universal definition &readiness checklist
When determining a child's readiness for school there are many things to consider and all are important. Traditionally, families think of kindergarten readiness as a child knowing their letters and numbers, However, when talking with Kindergarten teachers you are more likely to hear about the importance of a child's social and emotional development, ability to self-regulate and adequately communicate his/her needs at the top of the list. A child's ability to understand and independently follow directions is also important, as is managing emotions and handling conflict. A child entering kindergarten should be physically healthy, meet a majority of developmental milestones, and possess an age-appropriate fine and gross motor skills. And this is just the beginning.
If families, teachers, physicians, and community members are to work together to .promote kindergarten readiness, it is important to have a shared understanding of what this means along with goals, with aligned indicators and measurements. All agree that having a universal checklist would help guide our efforts.
In 2016, as part of the Coalition's participation as an Innovation Zone, the Coalition facilitated a "roundtable
for Kindergarten teachers to discuss what they felt were the most important indicators of kindergarten readiness. This discussion was followed up with a survey to help determine priorities. Several years later the Williamson County Early Childhood Cooperative built on this work to come up with a Kindergarten Readiness checklist. This work will provide the foundation for creating a universal Readiness Checklist for the region. Work on this new effort will begin in January 2023.
If families, teachers, physicians, and community members are to work together to .promote kindergarten readiness, it is important to have a shared understanding of what this means along with goals, with aligned indicators and measurements. All agree that having a universal checklist would help guide our efforts.
In 2016, as part of the Coalition's participation as an Innovation Zone, the Coalition facilitated a "roundtable
for Kindergarten teachers to discuss what they felt were the most important indicators of kindergarten readiness. This discussion was followed up with a survey to help determine priorities. Several years later the Williamson County Early Childhood Cooperative built on this work to come up with a Kindergarten Readiness checklist. This work will provide the foundation for creating a universal Readiness Checklist for the region. Work on this new effort will begin in January 2023.