Kindergarten Readiness and the Transition Process

1
Kindergarten Readiness and the Transition Process
2
Workshop OutcomesBy the end of the evening,
parents and guardians will

• Understand the behavioral and academic
  expectations of the Kindergarten classroom
• Possess materials and ideas for activities to
  promote Kindergarten Readiness in their
  children
• Understand the various parts of the Kindergarten
  transition process

3
Warm-up

• What do you remember about your Kindergarten
  experience?
• How do you think your experience compares to
  Kindergarten today?
• What are your expectations/goals for your child
  when he/she goes to Kindergarten?

4
The General Education Kindergarten Classroom

• All MCPS Kindergarten classes meet 6 hours per
  day, 5 days per week
• The typical classroom has 15-25 children with one
  teacher
• The schedule includes a 90-minute literacy block
  and a 60-minute math block
• Students go to specials for 35-40 minutes
• Students eat lunch in the cafeteria and go to
  recess with their grade-level peers

5
Behavioral Expectations in the Kindergarten
Classroom

• Students transition from activity to activity
  independently with very few verbal prompts
• Students sit in whole group instruction magic
  five on the carpet
• Students use the bathroom independently
• Students monitor their own behavior
• Students manage classroom materials appropriately
• Students follow routines and rules
• Students work independently

6
Encourage Independence

• Skills your child should practice
• Using the toilet without adult assistance
• Putting on and removing his or her own coat,
  hats, and mittens
• Hanging up his or her coat and backpack
• Fasteners (e.g., zippers and snaps)
• Opening food containers, cartons, straws,
  ketchup packets
• Putting toys away
• Following adult directions

7
Social-Emotional Expectations in the
Kindergarten Classroom

• Students show an eagerness to learn
• Students show a willingness to try new things
• Students show concern for and interest in others
• Students work and solve problems with others

8
Encourage Social Skills

• Provide your child with opportunities to
  socialize with other children through attending
• Story time at the library
• Gym programs
• Parks and playgrounds
• Play dates, playgroups
• Or, visit a parent resource center
• And Keep exposing your child to new activities,
  even if they dont like them.

9
Literacy Expectations for the Kindergarten
Classroom

• Students use language effectively to communicate
  with others
• Students relate personal experiences to text
• Students answer questions about characters,
  actions, and events in stories

10
Provide Literary Experiences

• Read together!
• Talk about the pictures in books
• Encourage your child to speak in sentences
• Sing the A-B-C and rhyming songs
• Play with magnetic letters
• Practice matching letters with their sounds
• Read signs in the environment

11
Prepare for Written Language Too!

• Provide fine motor experiences through
• Play with play-doh
• Practice cutting with childs scissors
• Use glue bottles and glue sticks
• Coloring or writing with a variety of tools such
  as pencils, markers, and crayons
• Also, encourage your child to draw
• pictures and tell you about them.

12
Math Expectations for the Kindergarten Classroom

• Students recognize odd and even numbers
• Student identify positions of an object (first
  through fifth)
• Students sequence events
• Students demonstrate emerging money skills
• Students combine and remove concrete objects
  (beginning addition/subtraction)

13
Provide Math Experiences

• Count (e.g., cookies at snack, stairs climbed,
  number of pennies, etc.)
• Have your child help set the table to practice
  one-to-one correspondence
• Have your child help sort laundry by color or
  size
• Have your child help prepare a simple meal
• Go on a shape hunt
• Use position words (e.g.,top, middle, bottom,
  over, under, etc.)
• Use quantitative concepts (e.g., empty/full ,
  more/less, one, one more)

14
Things You Need to Know About Kindergarten
Transition

• Students who will be 5 years old by September 1,
  2014 will go to kindergarten next fall.
• Based on the location of your neighborhood
  elementary school (also called your home
  school), you are a part of a specific cluster
  of schools which offer many different special
  education services.
• A cluster is grouping of 4 high schools and all
  their feeder (middle elementary) schools.
• .

15
Need to Know (cont.)

• Every school does not offer every special
  education service, but each cluster provides
  most of the same special education services.
• There is a continuum of services available for
  kindergarten students with special needs. These
  services are based on the number of hours of
  specialized instruction as well as the type of
  support your child needs at school.

16
Steps for Parents and Guardians to Follow

• Youve already completed the first step by
  attending tonights meeting! ?
• Attend your Special Education Cluster
  Supervisors meeting during which he or she
  describes services available in your area. This
  typically takes place in January. If you are not
  able to attend the meeting, request a copy of the
  power-point from your Parent Educator.

17
Steps to Follow (cont.)

• Visit your neighborhood schools kindergarten.
  Check with your parent educator to find out if a
  group tour has been set up.
• Your Parent Educator may also recommend visiting
  other elementary schools that provide different
  service options for kindergarten. These visits
  are pre-arranged, and invitations will be sent
  home in your childs backpack. Bring any
  questions you may have.

18
Steps to Follow (cont.)

• Parents are highly encouraged to visit schools,
  take notes, ask questions and discuss their
  childs educational needs with the PEP staff.
  Kindergarten tours are not able to be
  rescheduled. Please make every effort to attend.
• Most importantly, attend your childs IEP meeting
  during which Kindergarten services will be
  discussed. You are part of the team and your
  input is valued. The services selected will be
  based on your childs unique needs.

19
Alphabet Soup Servicesfor Students with Special
Needs

• Resource and Related Services Services are
  provided at your childs neighborhood home
  school.
• HSM Home school model.
• LAD Learning and Academic Disabilities.
• ELC Elementary Learning Center.
• LFI Learning for Independence.
• SCB School/ Community Based.
• http//www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/spe
  cialed/parents/services/schoolage-all-levels.aspx
• http//www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/spe
  cialed/parents/services/schoolage-elementary.aspx

20
Resources

• Ready at Five
• www.readyatfive.org
• National Network for Childcare
• www.nncc.org
• Education.Com
• - www.education.com
• Reading Rockets
• - www.readingrockets.org