A few weeks back, I met with one of my soon to be graduating Pre-K student's parents to go over his academic progress from this past winter. After his mum and dad had reviewed the three page report I had prepared for them, his mum looked up at me and said: "Do you think he's ready for kindergarten?"
It's the $1,5213,00.00 question, isn't it? Is my child ready for kindergarten? In that moment, before answering, I paused to ask myself the same question. Having worked in early childhood education for just over a year and not knowing precisely what my student's future Kindergarten teacher would be expecting of him, I realized I was not able to give his mum the direct answer she was looking for. Instead, I had to answer what I knew he was capable of doing with ease, with assistance, and with greater difficulty in the classroom. He may have a wonderful sense of empathy for his friends, for instance. And is able to count to 20, with some assistance. However, we are still encouraging him not to hit his friends when he is angry; encouraging him to use his words instead.
Perhaps I would have been better equipped to answer her question had I met beforehand with a panel of kindergarten teachers from the surrounding schools and discussed with them what their institutions were expecting from their incoming students. I am reminded of a workshop I attended last year called "Building Bridges." The primary objectives of this workshop were to acknowledge the diligent work Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers had exemplified in working with their students, as well as to provide an opportunity for both parties to converse with one another and understand the common goals of the local educational community. Unfortunately, I did not have my packet with me to refer to, nor had I committed all of the objectives from that workshop to memory. So I could only answer the best I could with what I knew at that very moment.
The lead teacher I work with, a seasoned professional with 15+ years under her belt, has a better understanding as to the reality of this transition from preschool to Kindergarten than I do. From what I have gathered from her, those going to Kindergarten in the Norwalk area are expected to have longer attention spans (i.e. limited squirming while sitting on the carpet during group time), be capable of following a direction after it has been issued once, and know how to write their names.
The preschool program we work for is funded through Head Start and School Readiness. However, there is a substantial following of individuals who believe that by the third grade, children who have attended a Head Start program perform no greater on school-related assessments than their peers who went without this service (McCall, Robert B).*
Reviews like these cause me to feel more than a feeling of general sadness, especially since I do believe I work very hard to provide a quality education for my students each day I see them. After last year's preschool graduates left to start their careers in elementary school, I found myself wondering how they were doing. Were they enjoying school? Making friends? Struggling in any way? Had I helped to prepare them to the best of my ability? It's such a leap of faith, even from a teacher's standpoint, watching his students leave his classroom in anticipation for another. I can't imagine what it must be like for a parent to experience this with their child throughout years of growing up and experiencing all the wonder and lessons the world has to offer. It's one amazing ride, to be sure.
*Does Head-Start Work? "Quality pre-K Helps a bit short term but works wonders long term." Post-Gazette.com.
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