Requirements to start kindergarten??

Question

A friend of mine told me that to start kindergarten your child has to know how to write their name & address, write their phone number, either know or be able to write their parent's name/s (can't remember which)... Don't you think this is a little much or is my information wrong? Because my when my niece started kindergarten she couldn't write her name let alone her address (her first name has 9 letters, middle name has 8 letters & her last name has 9 letters. Now she did know how to write her nickname which was only 5 letters, but having to know how to write her full name if a bit much... Anyway, my daughter is only 2 right now, but I'm just curious on what they are supposed to know how to do so I know what to work with her on (I'm not going to push her or anything, just besure to help her with the specific requirements plus more). I just want her to have the best start... Anyway, thanks!

Answer 1

That is not true

Requirements to start kindergarten in most if not all states is age

in my state, if you are 5 before August, you start Kindergarten, if you born September to December, than the parent get to choice to start the child at age 4 or 5

Some stare the age is 6

When my daughter started kindergarten, she was not speaking, forget writing and reading

Do not worry, a lot of children can not write there name

Answer 2

Go to the web site for your school district. Unless you have a very small district, they will list the expectations they have for kindergartners.  It is UNREASONABLE to expect them to be able to read or write before kindergarten.

BTW, I noticed this year that my district had dropped out of providing all-day kindergarten.  A number of studies have showed that it makes NO DIFFERENCE in test scores by grade 5, whether the kid went all day or part day.

Answer 3

There are no cognitive requirements to begin kindergarten or any other grade in public education. The only requirements to begin public education kindergarten are age and immunization.

It's a good idea for them to know colors, shapes, numbers to 10, all 26 letter names, and how to write their own name, but they will learn this in kindergarten. Knowing these items would give them an edge.

~Susie

All day kindergarten teacher

Answer 4

IDK im not a teacher!

Answer 5

First of all congratulations on getting married on my (and my husband`s) 16th anniversary!!!

In my district: (and it is not that they will keep them out or put them in kinder-kids a 2 year kindergarten program for the less mature kids born after March 1 but this is what the K teachers requested)

Write her name with capital letter followed by lower case letters. Elizabeth not ELIZABETH. And Liz or Betsy or whatever the nickname she will go by should be fine. (I get that you were talking about your niece but it may apply to your daughter too.)

Count to 20 and recognize numbers.

Recognize all the letters of the alphabet.

Be able to work the shoelaces buttons snaps zips etc. on the clothes she will be wearing (I am getting a lot of slip-on tee shirts and polos and climber pants from Lands End because my guy has some trouble with this -- but there is still winter coats etc.) I see a lot of kindergarten girls at school in stretchy knit dresses and leggings and velcro shoes!

Recognize shapes and colors

Wait her turn and follow simple instructions.

We got a calendar for every day of the summer to do something new -- from an I Spy game for colors and shapes to counting each other`s fingers and toes to songs to sing to practicing shoe tying and zipping/snapping of pants.

If she is ready to learn -- can sit still to have a book read to him or look at a book or work a puzzle for several minutes -- wait his turn -- etc. she will be okay in kindergarten. The teachers can teach the general knowledge stuff to kids who are ready to learn.

Our kindergarten teachers say behavior is what really holds kids back into kinderkids or ending up repeating kindergarten. But there are not that many.

Answer 6

I think kids who know nothing at all can enter kindergarten, it is public education.  When I taught school I had all sorts of kindergarteners....those who knew colors and shapes, etc and those who didn't even know their last name.  My daughter was in kindergarten last year.  She knew her  colors, shapes, letters, letter sounds, my name, her dads, our phone #, and about 30 sight words she learned in her 4 year old preschool class all before kindergarten.  Kids in kindergarten totally learn to read, and basic addition, money, telling time....it is not learning to socialize and tie shoes anymore.  While I don't think you have to push your daughter, I think just by watching educational TV she will know her shapes and colors, and you can reinforce it with her so easily (what color is the table, what shape....etc).  The phone # I would teach asap just because it is a good thing to know, as well as your name, for safety issues.  My daughter also learned how to put our phone on speaker and dial 911 when she was 4.

As for writing, my daughter wrote her name around age 3.5, my son is running more like age 4.  My son's 3 yr preschool teacher wanted them to write their own names towards the spring.  My son tries, but is not there yet.  Hopefully he will be for preK next year.  

When I was teaching, like I said, I had kids that knew NOTHING, and kids that knew a lot....I knew which I wanted my kids to be, and so while I didn't drill them, I made sure they knew a few things.  The sight words were just a bonus from a great PreK teacher, but really helped my daughter this year in kindergarten.  They are sponges.  Educational TV instead of SpongeBob, kids music instead of our music, it all makes a difference and it all teaches them.

Answer 7

Generally most states have Pre k now.  This is where they will start on the basics of writing.  They shouldn't be required to write pretty yet but nowadays Private schools are introducing cursive in Kindergarten.   Legally they can't hold a child back from Kindergarten if they don't know these things.  If you don't plan on moving soon then it's important that you start teaching your child as soon as possible their phone # and their address, Plus both parents names just for safety.    They will start writing numbers and letters in Pre-k.  So yes start as early as you can on writing.  My son was in 1st grade last year and part of the spelling grade was penmanship.   He might have spelled every word right but if it was sloppy they took off points.

Answer 8

Every state and district are different, but the main requirements are :

1. They can spell or recognize their own name

2. They can count to 10

3. They know their alphabet

4. They can follow simple directions

5.They can sit in a circle

6.They know some basic colors

Answer 9

The person above me is right ... public schools can't legally require anything but age for entry to kindergarten.

In my school district, the expectations (which are really more of a hope) are that kids are able to follow directions and behave appropriately in the classroom.  Most kids can write their name (often in all caps with some backwards letters) but most can't write their address or phone number or parents' names.  A lot of kids just don't yet have the motor skills to write well by the beginning of kindergarten.  My kids were asked to write those things sometime in early first grade (though for safety reasons knowing (not writing) those are things that I personally teach my kids as preschoolers).

Private schools may be another matter, but anywhere that requires that of entering kindergarteners is crazy imho ... not because it's not possible to teach that stuff to a preschooler, but because it's a ridiculous requirement, and preschoolers are better off concentrating on how to sit through circle time and share their toys.

edit -- doodlest -- do you happen to have a citation on the studies on full-day kindergarten? my district just moved to full day, citing a barage of pro-full-day studies.  i think full-day kindergarten is a lifesaver for 2- working-parent-families, but not a good idea for kids like mine whose parents are at home, and I would love a citation to the studies you referenced.

Answer 10

She should start kindergarten at 4 when she already knows the alphabet, colors, how to write her name, numbers and count.