showing them that you value what they say. ANSWER THEM! Praise and encourage your child’s efforts and curiosity, even better….show them how to find their own answers. MAKE MISTAKES! From mistakes come learning and confidence. Criticism can discourage children from trying new things. HAVE A SHOPPING SPREE! Take your child with you to pick out a lunch box, backpack, folder, supplies, and a new outfit!
Preparing yourself EMOTIONALLY! Take advantage of meet and greets Those late summer meet and greets and kindergarten play dates are not just fun, they are a great way for both you and your upcoming kindergartener to meet new friends, find familiar faces and sometimes you even get the chance to meet your teacher! Make friends with a veteran mom You can read a million lists, books and articles about preparing for kindergarten, but truly, the best resource you have is another mom. Learn the drop-and-dash It's rule No. 1 in the kindergarten parent handbook — don't linger. We know you want to stay and hang out and see how your child settles in, but it's best if you don't. Kill the mommy expectations Starting kindergarten is such a milestone in the life of a mom — the first true test of how you've done as a mother, sending your baby off into the "real world." But you need to keep your expectations realistic for your new student. Make first day of school plans! No going home to cry (or clean!). Schedule a manicure, or coffee with girlfriends, or meet your hubby for lunch!
It’s the BIG DAY! Watch the clock The best way to make sure your new kindergartener gets his or her school career started is by being on time to school each morning. Lunch time woes Moms of kindergarteners will tell you — even the kids who can plow through a stack of pancakes in the blink of an eye at home will barely touch their lunch for that first year. Label, label, label Add a permanent fabric marker to your back-to-school shopping list! Put his name on everything that goes to school so that it can easily find its way back to your kindergartener. Fort Knox has nothing on them "What did you do at school today?" Every single mom asks after the first day of school. "Nothing," replies every single kindergartener. Ask specific questions.
Is my child’s teacher SPEAKING English? What does Common Core mean? Educational standards describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. In California, the State Board of Education decides on the standards for all students, from kindergarten through high school. What guidance do the CCSS provide to teachers? The Common Core State Standards are a clear set of shared goals and expectations for the knowledge and skills students need in English language arts and mathematics at each grade level. Will there be tests based on the Common Core State Standards? Yes. States that adopted the Common Core State Standards collaborating to develop common assessments that will be aligned to the standards and replace existing end of year state assessments.
What are STANDARDIZED Tests? What is STAR? Each spring, California students in grades 2 through 11 take a series of tests through the Standardized Testing and Reporting. First administered in 1998, the STAR program requires all public schools in California to test students between mid-March and mid-June of every year. What is TERRA NOVA? Terra Nova is an achievement test typically given to private school students in grades K through 11 between mid-March and Mid June. The decision to test students every year or every other year is largely based on the school’s accreditation and/or administration.
