Source: WCPO Cincinnati
By Sarah Hardee
March 1, 2017
CINCINNATI -- Get those black ink pens ready, moms and dads.
Thousands of parents in the Tri-State are registering their child for kindergarten over the next few months in preparation for next school year. Caregivers should expect to fill out lots of school forms and paperwork. And some will also need to set up wellness exams with their child’s pediatrician, optometrist and dentist.
Once all of that is complete, there’s likely to be a bit of residual anxiety over whether their little one will be fully ready for the "big leagues" this August.
Can their child handle the academic and social demands of a kindergarten classroom? What will their teachers expect them to know?
Those questions, and more, linger in the back of many parents’ minds well before their child is even old enough for school. Most of that anxiety relates to kindergarten readiness. We’re hearing the term more and more as educators at every level push for better early childhood education programs and opportunities for children.
The reason: The years before children reach kindergarten are among the most critical in their life to influence learning, according to the U.S. Department of Education. There’s also a link between kindergarten readiness and future academic success, experts agree.
But what exactly does "kindergarten-ready" mean, and how can we help our children get there?
In Greater Cincinnati, Stephanie Byrd knows the lasting difference being ready for school can mean for a child. She’s the executive director of United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s Success by 6.
The initiative is a driving force behind kindergarten readiness and aims to increase access to high-quality early childhood programs and services. It ties in with a network of programs that are working to provide a better early foundation locally for school success.
“When we think about kindergarten readiness, we need to look at the broad definition,” Byrd said. “Every child is different, and there is a lot of variation in child development.”