Kindergarten…are you both ready?

Carrie WashburnChildren’s Minister

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 yearSeptember 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.

How OLD does mychild need to be?

Independenceo Adjust own clothing before and after using restroomo Take off and put on outer clothing

Attention Spano Be able to listen and follow 2-3 step directionso Sit for a story for 5-10 minutes

Small Motor Skillso Use appropriate three-finger grasp when using writing instruments (pencils, crayons

and scissors)

Social Skillso Shares materials and toys with other childreno Be confident and ready to separate from parento Be able to solve problems without aggression

What should my child be able to DO before they

start kindergarten?

Nameo Be able to state first and last name when askedo Be able to tell others how to spell their first name onlyo Be able to write first name with first letter upper case and remaining letters lower case

Alphabeto Sing the song!o Make most letter/sound matcheso Identify most upper and lower case letters

Numberso Count to at least thirty and tells what number comes before or after a given numbero Identify numerals 1-10 in random ordero Use finger to accurately touch count items to ten

What should my child KNOW before they start

kindergarten?

Shapes & Colorso Identify basic geometric shapes (triangle, circle, square, rectangle, oval, star, diamond,

and heart)o Know basic colors (red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, black, white, brown, pink)

Literacy Awarenesso Be able to rhyme wordso Knows concepts of print (front and back of book, which page comes first, track

words left to right)o Retells simple stories in sequence

What should my child KNOW before they start

kindergarten?

Kindergarten Readiness Online Resources & Apps!

Bob’s Books #1

Montessori Hundred Board

Super Why!

Piggy HD Math

Little Writer

Space AliensAlphabet Sequencing

• enchantedlearning.com • kidzone.ws • education.com •

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 my child EMOTIONALLY!

Preparing yourself EMOTIONALLY!

Take advantage of meet and greetsThose 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 momYou 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-dashIt'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 expectationsStarting 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!

Watch the clockThe 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 woesMoms 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, labelAdd 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.

It’s the BIG DAY!

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.

Is my child’s teacher SPEAKING English?

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.

What are STANDARDIZEDTests?

Any QUESTIONS?!?!