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Kindergarten Readiness and the Transition Process

Kindergarten Readiness and the Transition Process. Workshop Outcomes By the end of the evening, parents and guardians will…. Understand the behavioral and academic expectations of the Kindergarten classroom

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Kindergarten Readiness and the Transition Process

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  1. Kindergarten Readiness and the Transition Process

  2. Workshop OutcomesBy the end of the evening, parents and guardians will… • Understand the behavioral and academic expectations of the Kindergarten classroom • Possess materials and ideas for activities to promote “Kindergarten Readiness” in their children • Understand the various parts of the Kindergarten transition process

  3. Warm-up • What do you remember about your Kindergarten experience? • How do you think your experience compares to Kindergarten today? • What are your expectations/goals for your child when he/she goes to Kindergarten?

  4. The General Education Kindergarten Classroom • All MCPS Kindergarten classes meet 6 hours per day, 5 days per week • The typical classroom has 15-25 children with one teacher • The schedule includes a 90-minute literacy block and a 60-minute math block • Students go to specials for 35-40 minutes • Students eat lunch in the cafeteria and go to recess with their grade-level peers

  5. Behavioral Expectations in the Kindergarten Classroom • Students transition from activity to activity independently with very few verbal prompts • Students sit in whole group instruction “magic five” on the carpet • Students use the bathroom independently • Students monitor their own behavior • Students manage classroom materials appropriately • Students follow routines and rules • Students work independently

  6. Encourage Independence Skills your child should practice… • Using the toilet without adult assistance • Putting on and removing his or her own coat, hats, and mittens • Hanging up his or her coat and backpack • Fasteners (e.g., zippers and snaps) • Opening food containers, cartons, straws, ketchup packets • Putting toys away • Following adult directions

  7. Social-Emotional Expectations in the Kindergarten Classroom • Students show an eagerness to learn • Students show a willingness to try new things • Students show concern for and interest in others • Students work and solve problems with others

  8. Encourage Social Skills Provide your child with opportunities to socialize with other children through attending… • Story time at the library • Gym programs • Parks and playgrounds • Play dates, playgroups • Or, visit a parent resource center And… Keep exposing your child to new activities, even if they don’t like them.

  9. Literacy Expectations for the Kindergarten Classroom • Students use language effectively to communicate with others • Students relate personal experiences to text • Students answer questions about characters, actions, and events in stories

  10. Provide Literary Experiences • Read together! • Talk about the pictures in books • Encourage your child to speak in sentences • Sing the A-B-C and rhyming songs • Play with magnetic letters • Practice matching letters with their sounds • Read signs in the environment

  11. Prepare for Written Language Too! Provide fine motor experiences through… • Play with play-doh • Practice cutting with child’s scissors • Use glue bottles and glue sticks • Coloring or writing with a variety of tools such as pencils, markers, and crayons Also, encourage your child to draw pictures and tell you about them.

  12. Math Expectations for the Kindergarten Classroom • Students recognize odd and even numbers • Student identify positions of an object (first through fifth) • Students sequence events • Students demonstrate emerging money skills • Students combine and remove concrete objects (beginning addition/subtraction)

  13. Provide Math Experiences • Count (e.g., cookies at snack, stairs climbed, number of pennies, etc.) • Have your child help set the table to practice one-to-one correspondence • Have your child help sort laundry by color or size • Have your child help prepare a simple meal • Go on a shape hunt • Use position words (e.g.,top, middle, bottom, over, under, etc.) • Use quantitative concepts (e.g., empty/full , more/less, one, one more)

  14. Things You Need to Know About Kindergarten Transition • Students who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2014 will go to kindergarten next fall. • Based on the location of your neighborhood elementary school (also called your “home school”), you are a part of a specific “cluster” of schools which offer many different special education services. • A “cluster” is grouping of 4 high schools and all their feeder (middle & elementary) schools. .

  15. Need to Know (cont.) • Every school does not offer every special education service, but each “cluster” provides most of the same special education services. • There is a continuum of services available for kindergarten students with special needs. These services are based on the number of hours of specialized instruction as well as the type of support your child needs at school.

  16. Steps for Parents and Guardians to Follow • You’ve already completed the first step by attending tonight’s meeting!  • Attend your Special Education Cluster Supervisor’s meeting during which he or she describes services available in your area. This typically takes place in January. If you are not able to attend the meeting, request a copy of the power-point from your Parent Educator.

  17. Steps to Follow (cont.) • Visit your neighborhood school’s kindergarten. Check with your parent educator to find out if a group tour has been set up. • Your Parent Educator may also recommend visiting other elementary schools that provide different service options for kindergarten. These visits are pre-arranged, and invitations will be sent home in your child’s backpack. Bring any questions you may have.

  18. Steps to Follow (cont.) • Parents are highly encouraged to visit schools, take notes, ask questions and discuss their child’s educational needs with the PEP staff. Kindergarten tours are not able to be rescheduled. Please make every effort to attend. • Most importantly, attend your child’s IEP meeting during which Kindergarten services will be discussed. You are part of the team and your input is valued. The services selected will be based on your child’s unique needs.

  19. Alphabet Soup: Servicesfor Students with Special Needs • Resource and Related Services: Services are provided at your child’s neighborhood “home” school. • HSM: Home school model. • LAD: Learning and Academic Disabilities. • ELC: Elementary Learning Center. • LFI: Learning for Independence. • SCB: School/ Community Based. • http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/specialed/parents/services/schoolage-all-levels.aspx • http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/specialed/parents/services/schoolage-elementary.aspx

  20. Resources • Ready at Five • www.readyatfive.org • National Network for Childcare • www.nncc.org • Education.Com - www.education.com • Reading Rockets - www.readingrockets.org

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