How is kindergarten different today

I remember it just as you have described. When my own children were being screened 20 years later things had really changed. I remember the teacher telling us one of ours sons would not do well because he did not hold his scissors properly. To learn how? So when it came time for his brothers to go we red-shirted them held them back 1 year. They are October babies so they started kindergarten at age 5 but turned 6 1 month later. It made a huge difference. The cut off date in our state is a child must be 5 by Dec 1 to begin kindergarten.

The cut off should be moved up to age 6 or the date should be moved back to August. Just because a child is nearing in on his 5th birthday does not mean he is necessarily ready for academic learning. Every child is different. But since the standards are so high I think we need to cut these kids some slack and just keep them home or in Prek for another year.

What difference does it make if they graduate hs at age 17 or 18? It would also mean perhaps they would be a little more mature for college on the other end.

Anyway, just my two cents. Love your website. I couldnt agree more!! My kids are in kinder about a monrh and a half and they all say danger of failing.. At school and at home, children have less time for unstructured play. Middendorf spent three decades as a teacher before her recent retirement, and the last 22 years of her career were in a kindergarten classroom. She adds that play is a vital part of language development in children—and it also establishes a foundation for reading and comprehension.

So how can a kindergarten teacher successfully integrate play into his or her classroom? By embedding math, science, and literacy skills in a fun, meaningful context, says Golinkoff. However, children need the time and permission to do so. Teachers can facilitate play in all children by asking questions, using new vocabulary, and encouraging social cooperation with peers. To encourage fantasy play, open-ended play materials work the best. Wooden blocks, pieces of cloth, and other basic construction materials allow children to imagine countless scenarios—and cost little to add to your classroom.

Middendorf suggests reading a story aloud, then having children paint their literary responses. Alternatively, the class can help act out a story—and learn important lessons about plot, characters, and sequencing—or play a game that involves math skills.

It needs to be balanced. It was a classic case: a five-year-old boy with a summer birthday. But was he socially and emotionally ready for kindergarten? To address the needs of these children, some districts are offering transitional kindergarten TK classes, which promote positive socialization, hands-on learning, and emergent literacy. After a year of TK, children either go on to a year of regular kindergarten or on to first grade, depending on their readiness.

CutOff Dates Across the U. This means that some children may start kindergarten before their fifth birthday. The challenges these kids face may not be just with their reading readiness and math skills. As any kindergarten teacher can tell you, kids may struggle with fine or gross motor movement, adequate social skills, or making it through a full day of school. For these reasons, about 10 percent of U. The Gift of Time Elizabeth Lunday agonized about whether to enroll her son in a transitional kindergarten near their home in Fort Worth, Texas.

Two years ago, she instituted the first developmental kindergarten program at her school, Topanga Elementary, in California. Both Everson and Weisberg estimate that about half of their students go on to first grade the following year, while the rest opt for another year of kindergarten. As teachers, we might ask: Is it about making the child ready for school, or about making the school ready for the child?

Everyone has a story, it seems, about how much more serious-minded early education is these days, especially when compared to nostalgia for the freewheeling, hand-turkey-crafting days of our own youth. I, for one, know a 4-year-old who has already taken what seems like more than her fair share of standardized tests, considering she is 4.

Now, as NPR reports , there is some data backing these anecdotes up. In a study published earlier this year, researchers at the University of Virginia analyzed two editions of a nationally representative annual survey — called the U. In their analysis, the researchers suggest that since the late s, teacher expectations for kindergartners have become measurably higher, with a heavier focus on reading and math; meanwhile, time spent on things like art, math, and simple playtime has decreased.