2020 saw most pre-schoolers in-home coached by parents and teachers online. Hence, it is very important that your pre-schooler be ready to join kindergarten in 2021 when everything hopefully is back to normal. The child needs to be ready not only academically, but also socially, mentally, and emotionally. This is why it is very important that before your child leaves his or her Preschool in Covina, CA, you measure his or her “school readiness” before you enroll your child in kindergarten.

Let’s first see what is “school readiness”. Previously, it meant that by a particular age, a child was ready for school. But that is not the correct way to go because just as different children learn to walk at different ages, “school readiness” is achieved by children at a different age. This is why AAP (American Academy of Paediatrics) stresses on seeing the whole environment and growth of a child since birth to see whether he or she is ready for school or not. Plus, AAP stresses the importance of kindergarten to be equipped with resources that can help them teach children with different milestones like those who have developmental disabilities or those who come from a background of adverse childhood experiences.

But how do you, as a parent look for signs of whether your child is school ready or not? Well there are three main categories :

• Behavioral, social, and emotional development: As said before, your child should be ready for school in many aspects other than academics. Under this development, the child should be able to :
  • Control his or her emotions and impulses to a certain degree
  • Engage and make friends with other children
  • Pay attention and focus on what is being shown
  • Be empathetic to others
  • Know how to take turns
  • Not show aggressive behavior
  • Know how to communicate what he or she is feeling
• Sensory development: The child should be able to use his or her senses to communicate with the world around him or her. It includes touching, seeing, and hearing and using them to figure out how to explore his or her surroundings.
• Academic development: Of course, a little bit of academic development is required before a child enters kindergarten from preschool. It includes a sound-letter association, knowing shapes, how objects are related, and also communicating with the teacher.

Now how will you know whether your child has passed these milestones or not? Some are easy to understand like the social ones; for the behavioral ones especially, those related to interacting with other children, you have to talk to your preschool Covina, CA teacher to get the full picture. Ask the teacher to give you objective observation so that you can be clear about your child’s development. If you think that some of the milestones are not being met, you can talk to your child’s pediatrician about them and ask for help.

Lastly, you are the best judge when it comes to judging your child’s developmental milestones and school readiness. Talk with your child every day and reinforce what he or she is learning in the preschool. Your instinct as a parent will let you know if your child is ready for kindergarten or not.