| | Live Interactive ChatRelated Resources July 15, 2002 Getting Ready for KindergartenLaDonna Helm, Kindergarten Teacher
Leal School, Urbana, IL Introduction to the topicThe purpose of a kindergarten transition plan is to help children and families feel comfortable with the kindergarten teacher, classroom, and building prior to entering kindergarten. Parents, kindergarten teachers and preschool and child care programs are key players in making this process successful for children. Preschool programs can help by organizing tours to the various kindergarten classes. In addition, preschool teachers can facilitate discussions about the differences and similarities between preschool and kindergarten, clarifying misconceptions when necessary.
Kindergarten teachers can aid in the process by welcoming families as they come in to visit the classroom and answering questions that parents or children might have. However, parents should be aware of the school policy for scheduling visits with kindergarten teachers. Kindergarten teachers can also send home to parents the school schedule or calendar, school policy, and supply list prior to the first day of school. This will allow families to preview the information, be informed of school expectations, and share the information with the kindergarten student.
Parents are encouraged to visit the school with and without their children, while school is in session, calling specific attention to places such as the classroom, office, restrooms, library, and cafeteria. In addition, they should plan several summer visits to the school playground, which will allow children to get connected with the school in a non-threatening way.
Online Resources- Getting Ready for Kindergarten
This tip sheet for parents from Illinois Early Learning Project is available online and in print. Also in Spanish.
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/readykindergarten.htm
- ReadyWeb
This Web site addresses the topic of school readiness, both the readiness of children for school and the readiness of schools for children. Information presented includes the full text of ERIC Digests and of publications by the U.S. Department of Education on school readiness, and bibliographies on school readiness.
http://readyweb.crc.uiuc.edu/
- Kindergarten Entry Skills
This Frequently Asked Question file is a discussion of the skills teachers may expect of a child entering kindergarten. Includes web sites and additional resources.
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/k-entry.html
- Parents' Reports of the School Readiness of Young Children from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2007
This descriptive report presents initial findings on the school readiness of young children, as reported by their parents, from the School Readiness Survey (PFI) of the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). Topics covered include the participation of young children in preschool or other types of center-based care or education arrangements; parental plans for kindergarten enrollment and parents' beliefs about what they think they should do to prepare their children for school; children's developmental accomplishments and difficulties, including emerging literacy and numeracy skills; family activities with children in and outside of the home; and children's television-viewing habits.
http://nces.ed.gov//pubs2008/2008051.pdf
- Helping Preschoolers Transition to Kindergarten
According to The Florida Center for Parent Involvement, “moving from preschool or home to kindergarten is one of the most significant transitions young children will experience.” Parents need to help children deal with complex emotions and address reactions to the change.
http://www.suite101.com/content/helping-preschoolers-transition-to-kindergarten-a241375
- Readiness for Kindergarten: Parent and Teacher Beliefs
Two surveys sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and conducted in the spring of 1993 collected information on parent and teacher beliefs about characteristics important to a child's readiness for kindergarten.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs93/web/93257.asp
ERIC digests- School Readiness and Children's Developmental Status
This study highlights the challenges that kindergarten teachers face in meeting the needs of children who are not only demographically but also developmentally diverse.
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1995/zill95.html
- Measuring Kindergartners' Social Competence.
This ERIC Digest advocates assessment of children's social competence with various measures, including behavioral measures.
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9218/social.htm .
- Assessing Young Children's Social Competence
Peer relationships contribute a great deal to both social and cognitive development. Recent research suggests that a child's long-term social and emotional adaptation, academic and cognitive development, and citizenship are enhanced by frequent opportunities to strengthen social competence during childhood.
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/2001/mcclel01.html
ERIC Database: Selected recordsTo search for ERIC resources on this topic, try the descriptors "early childhood education" combined with "parent participation" or " family involvement" and combine the results with the descriptors "males" or "fathers." How to Obtain ERIC Documents and Journal Articles:
References identified with an ED (ERIC document)or EJ (ERIC journal) are cited in the ERIC database. ERIC Documents (citations identified by an ED number) may be available in full text from ERIC at no cost at the ERIC Web site: http://www.eric.ed.gov. Journal articles are available from the original journal, interlibrary loan services, or article reproduction clearinghouses.
If you would like to conduct your own free ERIC database searches via the Internet, go directly to http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/basic.jsp
Search through March 2002: Selected records
- Entering Kindergarten: A Portrait of American Children When They Begin School. Findings from the Condition of Education, 2000.
Author(s) Zill, Nicholas; West, Jerry
Author Affiliation: National Center for Education Statistics (ED), Washington, DC.(EDD00004)
Publication Date: January 2001
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage.
Availability: ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398; Tel: 877-433-7827 (Toll Free); Web site: (Home page) http://nces.ed.gov; Web site: (Electronic Catalog) http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/index.asp
This report details: (1) what a typical child knows at school entry; (2) what the typical child's health and behavior are like at school entry; (3) what factors help account for variations in knowledge, health, and behavior at school entry; (4) what sex-related differences in school readiness exist for kindergartners; (5) what family background characteristics affect children's skills and knowledge; and (6) how risk factors affect noncognitive aspects of school readiness.
- Teacher and Parent Expectations for Kindergarten Readiness
Author(s) Welch, Michael D.; White, Barzanna
Publication Date: May 1999
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
This study compared expectations of teachers and parents for school readiness skills and preparation required for entry into public school. Significant differences were found between parents and teachers on 3 items of the 25-item survey.
- Chalkboard. Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
Author(s) Anarino, Susan
Source: Our Children, v23 n8 p38 May 1998
Parents can hone their children's kindergarten-readiness skills at home by providing creative, challenging activities that prepare them for the kindergarten classroom.
- Kindergarten Transitions. Teachers: 48% of Children Have Transition Problems. NCEDL Spotlights Series, No. 1.
Author(s) Pianta, Robert; Cox, Martha
Author Affiliation: National Center for Early Development & Learning, Chapel Hill, NC.(BBB35605)
Publication Date: July 1998
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
This report identified teachers' areas of concern regarding transition to school, looked at transition practices, and asked teachers what barriers they see to implementing more transitions practices.
- Helping Your Child Start School: A Practical Guide for Parents
Author(s) Ryan, Bernard, Jr.
Publication Date: 1996
Availability: Carol Publishing Group, 120 Enterprise Avenue, Secaucus, NJ 07094 ($10.95; $14.95 Canada; quantity discounts).
This parent guide to preparing children to enter school brings together two understandings: first, an understanding of the child at the time school begins and during the first school year; second, an understanding of school, and what goes on inside the classrooms, gymnasiums, and playgrounds.
- Critical Skills for Kindergarten: Perceptions from Kindergarten Teachers
Author(s) Johnson, Lawrence J.; And Others
Source: Journal of Early Intervention, v19 n4 p315-27 Fall 1995
This study examined the views of 176 kindergarten teachers regarding those skills children need to be successful in kindergarten. Teachers ranked 149 skills within 5 domains: gross motor, fine motor, general knowledge and school readiness, language, and social. Findings indicated that items related to academic readiness were not seen as critical as skills related to independence.
- Children's Transition to Kindergarten
Author(s) Maxwell, Kelly L.; Eller, Susan K.
Source: Young Children, v49 n6 p56-63 Sep 1994
Reviews research on young children's transition to kindergarten. Looks at three factors that affect early school adjustment: (1) children's skills and school-related experiences, including social skills, play behavior, and prior experience with peers; (2) parental influences, such as expectations and parent-child interactions; and (3) classroom characteristics, such as developmentally appropriate versus developmentally inappropriate practices.
- How To Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
Author(s) Karnofsky, Florence; Weiss, Trudy
Publication Date: 1993
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.
Availability: Fearon Teacher Aids, P.O. Box 280, Carthage, IL 62321 (Catalog No. FE- 0932).
Intended as a guide to help parents of children from birth to age 5 teach their children the skills needed to make kindergarten a experience, this book consists of an introduction and seven chapters on various aspects of preparing young children for kindergarten. Checklists for parents are included in each chapter.
- The Kindergarten Survival Handbook: The Before School Checklist & a Guide for Parents. (El Manual de Como Sobrevivir El Jardin de Ninos: La Lista Pre-escolar y Una Guia Para Los Padres)
Author(s) Elovson, Allana Cummings
Publication Date: 1993
Available from: EDRS Price MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.
Availability: Parent Education Resources, 752 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90402 ($12.95, plus $3.50 shipping. Discount on quantity orders).
Written to help parents understand what their children need to know before they start kindergarten, this volume, bound separately in English and Spanish, is intended to help parents become their children's best, as well as their first and most important, teachers.
Disclaimer The opinions, resources, and referrals provided on the IEL Web site are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of medical or legal advice, or of other appropriate services. We encourage you to seek direct local assistance from a qualified professional if necessary before taking action.
The content of the IEL Web site does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education. |
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