Kindergarten…here I come! - post

Preschool teachers often worry about how they can get their little ones ready for the next step in other academic careers, kindergarten. Teachers frequently believe that some indicators of school readiness include having their children be able to recite colors, shapes, numbers, and letters as well as having them be able to sit attentively during Circle Time. However, according to many researchers, elementary school teachers tend to focus on social and physical development as the most important aspects of school readiness. Further research also shows that children who enter school with poor language and literacy skills are at a big disadvantage when they enter school (Tabors, Beals, & Weizman, 2001).  Explore our practical online courses such as No Such Thing as Boring Math Buy Now $24.00 and Brighter Futures: Social Emotional Development Buy Now $16.00$8.00 to begin building those foundational skills today.

According to research by Coppell and Bredekamp (2001) the best approach to thinking about school readiness is to focus on the whole-child approach.  This means including the body, mind, and emotions. For academic purposes, this means addressing the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of each child. As teachers, we need to nurture development so children can develop specific skills and behaviors with the understanding that they will be on the road to school readiness when they leave our classrooms.

It is important to note that this developmental viewpoint says that children will not achieve the same degree of school readiness at the exact same time, nor will they move at the same pace (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009).  Typically developing children will have the same skills and behaviors at around the same chronological age, and it is the job of the preschool teacher to offer activities that are meaningful, fun, and physically and mentally possible for the children to do. Teachers also need to scaffold, or gently guide, children to the next step of learning. It would be unrealistic to expect 3- to 4-year-olds to be able to write their name only after showing them how to do it once and not providing them with any practice afterward. Similar activities would first need to be introduced to get them ready to hold a pencil, then to eventually start to make scribbles, then to ultimately write their name. But where can we incorporate these activities that are meaningful, fun, and physically and mentally possible for children to be able to do? This is where the Georgia Early Learning Development Standards, intentional planning, and PLAY take over the preschool classroom. By implementing these, you can rest assured that your children will be ready for kindergarten!  

What is school readiness?

School readiness is best considered a whole-child construct: physical health and motor control, language and emergent literacy, social-emotional competence, and approaches to learning all contribute. That means teachers should prioritize rich language experiences, opportunities for gross- and fine-motor development, and social problem-solving rather than only alphabet or number drills. For a deeper discussion of which skills matter and why worksheets alone are insufficient, see What Skills Really Matter for Kindergarten Readiness (and Why Worksheets Aren't the Answer)?

How do I know which skills to prioritize in preschool?

Use dual lenses: the classroom curriculum (standards and objectives) and each child’s developmental profile. Prioritize: 1) language and vocabulary growth, 2) self-regulation and attention, 3) social competence and cooperative play, and 4) early numeracy and fine-motor foundations for writing. Research and practitioner guidance increasingly emphasize self-regulation as a gatekeeper to learning—see Why Does Self-Regulation Matter More Than ABCs? and the overview What Kindergarten Readiness Skills Do Children Need?

How can teachers use play and Georgia's standards to build readiness?

Guided play and intentional, standards-aligned planning let children practice targeted skills within meaningful contexts. Use the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards as a planning scaffold: choose play-based activities that map to preschool learning goals, then embed brief, teacher-led mini-lessons to model vocabulary, turn-taking, problem solving, and emergent writing. Practical guidance on using play to teach targeted outcomes is available in How Does Guided Play Build School-Ready Skills? and program-level strategies are discussed in How Can Preschool Programs Best Prepare Children for Kindergarten?

What classroom strategies scaffold literacy and self-regulation?

Actionable strategies: 1) Daily shared-book reading with explicit vocabulary work; 2) Small-group, play-based literacy centers that include name-writing and letter games; 3) Short routines that build self-regulation (stop-and-listen signals, predictable transitions, and simple reflection prompts); 4) Scaffolded fine-motor stations (clay, clips, tweezers) to prepare for writing. Pair these with observation-based assessment and individualized goals. For program-level transition practices, see How Can Child Care Programs Best Prepare Little Ones for the Kindergarten Transition? and classroom examples in How can we prepare preschoolers for kindergarten success?

How can families support school readiness at home?

Families are central partners in building the competencies children bring to kindergarten. Practical, evidence-aligned steps families can use immediately include: 1) prioritize daily, conversation-rich interactions and shared-book reading to expand vocabulary and narrative skill; 2) establish short, predictable routines and micro-practices (brief waits, turn-taking games, clean-up songs) to strengthen self-regulation and transitions; 3) provide play invitations that encourage cooperative problem solving and counting in meaningful contexts (set up a dramatic-play grocery, count items during clean-up); 4) offer fine-motor activities (cutting, lacing, playdough, drawing) plus daily gross-motor time for physical readiness; and 5) practice low-stakes name-writing and letter games embedded in real tasks rather than drill-based worksheets. Coordinate with the child’s teacher to set simple, individualized goals and try short transition visits or arrival routines to reduce first-day stress. For course-based family and teacher strategies, consider our Role of Play in Learning and Brighter Futures: Social Emotional Development courses.

Summary: How can you put this into practice?

Integrate Georgia's standards, guided play, and scaffolded routines so children build language, self-regulation, social skills, and fine-motor foundations together. For course-based support, consider Role of Play in Learning Buy Now $16.00 and explore our full catalog for Bright from the Start-approved clock hours. #schoolreadiness #play #literacy #SEL #scaffolding

Child Care Training Center (ChildCareEd) can help Georgia’s pre-k teachers get their children ready for kindergarten with such courses as:

No Such Thing as Boring Math Buy Now $24.00

Brighter Futures: Social Emotional Development Buy Now $16.00$8.00

Role of Play in Learning Buy Now $16.00

 All our online courses provide text, voice, and videos to make the content engaging as well as informative and are Bright from the Start approved for clock hours! Bright from the Start (Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, DECAL) administers Georgia's Pre-K program and licensing; search the GaPDS website under our Approved Sponsor Organization code (TR-ASO-76) for a full list of all our courses. For specific regulatory guidance and to confirm program licensing requirements and staff qualifications in Georgia, consult DECAL's resources and the GaPDS training portal linked above. Visit our website to see the full catalog and find classes that support children in your classroom today.