Posted ByBobbi on July 02, 1999 at 23:43:53:
In Reply to: Re: school readiness posted byJennifer Gormley on June 19, 1999 at 22:02:42:
Kindergarten should be ready for ALL children. So much focus is on getting kids 'ready'. Why the rush? As a preschool teacher, I see so many parents push to get their child 'ready'. This push is not developmentally appropriate, nor is the child is having fun while learning concepts. Many of the children that are not ready for kindergarten in my Head Start class will not benefit from an extra year, usually there are some underlying learning difficulties that may last for the child's school life.(Examples are: Extreme lack of focus, very poor motor skills/high cognitive skills). Kindergarteners range in skill from 4 to 6 yrs of developmental age. A good K-teacher can work with these kids, and bring them to a common level for 1st grade. As for all kids entering school 'ready to learn', I conclude with the opinion that we should not be focusing on kids being ready for school, but the parents are ready to be parents to their children and insuring that their kids are exposed to age-appropiate, stimulating experiences that will build a strong foundation for the child's future learning. Parents are the child's first teacher, focus on helping parents do their most important job.