Insights for Preschool Families: Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten?

As the end of the school year in Denver is in sight, some families may be wondering, “is my child ready for kindergarten?” Sure, you may have already enrolled your child in a kindergarten program with Denver Public Schools (DPS) or another school in the Denver metro area. But as the summer months approach, you might be questioning whether your child is ready for kindergarten. Maybe their social skills aren’t where you thought they should be–or perhaps it’s simply your emotions about them growing up too quickly getting in the way. Whether you are looking for reassurance or redirection, we have a few resources that may help you answer the question, “Is my child ready for kindergarten?” 

Kindergarten-Readiness Basics

Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast rule to determine if a child is ready for kindergarten.

Let’s start with one of the more straightforward, yet still slightly controversial, criteria to answer is your child is old enough for kindergarten: age. 

• In the state of Colorado and in Denver, children must be 5-years-old on or before October 1 of the year in which they are starting kindergarten. Colorado offers free, full-day kindergarten for all eligible children. Some families may choose to hold their 5-year-old children out of kindergarten for a year–also known as red-shirting–if they feel like their child is not yet ready for kindergarten or if their birthday is close to the October 1st deadline. Interestingly, new research by NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research organization, found that academic gains of red-shirting children in kindergarten fade by the time they reach third grade. 

Social-emotional and sensory development are also criteria to gauge kindergarten-readiness: 

• The Colorado Learning and Developmental Guidelines suggest your child may be ready for kindergarten if they: 
  • Can do things independently, including dressing themselves and going to the bathroom
  • Can play well with others
  • Have developed complex motor skills, like skipping and balancing 
  • Are beginning to develop skills to manage their emotions and behaviors
• The American Academy of Pediatrics has outlined its recommendations in the blog post, “Is Your Preschooler Ready for Kindergarten? In addition to the above suggestions, it also suggests kindergarten-readiness include: 
  • Sensory development―using sight, touch and hearing to explore and make sense of the world around them. 
  • Social, emotional and behavioral development―like taking turns, empathizing with others and cooperating. 
• The Child Mind Institute, an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming mental health care for children, families and schools, offers additional tips and questions to help parents decide if your child is ready for kindergarten, which include: 
  • Can your child sit for long periods of time and listen attentively?
  • Can your child play well with others? 
  • Can your child ask for what they need?

Another great resource to reference is Colorín Colorado’s “Is My Child Ready to Enter Kindergarten?”

Questions to Ask Your Child’s Teacher about Kindergarten-Readiness

You might also consider asking your child’s preschool teacher a few questions about your child’s kindergarten readiness, like: 

• Is my child able to follow directions? 
• Does my child play well with others? 
• Does my child show empathy toward others? 
• Is there anything my child needs to work on to be ready for kindergarten? 

The Building Blocks, The Lillio Early Learning Blog, also offers “Kindergarten readiness questions to ask.” Bright Horizons outlines these questions to ask a preschool teacher as you try to determine if your child is ready for kindergarten. 

Additional Resource for Denver Families

From kindergarten readiness to ways to make finding and affording preschool possible, we have resources that make raising little learners in Denver easier. Be sure to check out our following guides: 

• Denver Guide for Early Childhood Resources
• Guide to Lower Preschool Costs
• Denver Child Care Guide 

Looking for ways to help prepare your child for kindergarten over the summer months? Keep an eye on our upcoming blog post, “Getting Ready for Kindergarten This Summer: How to Prepare Your Preschooler” in the coming weeks!