How do you know when your child is ready for kindergarten?  A wise educator once told me “it depends on the child.” 

        While you are the best one to judge whether your child is ready for kindergarten, Idaho law requires a child to be 5 years old by September 1 to attend public school.

        Some parents may decide to keep their child in preschool or to home-school an extra year so that their child will be the oldest in the class.  Some parents think that holding a child back will increase school performance later on, but studies do not necessarily support that assumption.

        Social interaction with peers and adults is key to kindergarten success.  To determine whether to enroll your child in kindergarten, observe their behavior.  Does she know how to get along with her classmates at preschool?  Ask his preschool teacher whether he plays cooperatively and works out his differences on his own. Watch how your child interacts with peers on the playground, on playdates, or at birthday parties.  Is he sitting on the sidelines?  Attaching herself to you at group gatherings?

        Perhaps your child is physically mature, but not emotionally mature enough to start school. Children mature at different rates.

        If you feel your child is not ready for kindergarten, you have options: keep them out until the next year, let them repeat kindergarten if necessary, or try a transitional kindergarten class, a two-year program where the curriculum is presented at a slower pace and there is less pressure.

        “Parents need to remember they are their child’s first teacher. Learning doesn’t start in kindergarten,” reminds Christy Hall, a kindergarten teacher in Kuna.

        An article in Newsweek (August 2005) reminds us that children start learning at birth.  “Make learning fun! Paper and pencil are not necessary to have learning take place,” advises Angie Bernard, a Nampa kindergarten teacher.

        Early learning is important and your interaction with your child—talking, singing, playing rhyming games—helps stimulate language and vocabulary development and build an important foundation for learning to read.  Studies show that children with early education have stronger language, pre-mathematics, and social skills. How can you help your child get a good start to education?

HELP YOUR TODDLER DEVELOP A LOVE OF LEARNING:
• Reading aloud—If your child won’t sit still for a story, change the name of the protagonist to your child’s name. “Reading to your child is the best thing a parent can do!” states Bernard.  Get in the habit of visiting your local public library.
• Building art smarts—Encourage your child to express himself with a variety of media.  This activity also improves his hand-eye coordination and strengthens his hand and finger muscles.
• Discovering nature—Teach your child to use her senses and she’ll learn to become a trained observer like a scientist.

        Preschool can lay a good foundation; start searching for a preschool several months before you want to enroll your child.  Be choosy and ask a lot of questions.  You’ll want a preschool that is convenient to your work or home, with operating hours that work with your schedule.  Determine if you want a preschool with a special focus, such as a religious affiliation or one that practices the Montessori teaching method. 

HOW DO YOU FIND A GOOD PRESCHOOL? Look for these features 

• A nurturing environment—Visit and observe the children.  Are they happy?  Engaged?  A good preschool should have a welcoming, friendly atmosphere. A great preschool will invite you to become part of its community by helping with activities or accompanying the children on field trips.  Speak to parents of current students and ask their opinions.
• Clean, safe facilities—Is the building adequately heated, lit, and ventilated?  Equipped with working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits?  Upstairs windows should have screens or bars.  Radiators and heaters should be covered.  Are all medicines and hazardous substances out of reach? Are toys and play equipment in good repair? Is the outdoor play area level and secure?  Is the school building secure so strangers can’t just walk in off the street?
• A stimulating curriculum—Look for a program that encourages independence and inspires your child’s individuality and creativity.  Daily schedules should include physical activity including time outdoors, quiet time (including regular reading sessions), group programs, socializing, crafts, individual activities, meals, snacks, and free time.  A well designed curriculum should stimulate your child’s development, provide your child with the chance to try something new, and be adjusted to match each child’s abilities and skill levels.
        Look for a school with an outdoor play area and with a wide range of age-appropriate toys that will encourage your child’s development and stimulate creative, imaginative play.
• A qualified, caring staff—Observe how the staff interacts with the children. Teachers should be well prepared, responsible, and enthusiastic. Ask questions to determine if the preschool is right for your child.  Does the preschool share your philosophy about naps, discipline, feeding, and other care issues?
        Does the preschool have plenty of staff so your child will get the attention and care he needs? A preschool should have one teacher for every seven children to encourage interaction and development.  Ask how long staff have been with the preschool. Low turnover is key to ensuring consistent, stable care for your child.
• Established ground rules—Look for a school with a strict sick-child policy.  Find out which illnesses mean your child has to stay home, and for how long.  A good preschool helps minimize illness by requiring all children and employees to have current immunizations and regular checkups.
        What are the school’s guidelines regarding food?  If the school has a food plan, what does it serve at meal and snack times?  Does it encourage healthy eating habits and cover all the food groups?
        A preschool should have clearly established written procedures for everything from operating hours to how to handle emergencies.
• A current license—Ask to see a preschool’s license, then double-check with a call to your local social services department (Health & Welfare Department’s Idaho CareLine, Dial 2-1-1).  Look for a facility accredited by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) by searching the IAEYC database (the Idaho affiliate, idahoaeyc.org).  Preschools must meet state licensing regulations for health and safety. A license doesn’t guarantee quality—that’s why you have to evaluate the school yourself.

        Kindergarten is not mandatory in Idaho, but should it be? Kindergarten is mandatory in some states, such as Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.  
        “Kindergarten should be mandatory,” asserts 5th and 6th grade teacher Sharon Mathews of Calvary Christian School in Boise.  “The students who have developed literacy skills early have an advantage over those who did not.”
        “You can definitely tell who’s been in preschool and who has not,” kindergarten teacher Bernard observes. She says that those who attend preschool are more independent in the classroom and their social skills are more developed.  Hall sums up that “Preschool is a great way to expose children to school. It is also a different learning environment than at home with their parents. I think that every child, whether or not they go to preschool, needs to be around other children, and away from mom or dad, before going to kindergarten.  Sunday school, playgroup, swimming lessons, etc, encourage children to get a little independence before that big day of the start of kindergarten.”

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson enrolled her daughter in a private all-day kindergarten because she was ready when she was 4 years old.  Pamela can still remember her kindergarten nap time and snacks.  And she still likes nap time and snacks!