Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten?

How can I reassure myself that my son is really ready to enter kindergarten next year? He definitely meets all the requirements, but I would rather keep him home another year than put him in a situation where he might fail. -- Worried Mom
Answer: If your son meets all of the readiness guidelines for the school he will be attending, you should give him the chance to try kindergarten next year. These guidelines list everything the school believes are important for him to be ready to start school. Even children who don't meet school guidelines now may do so before kindergarten starts, as young children change rapidly.
No one can ever predict with complete accuracy how well any child is going to do in school. Why are you worried about your son failing? Is there some red flag telling you he might have problems? If so, you might want to talk to the school about it and be reassured that it can be handled in kindergarten. If he has attended preschool, it is a good indicator of how he will handle kindergarten.
Spend time now enjoying your son, and try not to worry so much about how he will do in kindergarten next year. You can continue getting him ready by making sure he knows how to share, complete a task, listen to directions and communicate with both children and adults. If your son has never been in a preschool environment, you might want to see if there is a play group in your area that he could participate in. Also, the local library might have a story time for children his age that he could attend.
We have created a brochure with a lengthy checklist of skills children should have before entering kindergarten. It also discusses the age issue, readiness tests and full- and half-day kindergartens. To get this brochure, send a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope to the address below along with $1 for handling charges.