Assessing a child’s readiness for kindergarten is more than evaluating how much the child knows. Of course, there are some basics such as colors, numbers, letters and more but these are specifics. There is also a general attitude or expectation, a sort of warming up. I will try to explain what I mean by using a similar situation. Popcorn is a favorite snack in our house but in order to have lots of kernels that pop instead of ones that never open, it is important to warm up the popcorn maker. What would warming up be for kids and kindergarten? This would be a series of simple activities done over and over that create an expectation for the child that adults have knowledge to share. For example, pointing out the numbers on a sign, stopping to watch the ants cross the sidewalk, planting the seeds found in an apple core, reading books, telling stories, talking about why the swimsuit that fit last summer doesn’t fit now; all those little things make such a big difference. By doing this, your child is ‘warmed up’. At school, we call these teachable moments. Today, you will in all likelihood have one of these moments. The what or specific knowledge is not so important as the action. This is a critical part of helping your child be in the know for school. Is this doable for you?
