What does a child need to know to qualify for kindergarten?

Question

My son is going to be 5 in september, but since they moved the date up for entrance into our school system he will have to take a test to see if he meets the standards for Kindergarten. Does anyone know what the qualifications are for a child to skip preschool? Or perhaps what they test them on?

Answer 1

he must be able to write his name, whole name, know his abc's and count to 100. thats the way it is here. im going through the same with my kid. good luck!

Answer 2

If your son is normal, he will not be ready for Kindergarten in September because he is a boy born in September. He will most likely struggle his way through school if you throw him in this fall. It's better to wait until the following year so he'll be slightly older than most in his class and it will give him a slight advantage. Boys are developmentally atleast 6 months behind girls at this age and 6 months is a lot in the life of a 5 yr old.

It's not so much about what he knows, as much as it is about maturity and fine motor skill development.

Answer 3

aside from ABCs, and 1-10, they will ask him his full name, first, middle, and last.  they will also ask his home address, and telephone number.  he will be asked to identify specific body parts, such as, neck, back, chest, cheek, chin, ankle, heel, elbow, wrist, etc. (not just eyes, ears, nose, mouth anymore)  basic shapes, colors, he may be asked if he can write his name, but not necessarily.  i don't remember anymore right off.  i'll try to look and see if i can get a sample of the briggance.  at least that's the test they use around here.  and  it's not really an entrance exam, it's more of a measure to see where the child is developmentally.  that way they'll know what kind of work they will need to do with them.  there's no point in spending 3 months on ABCs and colors with someone who already knows them!

Answer 4

You can always ask that school for an idea of the requirements they will want.  You could work on them over the summer time to help prepare him.

Usually they will test to see if the child knows their ABC's at least visually.  Be able to count to 10 and recognize at least  numbers1-5 and write their name. Their maturity could be an issue also.  He should be able to sit for a good period of time.  Have ability to listen to the teacher and follow simple instructions.

My son is also going to be 5 in Sept.  and he has a slight learning disbility.  But has been in preschool this year and is doing so good that he has been accepted for next year already.  You know your child the best, if you think he is ready and passes the test, let him go.  The option of holding him back in kindergarten is there too if it seems in his best interest.

Answer 5

they need to know the basics colors, some shapes, how to write his name, to reconize numbers 1-10

Answer 6

I never heard of a placement exam for kindergarten. I would assume his abcs, counting atleast to 20, basic stuff really. I mean what would they expect him to know at that age? Ya know...

Answer 7

My kids had to recognize letters, numbers and know how to spell their name.  They also wanted them to draw a person and see if they drew a stick figure or gave it a body, fingers, hair, etc.  I don't know what that showed them but I knew it was part of the test and so made sure my kids knew =)  I think a kid can start no matter if they know these things or not.  They just want to know at what level the child is at and if they will need extra help.

Answer 8

Here's the criteria in my district:

    * Enthusiasm toward learning. Is he eager to explore and discover? Is he comfortable asking questions? Does he persist even when a task is difficult?

    * Language skills. Does she communicate her needs? Express her feelings appropriately?

    * Ability to listen. Can he follow simple instructions? Is he able to listen to an entire story without interrupting?

    * Desire to be independent. Does she separate from parents for the school day? Is she starting to take responsibility for her personal belongings? Can she follow simple two-step tasks? Can she use the bathroom by herself?

    * Ability to interact with children and adults. Is he able to share, compromise, take turns and problem-solve?

    * Strong fine-motor skills. Is she able to hold and use a pencil? Cut with scissors? Is she learning to write her name?

    * Basic letter and number awareness. Can he sing and recite the alphabet and recognize some letters? Can he count to 10 and identify numbers one to five?

The actual test is pretty simple.  The tester asks the child questions and/or observes how s/he acts with other children.  This is also an opportunity to note any language skill problems that may need working on.  They used to wait until 2nd and 3rd grade, for instance, to work on kids with a lisp or inability to say 'r' - now they do it in kindergarten.

Answer 9

Honestly, I don't know if you will want to put him in school now.  My son is a November baby; and our school cutoff was Sept 1....we chose to wait until he was of age to start and he STILL had problems.  The entire first week of school began with me leading him into the classroom by the hand, him crying the entire way.  It took a month before he would answer questions from the teacher or participate in class.  He really struggled that first year; and like I said I did NOT start him early (though I could have had him tested).  

If your child was a girl I might think it would be okay to do this; but boys mature slower than girls do, so I really feel your son may not be emotionally ready.  Even if you think he is.....he may not be.  I thought my son would be ready, since we chose to wait to start him, and he still wasn't....

Usually the school district will test them on their general knowledge (which he seems to have down); they will also assess him to see if he can psychologically handle being in kindergarten.  Whatever you decide to do; good luck!

Answer 10

When I had to take my daughter to her Kindergarten screening last year, she was tested on:

recognizing her letters (lower and uppercase)

numbers (1-30)

shapes

colors

sequence orders

rhyming skills

writing her name

knowing her address, phone #, parents names

Ugh - that's all I can think of!

Answer 11

I was the same way, 4 fully able to read 1st and 2nd grade books (I was alone a lot so I taught myself how to read when I was 3 and my grandparents encouraged it) and bored at home doing nothing but TV all day (my birthday was about 2 months past the cut off - I turned 5 in November) and I didn't go to preschool (my mom was a single parent and couldn't transport me) so my mom really pushed for me to get in early.  This is the exam I had to take:

I had to be able to count out loud to 20, say the alphabet without singing it, identify all of the primary colours, be able to answer basic questions about myself (name, age, birthday, my parents names), put together an age appropriate puzzle, read an age appropriate book, and colour a few pictures.

Answer 12

What's the big hurry? Send him to preschool!

My kids adored preschool - even though both of them could read at three. Let him be with the kids whose social age he's at instead of rushing him into something he's only marginally ready for. If he was ready, really ready, you'd not be asking about standards - because he'd be reading, writing and doing sums already and it would be blindingly obvious.

Answer 13

Well it is law that they have to let him in if he is 5 in time to start.  Here cut off is 5 by July 31st so my son won't go until he is 6.  It is advised however that boys not start kindergarten until they are 6 years old because of maturity factors.  That is what the psychologists and counclers locally as well as the school board and drs are saying is best for male children, to wait until they are 6 years old before starting kindergarten  With that said...

They need to count 1-20, recognize atleast 15 letters of the alphabet and be able to write letters, recognize their first and last name and be able to write it, know address and phone number including area code and city and state, recognize rhyming words, know their basic colors and shapes, recognize numbers 0-10 and write them.........there is a lot they test on but even if they fail the test if they are 5 before the cuttoff legally they have to let them in.  But personally I am glad my son has to wait until he is 6, they said 5 year old boys have a really hard time in kindergarten, especially if they didn't attend preschool first.