02/22/2021
A child's social, emotional, and behavioral readiness is EXCEEDINGLY more important than what some assume to be academic readiness.
I'm a firm believer that kindergarten needs to be ready for kids, not the other way around. Yes, of course having some basic counting and alphabet knowledge is important (especially the letters in the child's name).
But do you know what's more important?
➡ Being able to listen and enjoy a book being read aloud.
➡ Understanding how to take turns and wait.
➡ Basic listening skills.
➡ Following multi-step directions.
➡ Knowing how to interact positively with other children.
➡ Fine and gross motor skills.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop there. When I taught kindergarten, It was more important to me that my incoming K kids were interested in learning, kind to each other, felt safe, were curious, etc.
Ready for learning is far more important than entering kindergarten with academic knowledge they're supposed to learn IN kindergarten.
Can you tell I'm passionate about this? 😉 I just worry about adults being misled about this topic. There are super long checklists out there that include items children are meant to learn in elementary school, poorly veiled comments about kids being "behind" before they've even started school, and more. PLEASE don't fall for that. Do your research and talk to knowledgeable early childhood educators.
Read more here - https://fun-a-day.com/ready-for-kindergarten/
It even includes a printable you can share with preschool families!
