KINDERGARTEN READINESS: A HANDBOOK FOR PARENTS OF
KINDERGARTEN-AGED CHILDREN

by
Leah Spergel
B.P.H.E. Hons., Laurentian University, 2003
B.Ed., Nipissing University, 2004

PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION
IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Apri12015
© Leah Spergel, 2015

UNNERSITYofNORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA
UBRARY
Prince George, B.C.

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Abstract

Kindergarten marks a momentous transformation for both child and family. Along
with this change comes many worries and anxieties. Parents often wonder if their child is
developmentally ready to attend kindergarten. They also want to know what they can do to
help their child transition easily into kindergarten. Being certain the child is ready for
kindergarten can make this move to a formal school setting a much more pleasant and
successful experience. This project was created to prepare parents by providing them with
information surrounding kindergarten readiness and was developed using the content analysis
of various other parent handbooks, as well as current research on selected topics. In addition
to information regarding the importance of kindergarten readiness, the concepts of
kindergarten curricula, developmental milestones of a kindergarten-aged child, and the
significance ofbuilding family-school partnerships are included. The handbook also
recommends many strategies for parents to support their child's learning before kindergarten
begins.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract

11

Table of Contents

lll

List of Tables

Vl

Acknowledgement

Vll

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Introduction
Project Overview
Rational for This Project
Setting the Stage for This Project
About My Experience
Goals of the Project
Literature Review
Current Expectations of Kindergarten Programs
A brief history of the evolution of kindergarten
Added academic pressure in the kindergarten
classroom
Curriculum standards in British Columbia
A new kindergarten is born
Developmental Milestones of Kindergarten-Aged
Students
What are developmental milestones?
Language and literacy development
Emotional and social development
Self-regulation
Social competence
Motor skills development
Self-care skill development
Show-and-tell activities
Simplifying the task
Giving feedback
Themes Concerning Kindergarten Readiness
The academic/social/physical skills needed for
kindergarten
Parental involvement in school transition
Communication among the school and home
environments
Students with Special Needs in Kindergarten
Kindergarten transitioning in the East Kootenay
School District
Parental role in transitioning students with special

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needs
Handbooks
Conclusion

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Chapter 3

Research Methodology
The Project
Qualitative Research Design
Qualitative content analysis
Data Analysis
Conclusion

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44

Chapter 4

Kindergarten Readiness Handbook
Table of Contents
Introduction
On our way to kindergarten
A Day in the Life of a Kindergartener
What You Learn in Kindergarten
The primary program
What is Kindergarten Readiness?
The five domains
Professionals who can help
Kindergarten Readiness Questionnaire
How Can I Help My Child Get Ready for
Kindergarten?
Social and emotional development
Self-regulation
What is social-emotional development?
Tips for parents
Self-care
Questions for parents
Tips for parents
Language development
Speech and language milestones
What is language development?
Tips for parents
Fine motor development
Fine motor skills
Developmental pencil grasps
What is fine motor development?
Tips for parents
Proper handwriting grips
Early academics
What to know
Tips for parents
Building Family-School Partnerships
Three positive parental behaviours
How to build a partnership

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Chapter 5

Students With Special Needs
What to do before your child begins kindergarten
I Need More- Resources You Can Count On
Suggested websites
Suggested books
District contact information
Studies Mentioned in this Handbook

74
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77

Conclusions

79

References
Appendix A

83
Milestones of 5-Year-Olds

90

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List of Tables
Table 1.

Table of Themes from the Content Analysis

43

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Acknowledgements
This project was definitely not an easy task, however, it has proved to be one of my
most rewarding experiences. Thank you to the University ofNorthern British Columbia for
the opportunity to put together this project. During the time of writing I received support and
help from many people. In particular, I am profoundly indebted to my supervisor, Dr.
Andrew Kitchenham, who was generous with his time and knowledge. I am also grateful to
my committee members, Dr. John Sherry and Mrs. Laura-Lee Phillips for their feedback in
the making of this project.
This project is dedicated to my family. Without their love and encouragement, I
would not have completed this journey. I wish to acknowledge the ongoing support of my
sister, Julie Spergel, who has guided me throughout this program, spent countless hours
editing my work, and continues to impress me everyday with her talent and intelligence. I am
also deeply thankful to my parents, Gary and Janet Spergel, who listened to me and carried
me through all of my successes and failures.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my husband and best friend,
Ben. I am very thankful for his encouragement along the way and his faith in my abilitiesespecially when I didn't believe in them myself. He is my biggest cheerleader.
Finally, I dedicate this project to my baby, Parker, who has been my main motivator. I
hope that I can continue being a good role model to you, showing you that, with a little hard
work, anything is possible.

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Project Overview
There is no debate about the importance of education-it informs our every action.
What we do and the decisions that we make are based on the knowledge that we have gained
either through instruction or experience; this is the basis of all empirical philosophy. If we
think about education as the ability to learn in both formal and informal settings, education
thus begins when we are born and continues for the rest of our lives. Early childhood is a
crucial life stage in terms of a child's physical, intellectual, emotional, and social
development. Growth in each of these areas progresses at an astounding rate, and a very high
proportion of learning takes places from birth to age six. Since children in British Columbia,
Canada do not enter kindergarten until the age of four or five, parents are their children's
chief educators until they enter the school system. With this in mind, preschoolers need
positive early learning experiences to help their intellectual, social, and emotional
development which consequently lays the foundation for success in later school years.
When we look back to the roots of formalized kindergarten education, the original
ideas behind it emphasized children enjoying opportunities to learn socialization skills and
play with other children (Kim, Murdoch, & Choi, 2005). However, in today's Western
society, kindergarten has become much more academically oriented, leaving parents with a
misconception of how to prepare their children for their first year of school. As a
kindergarten teacher for the last three years, I have been repeatedly asked, "What can I do to
better prepare my child for kindergarten?" Although the parents invariably expect a simple
answer, the concept of kindergarten readiness is surprisingly quite detailed. There are many
competing perspectives about kindergarten readiness.
Kagan (1994) discussed one perspective that can be summarized into two

2

components: "readiness for school" and "readiness to learn." While "readiness for school"
refers to the belief that children must have a certain mastery of pre-academic skills before
entering their first year (Kagan, 1994), "readiness to learn" focuses on children's maturation
or biological growth that determines their ability to learn in school (Kagan, 1994).
Unfortunately, there is no single perspective that can, "solely be used to determine preacademic skills or maturation, as there are also many outside influences such as curriculum
designs of schools and educational philosophies of school districts, among others" (Graue,
1992, p. 227). Given the variation in perspectives and practices of individual school districts,
it seems reasonable to expect similar discrepancies in parents' beliefs about kindergarten
readiness.
Because parental involvement in a child's development is vital, it becomes clear that
the misconceptions about kindergarten readiness need to be tackled straight on. Within the
East Kootenay School District (EKSD) in British Columbia, there is a lack of information
provided to parents on this topic. It is therefore the responsibility of the school district to
guide parents towards knowledge and strategies that will better prepare their children for
kindergarten.
Rationale for This Project

Kindergarten is a rite of passage, marking a new beginning for families. Children are
very excited to become students, while parents get emotional watching their children
approach this milestone. The children are generally keen to attend school and parents
determined to help their children have a successful beginning to their educational career.
Unsurprisingly, sending a child to kindergarten generates many questions. As a teacher, if a
parent has a question, I need to either be able to answer it immediately or doggedly pursue
the answer through services at the school. From my experience as a kindergarten teacher, I

3
have also discovered that parents are often misinformed about how to prepare their children
for entry into kindergarten. It is therefore my duty-or, on a larger scale, the duty of the
school board-to debunk these misconceptions and provide up-to-date, research-based
information on kindergarten readiness. Although within my school district, the East
Kootenay School District (EKSD), we have enough expertise to field most of these questions,
what we lack are printed materials. It is easier, more effective, and more comforting for
parents to have a booklet they can hold in their hands and take the time to read through or
refer back to.
Consequently, this project involved the creation of a handbook designed to supply
parents with the facts about the kindergarten program and kindergarten readiness. Since
many parents are unsure if their children are ready for kindergarten or how they can help
them, the focus of this handbook is to define the developmental milestones of kindergartenaged children and provide parents with information about the importance of socialemotional development, self-care, language development, fine motor skill development, and
early academics, as well as equip parents with teaching tips, activities, and resources.
Parental worries will be assuaged if parents can be confident that their children's abilities
match the developmental milestones and the expectations of the kindergarten program.
In addition to addressing the concepts of kindergarten readiness, the handbook also
demonstrates how to develop effective family-school partnerships. Research shows that
family involvement in education can boost a young child ' s academic success (Marcon,
1999). Similarly, studies have also demonstrated that a crucial period in a child's
development is marked during his or her transitions from early childhood to elementary
school (Pianta, Rimm-Kauffman, & Cox, 1999). After teaching many other grade levels, I
have witnessed that the support kindergarten parents give their children is unique. At this

4

stage in education, the encouragement given by parents is not yet influenced by family
demographics or socio-economics. All parents seem to be equally interested and involved.
However, as school advances, this unequivocal support slowly diminishes for various
reasons, such as parents going back to work or younger children requiring more of their
parents' attention. As a kindergarten teacher, I understand the importance of nurturing
parental engagement with the hope that this will encourage parents to continue on this
supportive path. However, research also suggests that parents' involvement in school
depends in part on how welcome they feel by the school (Kreider, 2012). This handbook
espouses parental involvement and provides an outline on how parents can begin building
positive family-school partnerships. By giving parents an easy to access and understand
handbook, parents will feel welcomed and appreciated and thus more comfortable being
involved in their children's schooling-ideally throughout their academic careers.
Setting the Stage for This Project
The East Kootenay School District (EKSD) is located in the southeast comer of the
province of British Columbia. The district is home to schools in six different rural
communities. Over the last few years, populations in our district have been steadily
increasing, along with the rest of the province. The British Columbia Teacher Federation
(BCTF) has projected that kindergarten enrollment will increase by 5,739 students over the
next 10 years in BC (British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2012). This dramatic upsurge
will ideally be reflected in the customized services and awareness provided to individual
communities about the kindergarten program within the near future.
Although the EKSD may lack many resources compared to a larger district, we set
high expectations for our students even at the kindergarten level. It is our intent to supply

5
both parents and kindergarten-aged students with the resources and the information they need
to feel successful in the educational system ..
About My Experience
I have been a teacher for nine years and have taught in both the provinces of Ontario
and British Columbia. In my first six years of teaching, I had the opportunity to teach in
multiple schools at both the elementary and secondary school levels. This allowed me to
explore the curricula of different grade levels, and to experience the communities and
teaching cultures of various schools. I have also had the opportunity to complete two
temporary contracts as a Student Services teacher, responsible for students with special
needs. This was a defining experience and opened my eyes to the world of individualized
instruction. For the last three years, I have been working as a kindergarten teacher and have
found an even deeper teaching passion.
In the East Kootenay School District (EKSD), I am one of approximately 20
kindergarten teachers arduously striving to make our kindergarten program successful. We
are all interested in continuously developing our teaching knowledge and skills. I presently
work at a school in Fernie, British Columbia. Living and working in such a small town has
many benefits, including a very supportive community of parents. However, small towns also
lack many services and programs that are often directed to larger school districts. Thus, the
kindergarten teachers in our district are regularly expected to work with the limited-even
scant-resources made available to us. Kindergarten readiness and how parental perceptions
vary from ours is frequently a discussion among the teaching staff at my school, Isabella
Dicken Elementary School. More specifically, parents' perceptions of the importance of
academic knowledge greatly outweigh an emphasis on social-emotional skills. As
kindergarten educators, however, our views reflect the better adaptability and greater success

6

of children with enhanced social-emotional skills over those able to recall the alphabet or
count to 10. My colleagues and I have observed that there is miscommunication between
parents and the educational system that needs to be addressed. These observations in
conjunction with direct communication with various parents have led me to a solution:
creating a kindergarten readiness handbook for our school. I see this as a first step in
repairing these misunderstandings. In providing parents with a handbook that is easy to
access and use, I aim to encourage more parents to become actively involved in their
children's pre-kindergarten education.
Goals of the Project
The purpose of this project was to create a Kindergarten Readiness Parent Handbook.
The underlying goal, with the use of this handbook, is to ultimately educate parents on how
to better prepare their child for their first year in school at the kindergarten level. It cannot be
stressed enough that a child needs to have a favourable experience with kindergarten in order
to have a positive relationship to school in subsequent years. This handbook focuses mostly
on the social-emotional, language, self-care and fine motor development of a child while also
providing activity suggestions to complete at home in order to nurture these skills. In
addition, information about how parents can support their children's kindergarten learning
experience has been outlined. Further resources, including websites, computer games, book
titles, grammar books, etc. have also been provided. This handbook, I'm Ready for

Kindergarten: A Parent/Teacher Handbook, will therefore provide crucial information for
parents sending their children to school and will hopefully alleviate some stress during this
emotional transition.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review
Given that the academic success of children in later years depends heavily upon their
kindergarten readiness (Cox, 2012), the need to prepare a child for his or her formal
education career is of utmost importance. In order to fulfill the requirements of any
Kindergarten classroom, students need to come to school prepared to learn. Students need to
be both emotionally and physically ready to take on a full day in a classroom learning
environment. To help children who are entering kindergarten, it is essential to ensure that
adequate support and educational stimulation are provided at home. Kindergarten readiness
can be nurtured in every child through positive interactions his or her parents. Parents are
truly his or her child's first teacher!
In creating a handbook on kindergarten readiness with current information, it was
important to take a close look at the research and the resources already available. In order to
create a useful resource for parents in the East Kootenay School District (EKSD), three very
important topics were considered: 1) the current expectations of the kindergarten programs,
2) the developmental milestones of kindergarten-aged students, and 3) the current themes
surrounding kindergarten readiness. More specifically, understanding the changes of
kindergarten education over the years until its present outlook gave me a better idea of the
information I needed to present to the parents in terms of expectations from the school
system. As well, understanding the developmental milestones of kindergarten-aged gave me
a clearer knowledge on their abilities at this age. Therefore, information on language
development, social and emotional development, fine motor development, and self-care skills
have been discussed. Lastly, understanding the current themes surrounding kindergarten
readiness examined the emotional and academic benefits of being prepared for kindergarten.

8
Thus, the resources and studies examined below were essential in the development of this
handbook.
Kindergarten readiness is not a new concept and many school districts have already
taken it upon themselves to develop informational resources for their schools. Therefore,
throughout this research process, other early education parent handbooks were examined and
summations were made which aided in creating my own parent handbook. I have come to
realize throughout this process that by raising awareness and providing educational material,
I can help children develop the required kindergarten readiness and prepare parents for this
important period of development.
Current Expectations of Kindergarten Programs
Education has evolved drastically since the beginning of formal education in Canada.
By researching the evolvement of education, as well as, the current expectations of the
kindergarten curriculum in British Columbia, I was able to clarify the contemporary
educational expectations of my School District. The findings presented aided in the
development of a useful and detailed kindergarten readiness handbook.
A brief history of the evolution of kindergarten. To begin, formal educational
programs for young children in Canada go back almost 200 years (Prochner & Howe, 2000).
Although these programs continually evolved over the centuries, the spirit of all of these
programs has always been the belief that there are significant benefits for both individuals
and society from providing children with formal education. The first infant schools in Canada
were opened in Montreal in 1828 and, "offered instruction for poor children in an attempt to
help with the societal issues that comes with poverty" (Prochner & Howe, 2000). Infant
schools developed from here to, "supply the middle and upper class children, as well as
provide a vehicle for missionary work and social reform" (Prochner & Howe, 2000, p. 23).

9

The curriculum at this time was limited, centering on, "courteous speech, taking turns, and
playing fair" (Prochner & Howe, 2000, page 28). The first kindergarten classroom in a public
school in Canada opened in Toronto in 1883 where the New Education Movement was being
implemented (Prochner & Howe, 2000). This New Movement emphasized "learning through
doing" rather than by lecture or through books, which differed from the Old Education
techniques such as recitation and rote learning (Prochner & Howe, 2000). The kindergarten
programs were well liked and well attended; however, the governmental support was not
always there. Thus, kindergarten growth in Canada was slow over the next century,
especially in the province of British Columbia. In BC, provincial and school board support
for kindergartens continued to be debated on and off until 1972, when kindergarten classes
were made available to all children in the province (Prochner & Howe, 2000). During the
early development and expansion of kindergarten programs in BC, the original play-based
philosophy about child development, developed by German pedagogue Friedrich Froebel,
encountered considerable challenges from other philosophers. Thus, kindergarten programs
changed accordingly (Elementary Teachers ' Federation of Ontario, 2000). One such key
influence was that of Maria Montessori who, "focused on more of a self-directed learning for
young children, thereby greatly impacting the kindergarten movement" (Elementary
Teachers ' Federation of Ontario, 2000, p. 7) and creating an ongoing debate throughout the
late twentieth century about the importance of a program based on play versus a program
based on more specific skill development (Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario,
2000).

Added academic pressure in the kindergarten classroom. One important research
finding was the drastic increase in academic demands at the kindergarten level over the years.
Research presented that academic pressures were considerably higher today than 20 years

10
ago, which would have an obvious impact on the methods of current instruction in the
kindergarten classroom. For example, recent studies demonstrated an increase in formal
reading instruction in kindergarten classrooms (Shepard & Smith, 1988). More specifically, a
recent study revealed that, 18% of Principals posted that it is district policy to teach reading
to all kindergartens; an additional 50% of schools teach reading to kindergarteners who are
ready and able; and 85% of elementary principals say that academic achievement in
kindergarten has medium or high priority in their schools (Shepard & Smith, 1988). In
addition, the pressures of the increased curriculum and need to prepare the kindergarten
students for the demands of Grade 1 have placed pressure on kindergarten teachers to raise
expectations in their classrooms (Shepard & Smith, 1988). Many teachers therefore have
claimed to feel a push towards a more academic and teacher-led classroom rather than a playbased classroom where socialization and play are the focus.
To help alleviate some of these pressures, in 2011 the Ministry of British Columbia
implemented a full-day kindergarten format. The province's decision to implement full-day
kindergarten was based on considerable research demonstrating the importance of a child's
early years as the foundation for lifelong learning and success in school and in the workforce
(McCain & Mustard, 1999). The intent of the full-day program was not to add more
curriculum expectations, but instead to allow teachers more time to foster the learning of
their students, to relieve pressure of educators who feel pressed for time in a half-day
program, and to encourage more time for play-based exploration and inquiry (McCain &
Mustard, 1999). Another reason for the implementation of a full-day kindergarten program
was to attempt to close the skill gaps in children early on in their educational career. For
example, studies reveal that minority children on average come to kindergarten with lower
literacy skills and poorer social development than do Caucasian students (Stipek & Ryan,

11
1997). Phillips, Crouse, and Ralph (1998) reported that the achievement gap will widen over
time and that half of the achievement gap at the end of twelfth grade is attributed to
achievement differences between students when they started school. Thus, the
implementation of a full-day kindergarten program would both alleviate the curriculum
pressures and also address the differences in school readiness for first grade and beyond.

Curriculum standards in British Columbia. To understand the curriculum pressures,
it is important to understand the curriculum standards that are set out by the provincial
government. In order to make the curriculum consistent throughout the province of British
Columbia, the ministry has set out various prescribed learning outcomes (PLOs) for all
grades-kindergarten to Grade 12. Prescribed learning outcomes are statements of what
students are expected to know and do at the end of the indicated grade level. Although
teachers have the flexibility to determine how these PLOs will be taught, each teacher does
have the responsibility to ensure that each one is met. Therefore, evaluation and reporting are
based on these PLOs, though the outcomes are also dependent on the professional judgment
of the teacher. More specifically, the provincial kindergarten curriculum contains eight
required areas of study, including English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies,
Science, Physical Education, Arts Education, Health and Career Education, and Daily
Physical Activity (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 201 0). Each area of study also
includes several PLOs, providing a detailed and in-depth set of curriculum standards to cover
within the kindergarten year.

A new kindergarten program is born. As an attempt to help with the pressures of the
curriculum and to provide a current understanding of the effective teaching practices in
kindergarten, the British Columbia Ministry of Education released an educational guide
entitled, The Primary Program. Although this document is not legally binding, its intention is

12
to provide research-based knowledge to kindergarten teachers about developmentally
appropriate practices. At present, this program guide is used in the East Kootenay School
District (EKSD) as a baseline for educators to develop their individual classroom programs
and is therefore important to acknowledge when studying and developing a kindergarten
readiness handbook. In order to provide a meaningful education for young children, The
Primary Program addresses five areas of development: aesthetic and artistic development,

emotional and social development, intellectual development, physical development and
wellbeing, and development of social responsibility (Chapman et al., 2000). It is important to
understand each of the five areas of development so as to integrate the curriculum with best
teaching practices. Firstly, the aesthetic and artistic development engages children in dance,
drama, music, and visual arts in order to express and communicate a personal response to an
idea. Secondly, emotional and social development include the ability to understand, express,
and manage one 's emotions appropriately and then be able to empathize, communicate, and
interact effectively with others based on one's emotions. When a child has a developed
emotional wellbeing, they are able to develop positive relationships, are willing to accept
challenges, and better able to set and achieve their goals (Chapman et al., 2000). The third
area of development surrounds the intellectual development which involves how a child
develops preferences for certain ways of thinking, learning and communicating. As they
experience their world directly, children construct meaning by conceptualizing, defining,
classifying, making connections, discovering and creating patterns, and using their
imaginations to build knowledge (Chapman et al., 2000). The fourth area focuses on the
physical development and wellbeing of the student. Within this area children are taught to
lead safe, active, and healthy lifestyles. They are encouraged to develop both the large and
small muscles in their bodies to build their physical development. However, they are also

13
encouraged to learn about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and relationships.
Lastly, the development of social responsibility allows students to move beyond their
egocentric view of the world and develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enable
them to problem solve, value diversity, and to contribute to their community in a positive
manner (Chapman et al. , 2000). This research demonstrated that the kindergarten year is not
necessarily centered around academic knowledge, although it incorporates lessons to build
the "whole child" in both intellectual and social-emotional ways.
With these research findings on: (1) the development of the kindergarten program, (2)
the current curriculum expectations laid out by the provincial government and (3) the
programming information that is provided to each school district, knowledge was gained
which clarified the contemporary educational expectations. Such findings supported the
concept that cognitive, social, cultural, physical, and emotional dimensions of human
development are integrally interwoven. Current early educational practices supports a model
of learning that weaves together these dimensions and uses a child's individual strengths to
develop an appropriate learning environment. This information was used to develop a
handbook that provides current information on curriculum practices, as well as, an accurate
depiction of an average kindergarten learning day.

Developmental Milestones of Kindergarten-Aged Students
Early childhood is a crucial stage of life in terms of a child's physical, intellectual,
emotional, and social development. At this time, the growth of both mental and physical
abilities progresses at an astounding rate and the highest proportion of learning takes place
from birth to the age of six. It is therefore important to understand the developmental
milestones of kindergarten-aged students in order to gauge whether they are ready
kindergarten or should wait another year, and to provide them with high quality learning

14
experiences to help them prepare. Ackerman and Barnett (2005) indicated that about 31
percent of all kindergarteners entered school without the necessary personal and social skills
necessary for kindergarten. If a child is able to achieve his or her developmental milestones
and is properly prepared, his or her transition into the school system will be much more
positive. Correspondingly, children with positive early learning experience will continue to
develop intellectually, socially and emotionally and be more likely to succeed throughout his
or her time in formal education. In order to have understood and developed a kindergarten
readiness handbook that was research based, it was important to study the developmental
milestones of students about to enter kindergarten. This section will discuss the
developmental milestones- in terms of language, social and emotional, motor skills, and
self-care skill development-of a child by the age of five .
What are developmental milestones? Child development refers to how a child
becomes able to do increasingly complex tasks as they get older. Developmental milestones
are defined as a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can perform
within a certain age range (Healthwise Staff, 2013). Although these milestones are used to
assess the development of a child, it is important to remember that each child is different and
developmental age can vary. Milestones can therefore be viewed as a guide rather than a set
of rules. The Health wise staff (20 13) outlined five developmental milestone domains (see
Appendix A for developmental milestones): physical; emotional and social; language;
sensory and motor; and thinking and reasoning development for children. For the purpose of
this project only the first four developmental milestones will be discusses. Although there is
no perfect formula to decide if a child is ready for kindergarten, understanding the
developmental milestones of a child, as outlined by the Health wise Staff, can aid in this
decision.

15
Language and literacy development. When thinking about language and literacy
development, one must think beyond just the ability to read and write. Language and literacy
includes all components including that of talking, listening, and critical thinking. It is
estimated that eight to twelve percent of preschool children and 12% of children entering
school in Canada and the U.S . have some form of language impairment (Cohen et al., 2010)
which poses further challenges because when children have trouble expressing themselves,
they will have difficulties socially and emotionally adjusting to problems that may occur.
Cohen et al. (20 10) reported that children with delayed language and poor literacy skills by
the end of Grade 1 will continue to experience difficulties reading later on, in addition to
being at an increased risk for social, emotional, and behavioural problems.
Early education focuses on attaining and applying language and literacy skills in
order to ensure successful learning in later grades. Within the first three years of life, when
the brain is developing and maturing, a child's language and literacy skills are developing at
a rapid pace. It is therefore very important for a child to be exposed to a world rich in sounds
and exposed to the speech and language of others. By the time a child enters kindergarten, at
around the age of five, his or her language skills are centered around speech and language
rather than literacy. Speech and language development allows a child to be able to
communicate ideas and express his or her emotions with others. Speech and language
pathologists outline speech and language milestones of a five year old into six categories.
However, for the sake of application to kindergarten readiness, only three of them will be
discussed: audition, receptive language, and expressive language (Barrington, 2013). More
particularly, audition skills refer to listening skills. By the time a child enters kindergarten,
these audition skills will include auditory memory skills and the ability to be attentive
listeners (Barrington, 2013 ). Also, receptive language skills are skills that allow a child to

16
understand what he/she hears. Barrington (2013) reported that children at this age understand
more than they can express because their word vocabulary actually ranges between 5,00020,000 words. Receptive language skills are essential for comprehension and following
instructions, which is a large component of early education. Lastly, a child entering
kindergarten should have a strong sense of expressive language. Expressive skills include the
ability to express their thoughts and needs using complex and compound sentences and
proper past, present, and future tenses (Barrington, 2013). A child lacking these skills is
unable to engage appropriately in conversation with adults or peers, which could be
detrimental for their learning. Thus, strengthening a child's language and literacy skills,
including a child's audition, receptive language, and expressive language skills, before
entering kindergarten would be greatly beneficial to their learning.

Emotional and social development. Kindergarten is a time in which children need to
explore their feelings and learn how to cooperatively interact with others. Cohen et al. (2005)
described social-emotional development to include the child's experiences and management
of emotions, as well as, the ability to establish positive relationships with others. Due to
cultural, socio-economical, and developmental issues, kindergarten is often the first time that
children are exposed to children who are different from them while being forced to work in
situations that many may not feel comfortable in. However, in order to make their first year
of school successful, children would greatly benefit from having previously developed their
emotional and social skills. A study completed by Cohen et al. (2005) found that young
children who demonstrate social, emotional, and behavioural adjustment are more likely to
have good academic performance in elementary school. In correlation, another study by
Raver (2003) discussed that for many children academic achievement in their first few years
of schooling appears to be built on a firm foundation of children's emotional and social

17
skills. Therefore, having an appropriate social and emotional development before entering
kindergarten will have an impact on their behaviour in the classroom and their subsequent
academics. Social and emotional development is quite a complicated area of development.
McClelland, A cock, & Morrison (2006) helped to narrow the scope of research. McClelland
et al. , (2006) found that most children were able to successfully navigate their transition into
kindergarten, however, it can also be problematic for children who have not mastered the
skills of self-regulation and social competence. This research also reported that children
entering kindergarten without these skills were at significantly greater risk for difficulties
including peer rejections and low levels of academic achievement (McClelland et al. , 2006).
Therefore, although this category involves an in-depth study, for the purpose of this project,
only two dimensions of development-self-regulation and social competence-will be
discussed.

Self-regulation. In today' s classroom, where the demands to meet a curriculum have
increased, the need for children to be able to regulate their own behaviours has also
increased. Bodrova and Leong (2008) define self-regulation as a "deep, internal mechanism
that enables children as well as adults to engage in mindful, intentional, and thoughtful
behaviors" (p. 57). Furthermore, the process of self-regulation involves two elements: (1) the
ability to control their impulses and stop doing something, and (2) the ability to do something
(even if one does not want to do it) because it is required of them (Bodrova & Leong, 2008).
There are many benefits to a child 's abilities to be able to self-regulate before
entering the school system. A study completed by Rimm-Kaufman et al. (2009) stated that
the extent to which a child' s self-regulation upon kindergarten entrance is developed
contributed to the child's classroom behaviour. Kaufman et al. (2009) revealed that "a child's
self regulation upon school entry is a related to a teacher's report of behavioral self-control,

18
cognitive self-control, and work habits in the spring of the kindergarten year" (p. 14).
Kaufman et al. (2009) also discussed the positive impacts to the classroom quality on a
teacher' s effective classroom management, which include greater behavioural and cognitive
self-control, behavioural engagement, and less time spent off-task during classroom
activities, thus, demonstrating the positive implications of self-regulation on classroom
behaviours and learning.

Social competence. The second social-emotional development dimension to be
discussed is that of social competence. Social competence can be defined as "the ability to
implement developmentally appropriate social behaviours that enhance one's interpersonal
relationships without causing harm to anyone" (Schneider, 1993, p. 19). A child's behaviours
can either lead to social acceptance or rejection by his or her peers, thus setting the stage for
his or her social and emotional experiences in school. Children who feel socially and
emotionally safe at school will thrive in their surroundings, thus making it a better learning
experience for them. Social competence is a learned skill; therefore, if a child is exposed and
taught these behaviours at an early age, he or she is able to acquire them. Research indicates
that the quality of parent-child relationship is crucial to the development of a child's
relationship with his or her peers and social competence (Schneider, 1993). In essence, a
parent who consistently reinforces positive social etiquette in a variety of environments will
likely have a child who mirrors these traits. Similarly, early educators also have a great
impact on the development of social competence since it is an acquired skill. There is a
multitude of research that supports the concept that teachers can also guide a young child's
social development, including his or her peer interactions and stresses that the teachers can be
active mediators of children's social competence (Schneider, 1993). This research further
supports the concept of observational learning which occurs through observing the behaviour

19
of others (Bandura, 1971 ). Bandura (1971) further reported that this learning does not need
reinforcement to occur, but instead, requires a model-someone of authority or of higher
status. More specifically, it is the model that facilitates the child's cognitive process by
helping the learner to encode what they observe and store it in memory for later imitation
(Bandura, 1971 ). Therefore, the more a child witnesses a positive modeled behaviour through
mediation in peer interactions in the classroom, the more strategies they will obtain to be able
to deal with peer relationships.
By developing a child's ability to self-regulate and to develop skills that increase his
or her social competency, a child will learn to relate appropriately to his or her peers and his
or her teachers which will increase his or her chances at a positive kindergarten transition.
Motor skills development. As Health Link BC outlines, physical growth is one of
the milestones that are used to indicate whether a child is on track with his or her
development. However, physical development incorporates much more than a child
achieving the right percentiles on height charts or scales. Other milestones within this
category include that of motor skills development, such as fine motor and gross motor skills.
Gross motor skills are acquired during infancy and early childhood. Healthwise (2013)
described gross motor skills as the movements that are made when using our large muscle
groups and whole-body movements. Gross motor development is often easy to observe,
issues are easily detected, and interventions are often put into place at an early age. Fine
motor skill development, on the other hand, involves the coordination of small muscle
movements in a child's fingers, hands, and arms (Marr, Windsor, & Cermak 2001). Contrary
to gross motor development, fine motor skills are often overlooked until a child reaches
school age. Not that gross motor development lacks any significance, within the educational

20
system it is fine motor skill development that is of utmost importance when considering if a
child is ready for kindergarten.
Within the elementary classroom setting, 30- 60% of allotted time is spent on
fine/motor writing activities, with writing as the most essential component (Marr, Windsor,
& Cermak 2001 ). In essence, if a child is struggling with his or her fine motor activities, they

will later have trouble completing work tasks. When one takes this into consideration, the
need for fine motor development should take precedence. As previously mentioned, fine
motor skills incorporate the use of fingers, hands, and arms . Skills that pertain to this
development include reaching, grasping, manipulating objects and using different tools like
crayons and scissors (Skill Builders, 2002). However, since many of the tasks concerning
fine motor skills such as printing, colouring, and cutting are not emphasized until a child
reaches school, these skills are often overlooked (Skill Builders, 2002). Children benefit from
experiences that support the development of fine motor skills in the hands and fingers
especially since formal printing instruction may begin as early as the kindergarten year
(Marr, Windsor, & Cermak 2001). In regards to kindergarten readiness, children should have
the strength and dexterity needed in their hands and fingers to be able to manipulate a pencil
on a piece of paper or to use their scissors while cutting. Marr, Windsor, and Cermak (2001)
outline that working on dexterity and strength with preschoolers can eliminate the
development of an inappropriate pencil grasp, which is becoming more commonplace as
young children are engaged in writing experiences before their hands are ready. Therefore,
developing a child's fine motor skills should be incorporated when considering kindergarten
readiness.

Self-care skill development. Throughout the day, young children are constantly
learning new things. In order to attempt new tasks and master familiar ones, children need

21
assistance. In a kindergarten classroom of 22 students, it is not always possible for a child to
have his or her needs met immediately. There is usually only one teacher to satisfy the needs
of everyone in the class; children being able to help themselves and successfully navigate the
kindergarten room is thus extremely important. Self-care skills are those we use in everyday
life and are an important part of child development. These skills involve eating, toileting,
dressing and undressing, washing, grooming, and taking care ofbelongings. Students who
possess self-care skills are able to function more independently in the classroom and often
feel successful because they do not need to rely on others. Once a child is able to master
these self-care skills, they develop a sense of independence that fosters confidence in play
and learning (Lee, 2011 ), in tum further helping a child settle into the new kindergarten
environment.
Self-care skills can be difficult to teach. A task that an adult may find easy can be
very challenging for a young child. Research has shown that the technique of scaffolding can
improve a child' s ability to complete a task (Morrissey & Brown, 2009). The goal of this
technique is to provide temporary support that will later be removed as the child learns,
acquires, and masters a new skill (Morrissey & Brown, 2009). Although scaffolding
techniques are often an instinctive method of instruction when assisting young children, in
order to be most effective, the strategies should be intentional and well executed (Morrissey
& Brown, 2009). Kearn (20 11) suggested that there are many ways to help a child learn a

new skill and that a variety of scaffolding techniques can be used depending on the situation,
subject matter, and level of ability that the child possesses. Specific to self-care skills, Lee
(20 11) suggests three scaffolding strategies that can be used to help a child acquire this skill
set: 1) show-and-tell activities, 2) simplifying the task, and 3) giving feedback.

22
Show-and-tell activities. During early childhood, children need to have an activity
demonstrated in order to assist their understanding (Lee, 2011). With the use of modeling, an
adult can aid in the learning of a new skill; however, this technique must also be
accompanied by feedback from the child (Lee, 2011). More specifically, the adult needs to be
aware of the learner's needs in order to provide further instruction. Lee (20 11) refers to this
as the "give-and-take process, a dance that takes place between the instructor and the learner"
(p. 41).

Simplifying the task. In order to simplify a task, Lee (20 11) suggests that one reduces
the steps needed to complete an activity by "breaking the task into smaller parts or by
reducing the choices available" (p. 41 ). For example, parents can use scaffolding strategies to
help children complete a task such as riding a bike. In this case, parents can break the task
into smaller actions that children can complete on their own (i.e. sitting on the bike seat while
being supported) and then build up their skills from there. In regards to reducing choices for a
child, Lee (20 11) suggests that this can be done by verbally limiting the choices for a child.
For example, verbally limiting a child to yes-no questions rather than one that is openended.

Giving feedback. Lee (20 11) also suggested that responding to a child' s activities and
behaviours is also an important strategy of childhood instruction. However, Lee (20 11) also
warns that the amount of feedback given is detrimental to the amount that a child will learn.
More specifically, if too much feedback and support are given, the child will not learn the
skill independently. If a child is not given enough feedback, moreover, the skill will most
likely not be learned properly. Ultimately, Lee (20 11) suggests that the adult use the
minimum amount of correction necessary to assist the child to success. The author further
states that this method of feedback provides the "appropriate recognition of the child' s

23
success [that] affirms the child' s own abilities, encourages her to reflect on her
accomplishment, and increases the probability that she will successfully attempt and
complete the task again" (Lee, 2011 , p. 41).
It can be a difficult task deciding if a child is ready to begin kindergarten. The body

of research on developmental milestones has demonstrated repeatedly that this could be a
helpful tool in assessing whether or not a child is ready for kindergarten. Using the
developmental milestones as a "loose guide" can help a parent make this decision. The term
"loose guide" has been used as a reminder that not all children may hit all of the markers for
their language skills, social and emotional skills, motor skills, and self-care skill development
at the same time. In fact, some students may be weaker in some areas than others. These
milestones are provided as a guide and not a rule, meaning that the child must not be equally
proficient in all of the skills.
Themes Concerning Kindergarten Readiness
The transition to kindergarten is a critical period of adjustment in a child's life. This
transition can set the stage for a child's outlook on the educational system, thus setting either
a positive or negative tone of a child's school career. A study completed by Entwisle and
Alexander (1998) suggested that successful transitioning promotes children's positive
feelings about school and formal education, about authority, and about their own intellectual
abilities. A further study by Doherty (1997) also stated that children who are ready to meet
kindergarten expectations when they start school are more likely to experience success
throughout their lives by completing secondary school, finding employment, and making
positive contributions to society, while the opposite also holds true that children who are not
ready for school are more likely to repeat a grade, require special education services, and
leave school before graduation (Doherty, 1997). With such great importance placed on

24

kindergarten readiness, it is valuable to outline the major themes concerning kindergarten
readiness and transition in order to improve these practices. The themes that have been
outlined in this section include: (1) depicting the academic/social/physical skills needed to be
ready; (2) depicting the need and scope of parental involvement in school transition; and (3)
the need to enhance communication among the school and home environments.
The academic/social/physical skills needed for kindergarten. As previously
mentioned, kindergarten readiness is a challenging concept to define because individual
school districts, as well as individual schools within these districts, have different
perspectives about their practices and methods of education. However, kindergarten
readiness encompasses both a "readiness to learn" that involves a level of development at
which the child has the capacity to learn new materials, whereas "readiness for school"
involves a specific set of cognitive, linguistic, social, and motor skills that enable a child to
participate in the curriculum (Kagan, 1994). It is important to keep both of these philosophies
in mind when thinking about this topic. Although the term "kindergarten readiness" is not
easily defined, most researchers will agree that a child's future academic success is
dependent upon being ready to learn and participate. As a result, there has been increased
focus on school readiness of children entering kindergarten, where it is broadly defined to
include academic skills such as literacy and cognitive skills, and non-academic skills such as
social, emotional, and physical development. Thus, the importance of being prepared to learn
is equally as important as the skills that have already been attained in regards to curricular
expectations. Early et al. (200 1) suggested that readiness on part of the schools includes
effectively communicating a clear statement of their current practices. Therefore, information
about current practices and expectations (both academic and non-academic expectations) is
the key to promoting awareness across the school and home settings.

25
Parental involvement in school transition. Parents' behaviours toward their
"children, materials and routines they provide in their home environment are key aspects of
family factors that have substantial effects on a child's adjustment to the first year of school"
(Belsky & MacKinnon, 1994, p.11 0). Parents must realize that they truly are their child's
first teacher and that their engagement with their child will have indelible impacts. Sheridan
et al. (2010) defined parent engagement as comprising of three different parental behaviours
which include: (1) parental warmth and sensitivity, (2) support for a child's individuality, and
(3) active participation in learning. The researchers also discussed the impact of highly
connected parent-child relationships and their tendency to display positive social-emotional
outcomes such as developing friendships, being accepted by their peers, and being able to
secure attachments with adults. Moreover, parental support for a child's individuality has
been associated with increased levels of cognitive competence, self-regulation,
communication, and play interactions (Sheridan et al., 2010). Finally, parental participation
in promoting their children's learning and sharing their values of education has also been
positively linked to a child's positive approaches to learning, participation in the classroom,
and ultimately academic achievement (Sheridan et al. , 2010). Thus, parental involvement can
have majorly influences children as they transition into kindergarten.
Communication among the school and home environments. Enhancing the
communication between the school and home environments is essential in helping a child
transition in to kindergarten successfully. Often parents and teachers have different
perspectives of what kindergarten readiness means and what they can do to help these
children transition into the educational system successfully. One example of this was a
national survey completed in Washington, USA which showed that teachers did not identify
a child's readiness in terms of academic ability; however, by being physically healthy, well-

26
rested and well-fed, able to communicate his or her needs, wants and thoughts verbally, and
curious and enthusiastic in approaching new activities (United States Department of
Education, 1993). In fact, it was the parents who typically defined a child's readiness for
kindergarten in terms of academic ability such as being able to count or to know the alphabet
(United States Department of Education, 1993). Thus, demonstrating the disconnect between
family and school beliefs and supporting the importance for stronger school and home
communication. Partnership practices at the home-school level facilitate smooth transitions
and are particularly important during the preschool years (Sheridan et. al, 2010). Ultimately,
parents and professionals need to work as a team in order to develop necessary skills needed
to support school readiness.
Ultimately, this section reports on the importance of school and parental involvement.
More specifically, in essence it is the school districts duty to inform parents of their
expectations and to provide information on how to prepare a child for kindergarten. Whereas,
it is the parents ' duty to read this information and use it to actively engage their child in
activities. The emphasis on parent involvement and the enhancement of communication
among family and school environments can have the most positive impacts on a child's
transition into his or her first year of school.

Students with Special Needs in Kindergarten
Transitioning to elementary school is important and complicated for every child, but
even more so for children with special needs. Although parents of children with special needs
share common concerns with other families, they typically also have many questions about
how, when, where, and by whom their child's special services will be implemented. The
concept of inclusive education is currently being practiced in Canadian schools in all grades,
including kindergarten. The concept of inclusive education welcomes all students into the

27
regular classroom setting regardless of any special needs. As of 2001 , there were
approximately 155,000 school-aged children with disabilities in Canada (Janus, Lefort,
Cameron & Kopechanski, 2007). Of these children, 96.3% of them were reported to attend
school with 65.1% attending regular schools and 29.1% attending a combination of regular
and special-education classes (Janus et al. , 2007). With such a significant presence of
students with special needs, it would be valuable for school districts across Canada to create
policies to ensure that these children have an easy transition into kindergarten. In 1995, a
manual of policies, procedures, and guidelines for special education was developed to
provide a framework of practices in BC. Although this manual provides information about
such topics as developing an individual education plan (IEP), the special services that are
provided by school districts, and a breakdown of special needs categories, information about
transitioning students with special needs was unfortunately left out. It therefore becomes
clear that each school district governs their own transition policies, and the majority of these
lack established guidelines or procedures governing the transition from early childhood
special-education programs to kindergarten (Rosenkoetter et al. , 1994). Without specific
protocols or regulations, the level of communication and coordination between families and
school program staff can vary greatly. Therefore, it places a profound importance on the
parents to understand the policies within their own school district, as well as how they can
participate. The following sections will discuss research on transitioning policies within the
East Kootenay School District (EKSD), in addition to parental involvement in transitioning
students with special needs into kindergarten.
Kindergarten transitioning in the East Kootenay School District. All provinces
and territories claim to support a policy of inclusion in administering special-needs education
(Rosenkoetter et al. , 1994). However, as previously mentioned, the regulations governing

28

services provided to children with special needs and their families varies within Canada. For
the purpose of this project, it was necessary to review and establish the specific transitioning
protocols of the East Kootenay School District (EKSD).
After in-depth research of the EKSD policies, it appeared that there was no formal
written policy on how to transition students with special needs into kindergarten . However,
after an interview with the EKSD Special Education Coordinator, Nadine Steele (2015) , it
became apparent that although there was no formal guide to transition these students there
was nevertheless a protocol in place. Much like studies completed by Janus (2004), the
EKSD reported that transitioning was not a process owned by one individual, rather requiring
multiple facilitators in order to be successful. The protocol within the EKSD was lengthy and
detailed, and involved a variety of actors. Steele (2015) reported that the EKSD protocols
outlined the type and timing of the meeting sessions with parents , as well as the child
assessments and procedures for an individual education plan (IEP). More specifically , there
was an information meeting with the school's support team that occurred in January , when
school staff discuss detailed information and documentation from therapists , physicians , and
preschool teaching staff about the student (Steele , 2015) . In the spring, once an initial plan
was developed by staff, individual intake meetings with parents took place (Steele, 2015) .
These meetings included parents , individuals the parents wished to invite , and school-board
representatives to discuss the child's strengths and needs and to determine appropriate
supports and services for the upcoming September start (e .g., educational assistant, physical
resources , or future assessments) (Steele, 2015) . Steele (2015) also reported that the child' s
first IEP was not typically developed until soon after entry into the kindergarten program.
This IEP was to be evaluated twice throughout the course of the school year; however,

29
adaptations of the programming could be made on a need-be basis (Steele , 2015). Although
very similar to other transitioning protocols, the EKSD practice differed in its evaluation
process . After researching school district protocols , Conn-Powers, Ross-Allen, & Holburn
(1990) reported that the element lacking from many protocols appeared to be a commitment
to evaluation to ensure that the goals set out in the initial transition plan had been met.
Therefore , this process of evaluation in the EKSD was welcomed information.
Parental role in transitioning students with special needs. Parents of children with
special needs play a crucial role in their children 's ability to transition into kindergarten.
Studies have shown that parents who participated in kindergarten transition activities found
them helpful, whether their child had special needs or not (Pianta, Kraft, Sayre, Rimm,
Kaufman, Gercke, & Higgins, 2001). Their findings were based on a project involving
children transitioning into kindergarten, whereby parents were provided with a multitude of
activities to help with transition process. Nearly all of the parents found the activities helpful
(Pianta et al. , 2001).
Interestingly enough, this same study also revealed that parents were much more
dissatisfied than school personnel with the transition services for their child with special
needs. Pianta et al. (200 1) speculated that the reason behind this discrepancy was due to
parents' unrealistic expectations leading to disappointment with the outcomes. The
professionals, on the other hand, understood the shortcomings of the system. Understanding
the expectations of the school, as well as the process of transitioning will help to alleviate
some of these misconceptions. However, this also demonstrates the importance of parents
becoming advocates for their child ' s needs. Research completed by Janus Lefort, Cameron,
& Kopenchanski (2007) divulged a common theme in the form of parents as advocates. Their

30
research revealed that parents could not rely on the educational system to provide appropriate
care for children; rather, they needed to be active participants in the management of their
child's needs (Janus et al., 2007). Similarly, Fowler, et al. (1991) researched kindergarten
transition of students with special needs and reported that "the current state of affairs calls on
parents to be extremely effective advocates as well as knowledgeable case managers on
behalf of their children." By understanding the process oftransitioning and advocating on
behalf of their child, parents will begin to bridge the gap between their personal expectations
and that of the school's.
Handbooks
Kindergarten readiness handbooks are not a mandatory service in each school district,
and they are therefore not a common practice. After searching for handbooks, it became
apparent that, in general, Canadian schools lack this information for their parents and, if it is
available, it is not currently available in an online format. Many of the handbooks viewed
carried common themes such as an explanation of kindergarten readiness and age
characteristics of a child entering kindergarten. However, they generally are lacking specific
information about the importance of early education as a foundation for learning, skills that
need to be focused on, and methods to help develop these skills, as well as links to websites
to access further information. Three handbooks served as exemplars; however, they were all
provided by American institutes: one developed by the Department of Early Childhood for
the Boston public schools system; one developed by the Penn Manor School District in
Pennsylvania; and one developed by the First Five Santa Clara County program in California.
The parent handbook from the Department of Early Childhood for the Boston Public
Schools (2013) system was comprehensive when reading, well laid out, contained language
use that was easy for parent to read, and it had adequate information relating to preparing a

31
child for kindergarten. It was set up as a whole-page booklet with five sections contained
within 24 pages of information. Throughout the document, there were clearly labeled
sections that served as a method of introduction of the topic that followed; however, it
seemed to lack a table of contents in order to quickly refer to sections of interest. Given that
it was in a booklet style, the font size seemed to be appropriate. The handbook began with a
section entitled "Children Begin Learning At Home," which clearly addressed the importance
of family participation in the educational system. It further discussed the topics of how
children learn through playing, talking, going places, drawing, and reading. Also outlined in
the second section was a curriculum summary focusing on the areas that were developed in
the Boston public school system in kindergarten such as literacy, math, social and emotional
development, routines, community building, unit themes, science, physical development, and
art and music. This section was quite lengthy and could be overwhelming to parents who are
unfamiliar with certain concepts of the school system. The third section provided information
about the classroom environment, such as physical room setup, a sample day itinerary, and
assessment strategies to assess students. The fourth section incorporated transition
information for the parents. It discussed how to better prepare their child for the changes that
would possibly occur in their new classroom, as well as important dates hosted by the school
and district for kindergarten families. The final section provided a list of resources, including,
books, websites, and contact information for those in the school district.
The parent handbook developed by the Penn Manor School District (2010) in
Pennsylvania was a lengthy document with 3 7 pages of information. This handbook had
some good information and used language that was easily understood by the general public.
However, the low quality clipart used, the lack of visual aides, and the lengthy sections of
writing made it unappealing. It was a whole-page booklet with a table of contents divided

32
into four main sections. There was a section on current research reviews that indicated the
importance ofkindergarten readiness, a section on age characteristics of four- and five-yearold children, a section on activities to be completed at home to develop motor skills, social
and emotional development, language development, and general knowledge development,
and lastly a conclusion which outlined last thoughts, a glossary of terms used, and all
appendices. It became apparent that the length of the handbook was due to the multiple
practices pages that were incorporated into the booklet. Some parents may find these practice
pages as an effective tool, others may not. In my opinion it would be better if a handbook
was not too lengthy as it seems to be overwhelming. Therefore, it would be better if the
activities were listed, however, actual worksheets should be omitted. The booklet would have
greatly benefited from a list of further resources .
The last handbook reviewed was developed by the First Five Santa Clara County
(2010) program in California and seemed to be the most comprehensive and aesthetically
pleasing of all the documents. With only 15 pages to be read, it provided parents with
detailed information without being overwhelming due to its use of a point-form format. It
was well laid out, divided into four sections, including one that defined kindergarten
readiness and helped parents decide if kindergarten was right for their child and a section that
discussed the developmental areas such as social and emotional development, self-care and
motor skills, language, and early academics. Each one of these sections included a variety of
tips for parents to help improve these skills. The tips were provided in a checklist format and
the activities are such that can be easily completed at home. Unlike the other handbooks, this
handbook outlined the importance of building a family-school partnership for a child's
learning. This section discussed how to build a relationship and the benefits that it has on a
lifetime of learning. A list of resources and a section for taking notes was also provided at the

33
end of the document. One important component that was missing in this handbook was the
lack of credible references. This may have been omitted to shorten the number of pages of
the document; regardless, it is important to state somewhere within the handbook that the
information provided is research based in order to lend credibility to the document.
Conclusion
The research shown here demonstrates that there is an inherent need for school
districts to provide parents with information on kindergarten readiness before entering the
educational system. While it is easy to assume that every child is ready for kindergarten
when they reach a certain age, there are important factors to consider. An examination of the
above research and resources on kindergarten readiness demonstrates that academic skills,
such as, reading, writing, and counting are not the only skills in which need to be developed
before kindergarten. In fact, social and emotional skills language skills, motor skills, and selfcare skills are equally are as important, if not, more important.
Most parents simply want to support their child who is entering kindergarten in any
way that they can. Although their perception may not necessarily match the expectations of
the school or the teacher, any parental support is needed and appreciated. The research
completed on the current educational curriculum, the developmental milestones of a
kindergarten-aged child, and the benefits of preparing a child for kindergarten can reassure
parents that they are making positive choices when they attempt to support their child's
learning at home. Understanding that they are their children's first and most important
teacher is crucial in the foundation for successful future learning. Ultimately, parents who are
involved in their children's education before they begin kindergarten, as well as during their
school career, feel connected to their children and to their children's school, thus, creating a
positive relationship towards school and academics. Parental support for kindergarten-aged

34

children helps to ease the transition into the schooling system, as well as build the foundation
for their child's future learning. Parents are very concerned about how they can best help
their children prepare for kindergarten and often question the type of support they are giving.
If school districts would provide information about their program and expectations of a child
entering into kindergarten, then misinformation could be avoided altogether. In an attempt to
alleviate confusion and answer any parental concerns, the above research was used to create a
handbook for parents that contains helpful information and practical strategies to support
their child before entering kindergarten.

35
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
A teacher has many roles and responsibilities. One of these roles is to be able to
answer questions and alleviate concerns of both parents and students. These questions often
deal with classroom learning but also incorporate learning outside of the classroom. As a
kindergarten teacher, I often encounter parents who are concerned about their children
beginning their first year of school. Parents generally ask, "Is my child ready?" and I am not
able to give them an uncomplicated answer. Their questions become more specific in terms
of their academic skills, developmental preparedness, and the kindergarten learning structure.
I feel as though it is my responsibility to be able to answer these questions honestly and with
research-based information, but I am not always able to. Because of the extensive and
complex nature of the questions being asked; I have come to realize that it is necessary to
provide this information in a written format in order for parents to have a resource when a
teacher is not available. I have consequently developed the handbook presented in the next
chapter using information collected from a variety of sources which are discussed in the
previous chapter.
The primary purpose of this study was to create a printed handbook for parents on
kindergarten readiness in the East Kootenay School District (EKSD). The background
information presented in the literature review demonstrated the significance and the necessity
of the present study. It was the objective of this research to draw out the current kindergarten
curriculum expectations and to define the developmental milestones of a pre-kindergartenaged child in order to create a useful handbook that parents can use to better prepare their
children for this first step in formal education.
Throughout the research process, I have realized how supportive parents are in their
quest to aid in their children's learning. Parents continually demonstrate that they want to be

36
involved in their child's education by caring so deeply about giving them the best start to
their educational career. Thus, this handbook also provides parents with information, not only
on how to support their child at home, but also on how to support them while in school by
building a family-school partnership. This handbook is founded on research specific to
children approaching kindergarten. It not only has information on how to assist children, but
it also lists resources, websites, and learning aids that may be helpful to families in the future.
The Project
Since the purpose of this project was to create a handbook for the parents of my
school, I have reviewed various topics concerning kindergarten readiness, as well as analyzed
various handbooks that I have collected. In conducting my research on kindergarten
readiness, I decided upon a qualitative research design approach.
Qualitative Research Design
Because a qualitative research design provides in-depth, contextually rich data
(Creswell, 2003), I chose this method of inquiry for this study. In comparison to quantitative
methods, qualitative research provides responses that are neither systematic nor standardized;
rather "they permit one to understand the world as seen by the respondents" (Patton, p. 561).
Throughout this study, I use an "unobtrusive" research methodology in the form of a content
analysis. Unobtrusive measures are those that allow the researcher to gather data without
becoming involved in a participant's interactions (Webb et al. , 1981). While working
unobtrusively, information was acquired through prior text research instead of through
observing the natural behaviours of students and their parents. This reduced the biases on the
research that often result from the researcher's intrusion on the subjects (Saldana, 2008).
Additionally, I analyzed the various parent handbooks that were collected from other school
districts and programs, and subsequently reviewed the existing literature on kindergarten

37
readiness. Once I was able to familiarize myself with all the different perspectives, I
proceeded with developing my own kindergarten readiness handbook.
Qualitative Content Analysis
According to Titscher et al. (2000), content analysis is "the longest established
method of text analysis among the set of empirical methods of social investigation" (p.55),
which is why I decided to conduct this project as a qualitative content analysis study. A
qualitative content analysis approach can be defined as a method by which "careful and
detailed examination and interpretations of a particular body of materials is completed in
order to identify any themes of meanings" (Berg & Lune, 2012, p. 349), meaning that text
can be examined to find common trends, word usages, or themes. After themes are identified
and quantified, the researcher is able to make inferences to and connections with their topic
of research. In terms of my project, content analysis seemed to be a flexible method of
research in which a variety of texts were condensed into essential themes. Within the project,
I looked for common trends, words, strategies, and patterns in both the articles and
handbooks that I selected in order to answer my research question: What do parents need to

know about kindergarten readiness ?
As previously mentioned, my intention of selecting qualitative content analysis for
my research method was due to its flexibility-flexibility in both the approach taken in data
analysis and the extraction of content meaning (Cho & Lee, 2014). Firstly, qualitative content
analysis is adjustable in the analysis of data depending on the purpose of one's studies. A
researcher can choose between inductive or deductive analysis of data, the key difference
centering around how the initial codes or categories are developed (Cho & Lee, 2014). As a
result of my experience working in a kindergarten classroom, I selected a deductive rather
than an inductive approach for my research project. Whereas an inductive approach is used

38
when prior knowledge regarding a topic is limited, "the deductive approach starts with
preconceived codes or categories derived from prior relevant theory, research, or literature"
(Cho & Lee, 2014, p.4). Because the objective of my project was to research existing theory
in a new context, this approach was more conducive to my project. Therefore, throughout my
research process, I was able to first select my categories by using common themes or
concepts, particular phrases, or basic word frequency, depending on the text and answer I
was looking for. Secondly, within qualitative analysis, a researcher can attend to both
manifest and latent content meanings (Cho & Lee, 2014). Whereas manifest content refers to
the codes that are visible on the surface of the text, latent content suggests that a researcher
codes the underlying meaning ofthe text (Cho & Lee, 2014). Qualitative content analysis
was appropriate for this project in terms of allowing me to analyze both the manifest and the
latent content depending on the topic. This flexibility of data analysis allowed me to use
some degree of interpretation within my project, as well as my own experiences and
knowledge which are supported by Schreier (2012).
Within the process of content analysis, I chose to take a directed approach to my
research. Hsieh and Shannon (2005) re-port that the goal of a directed approach to content
analysis is to support or extend an existing theory. Since kindergarten readiness is a topic that
has, for the most part, already been researched extensively, the directed approach seemed to
be best suited to my goals because I was able to use existing theory to guide the discussion of
my findings. One directed approach strategy, as outlined by Hsieh and Shannon (2005), was
to begin coding immediately with predetermined codes. For any data that cannot be coded
immediately, Hsieh and Shannon (2005) suggest simply identifying it in order to be analyzed
later to determine the appropriate category of an existing code. Directed content analysis

39
allowed me the room to identify categories where I could further extend and enrich the
theory.
The extent of my research was two-fold. I based my research solely on previous
research findings and a collection of handbooks from other school districts. In analyzing the
information provided by the articles and handbooks, I created a framework to use for the
development of my handbook. More specifically, the handbook exemplars gave me helpful
ideas of how to set up my handbook and a starting point to begin my research. Moreover,
from the scholarly articles I researched, I was able to select the information that I felt was
most important to convey to parents. In order to have a strong research-based handbook,
while answering my project question, "What do parents need to know about kindergarten

readiness?" I felt that it was vital to understand the following: 1) the current expectations of
the kindergarten programs; 2) the developmental milestones of kindergarten-aged students;
and 3) the current themes surrounding kindergarten readiness. Therefore, a search for these
topics was completed to gather information. In the quest for exemplary handbooks, I deemed
it necessary to find ones that were detailed enough to make content analysis meaningful, as
long as they did not overwhelm the reader with too much information. It was difficult finding
parent handbooks based in Canada and insightful enough to use; I consequently had to settle
on three handbooks from the United States. I collected what I determined to be three sensible
examples of parent handbooks to examine through content analysis . These handbooks can be
considered sensible because the information contained within them explains many aspects of
kindergarten readiness, including its importance, how to prepare a child for kindergarten and
how to build a relationship with your child's school. Within these handbooks, the text was
examined for common information. The method of content analysis therefore proved to be
very useful in analyzing this text.

40

Lastly, Krippendorf (20 13) discussed the necessity of a researcher staying connected
to an initial research question in order to remain focused on the purpose of the analysis.
Throughout this project, my research question was the driving force to my literature search
and it helped me to focus on finding examples, strategies, information, and ideas. With the
use of a literature review and handbook exemplars, I believe that this handbook provides
current, research-based information.
Data Analysis
Within the content analysis process, five standard sets of analytic activities were
completed involving coding of data, as outlined by Berg and Lune (2012) . Throughout this
process, it was crucial for me to understand the concept of coding as described by Saldana
(2008): "a word or short phrase that symbolically assigns a summative, salient, essencecapturing, and/or evocative attribute for a portion of language-based or visual data" (p. 3). As
a novice researcher, I decided to follow the steps set out by Berg and Lune, including: 1) data
collection; 2) codes identified in the data; 3) codes transformed into themes; 4) materials
sorted by categories, identifying similar patterns or relationships; and 5) sorted materials
closely examined to isolate meaningful patterns (Berg & Lune, 2012, p. 352).
To begin this process, the data was first collected and organized for reading and
summarizing based on my research question: " What do parents need to know about

kindergarten readiness?" My initial research on kindergarten readiness began with analyzing
the handbooks and articles that I had collected. Ultimately, it was the handbook exemplars
that gave me a general idea of the structure and the themes I wanted to incorporate within my
handbook and it was the articles that provided the research-based information to be presented
in my handbook. All handbooks and articles under the same rubric were organized per
subject matter. With my limited experience with coding practices, I relied on Saldana' s

41
(2008) work, in which he suggests starting with a combination of basic coding methods as a
generic approach to the data and analysis. However, he also proposes that the researcher
remain open to changing them if they are not generating substantive discoveries.
In this research project, two methods of "first cycle" coding were used in the initial
coding of the data. Both Descriptive Coding and In Vivo Coding approaches were selected as
the first cycle coding methods. As outlined by Saldana (2008), both of these methods are
appropriate for virtually all qualitative studies, and helpful "particularly for beginning
qualitative researchers learning how to code data, ethnographies, and studies with a wide
variety of data forms (e.g., interview transcripts, field notes, journals, documents, diaries,
correspondence, artifacts, video.)" (p. 88). Descriptive Coding summarizes, in a word or
short phrase, the essence of the qualitative data, whereas In Vivo Coding utilizes a word or
short phrase from the actual language found in the qualitative data record. Using these coding
systems as a guide, I was able to go through the data with less focus on interpretation, and
more of an eye on accurately conveying the meaning of the data. For example, after reading
the sentences, "Let your child have plenty of play time. When your child makes up stories
while playing with trucks, blocks or other toys, he is using his imagination, practicing
language and having fun." As a qualitative researcher, I used the word "play" as a first cycle
code using an In Vivo code as it is pulled right from the text. Conversely, because it is a
single word that summarizes the sentence, an example of Descriptive coding would be using
the term "books" to code the following sentence: "Looking at the pictures and talking about
them is an introduction to life-long reading."
When initially trying to find themes in the handbooks, instead of marginalizing the
codes on the paper, I decided to create a concept map to help me better understand the
relationships between ideas and concepts. Concept mapping is a useful technique to visually

42

display the connections between a researcher's knowledge and learned information. Berg and
Lune (2012) reveal that concept mapping permits the researcher to better organize their ideas
in order for them to plan more efficiently and develop a research design. My concept map
revealed three recurring themes which included: kindergarten readiness, developmental
milestones, and building family-school partnerships.
At this point in time, I felt that I had three codes to work with and I began to re-read
the handbooks using the above coding techniques. My coding techniques involved me coding
by hand, using a variety of coloured highlighters in the margins of the literature. Later in the
analytic process, these colour representations which actually determined the different
categories and themes would be added to a spreadsheet in order to analyze the dominance of
that category. After reading through the handbooks several times, I realized that the scope of
the information was much more detailed than I had expected. There was also more
information presented which was connected to my research question. Therefore, I needed to
go through the handbooks again in order to account for the new themes, as well as refine and
recode the themes that I had already established. In this round, I used a "second cycle"
coding method. Second cycle coding practices, specifically Pattern coding methods, was used
to analyze the codes collected in these. The primary goal of Pattern coding was to "identify
emergent themes, configurations, or explanations" in the research (Saldana, 2008, p. 21 0).
Throughout the second cycle coding I used much of the same techniques for charting as in
the first cycle coding stage. However, since the margins were getting cluttered, I decided to
use sticky notes to continue with the coding process. As Saldana (2008) clearly points out,
"coding is a method that enables you to organize and group similarly coded data into
categories or 'families' because they share some characteristic-the beginning of a pattern"
(p. 8). Thus, after these categories were identified, similar phrases and commonalities were

43
also defined within the categories-in essence, creating themes within the categories. This
occurred as an example with the developmental milestones becoming an independent
category that could be further broken down into themes such as social-emotional
development, self-care skills, language development, fine motor development, and early
academics . Berg and Lune (2012) revealed that it is not uncommon for codes to be recategorized and re-themed after the initial coding has been completed. Therefore, I did not
feel discouraged throughout this initial coding process as I understood that this could be a
possibility. Furthermore, throughout my reading, I also determined that most of the
handbooks included a description of their kindergarten program and a resource page.
Originally, I did not select these themes to code, but eventually realized that it would be
valuable information for the parents, and thus decided that I would code for them, as well. In
analyzing the handbooks over the course of the project, therefore, the final list of coded
themes included kindergarten readiness, kindergarten programs, sociaVemotional
development, self-care skills, language development, fine motor development, early
academics, building family-school partnerships, and parent resources. This proved to be a
much larger task than the original three codes I had initially picked out. Through further
analysis, I determined that some of the themes demonstrated a greater dominance than others.
For example, the frequency of language development was greater than that of early
academics. I decided that my handbook would mirror these results and more emphasis would
be placed on the themes that demonstrated a greater frequency.
Throughout the continued process of analysis, I determined that most of these themes
were much too complex. I knew and I therefore needed to create subcategories for these
themes in order to simplify the analysis. For instance, within the language development
theme, there were many important points that were mentioned in the various handbooks.

44
Certain terms such as "literacy, receptive language, expressive language" were being used
and I wanted to see if these were addressed in a consistent manner throughout all of the
handbooks. Moreover, there were many language skill examples and tips for parents being
delivered and I wanted to further analyze this further. Therefore, I returned to the language
development data to recode. In doing so, this theme became divided into the sub-categories
of literacy/reading, receptive/expressive, language skills, and tips. Since these benefits all
connect with the research on kindergarten readiness, I felt it was important to include these in
the analysis.
Lastly, once all of the texts were read, categorized, and themed, this information
needed to be further assessed in order to identify the proposed theory of each study. The
information gathered through categorization and theming was then used to infer the theories
relevant to my research question. The theories about kindergarten readiness included defining
the concept of kindergarten readiness, specific kindergarten programming, social/emotional
development, self-care skills, language development, fine motor development, early
academics, building family-school partnerships, and parent resources. I felt as though this
research data paralleled my own beliefs as an experienced kindergarten teacher. Thus, these
theories were ultimately selected as appropriate information to be used in the development of
my parent handbook on kindergarten readiness.
Conclusion
This chapter began with a discussion of the central research question and introduced
the qualitative research paradigm adopted for this study due to its focus on the personal
aspects of learning, the verbal reports emphasis, and the subjectivity needed for this type of
research. Then I discussed the specific research methodology, qualitative content analysis,

45
and provided details on what this approach was suitable. I followed this discussion with a
detailed explanation of how the readings were coded and themed.
In Chapter 4, I will present a brief overview of the results from the qualitative content
analysis and then present the handbook itself.

46
Chapter 4: Kindergarten Readiness Handbook

This handbook was created to assist parents in better preparing their child for his/her
first year in the educational system. This thematic handbook begins by helping parents decide
whether or not their child is ready to begin formal education. It also provides parents with
research-based information on age-appropriate skill development so they can better
understand the skills their child needs to have a successful kindergarten year.
Parents are crucial to their child's development. The goal of this project is therefore to
encourage mindful parental involvement, as well as, to give parents specific and simple ways
to prepare their child for formal education. The information in this handbook is primarily
meant to guide parents, guardians, and early educators, but may also prove to be beneficial to
anyone who uses it.
This handbook not only provides parents with information on the importance of
developing certain skills, but also ways to support their child learning through the use of fun
at-home activities. A detailed section for children with special needs, as well as a section
devoted to the importance ofbuilding strong family/school relationships are subsequently
presented. The final chapters of this handbook are filled with references and resources to help
parents continue supporting their child once he/she enters the school system.
In order to construct a rigorous but readable handbook, I analyzed scholarly works
and, through a qualitative content analysis, coded and themed all of those research studies
and handbooks. Table 1 represents this work. As can be viewed, I placed the theme on the
lefthand side so that I could see the dominant theme (e.g., Kindergarten program) with subthemes below each. Then I placed a sample quote from one of the sources (e.g., "Program
focus on developmentally-appropriate skill", and then the number sources and the number of

47
Table 1

Table of Themes (in boldface) from the Content Analysis
Name

Example from Handbook

Kindergarten program

Programs focus on developmentally
appropriate skills
during a typical day

Learning/activities
Importance of play
Expectations

Kindergarten readiness
Questions/concerns
Learning at home
Skills

Social-emotional
development
Importance learning
Importance friendships

Spending time talking and playing
with your child helps increase their
vocabulary
children must acquire the foundations
that will help to ensure academic
success
Essential skills needed for a most
successful start to kindergarten
Are you worried that your child isn't
ready?
Children begin learning at home
building blocks of kindergarten
readiness; five dimensions
the ability to control one's behaviour
and emotional responses
they are more successful in school

Sources

References

2

13

2

5

2

9

2

5

3

11

3

4

3

9

3

19

3

8

3

3

3

3

3

6

Social competence

young children learn best in the
context of positive relationships
controlling your emotions and
reactions
social behaviours

2

1

S/E Skills

take turns, share, and help others

3

30

Tips

Tips for Parents

3

32

Self-care skills

personal needs

2

5

Expectations

Being independent

2

3

Self-care skills

going to the washroom, washing their
hands, and dressing
You Can Help

2

21

2

18

3

6

3

16

2

4

Self-regulation

Tips

Language development
Literacy/reading
Receptive/expressive

The more a child hears words and
practices using them, the better they
will be at learning in school
reading books is a great way to build
language skills
listening and talking

48
Language Skills

language skills are thinking skills

3

36

Tips

I'm Ready When I Can ...

2

33

Motor development

Young children's motor skills are
developing rapidly
skills are developed through hands-on
activities
skills are developed through outdoor
play
Running, hopping, climbing, jumping,
catching, etc.
drawing, writing, painting, cutting,
building, etc.
Your child should be able to ...

3

9

3

7

2

2

2

13

2

17

3

18

2

3

Fine motor
Gross motor
Gross motor skills
Fine motor skills
Tips

Early academics

1

1

Importance

Mastery of these skills is not a
prerequisite
you can help your child become a
student by playing games
these skills help take pressure off

3

3

Academic Skills

ABCs and 123s

3

21

Tips

These activities should be fun

2

16

Family-school
partnerships
Importance

2

7

1

2

2

8

Parent resources

education is a partnership between
parents, teachers, and the child
supporting on another will help the
child to achieve the best outcome
establishing a partnership through
two-way communication
Resources for parents

3

18

Websites/books

Internet resources for parents

2

52

Contact list

District services

2

36

Play versus learning

Communication

Note. The dominance of the theme is demonstrated in the references section. The higher the number of the
reference, the more dominant the theme was and vice versa.

times a similar statement was made. In this manner, I could ensure that all themes were
covered in my handbook.

The Handbook
As previously mentioned, the handbook was created based on the content analysis of
other kindergarten readiness parent handbooks, as well as scholarly articles researched on

49

specific themes. The literature review is a demonstration of my thoroughness of my research
which includes not only the theories highlighted in the methodology, but also additional
topics that I wished to incorporate. With this detailed literature review, additional topics such
as current expectations of the kindergarten program and transitioning students with special
needs are now supported with theory rather than based solely on my experience.
The handbook for the parents in the East Kootenay School District has been written in
an easy-to-understand language so that it will be accessible to all parents. It is a little longer
than I initially proposed. The four additional pages are due to added visual representations
and checklists; however, I believe that this adds to the clarity and visual appeal of the
handbook. The handbook begins with an introduction answering questions about who the
handbook is for and how it can help. The handbook answers a natural progression of
kindergarten questions by then providing information about current kindergarten
programming and the concept of kindergarten readiness . By discussing the developmental
milestones of a kindergarten-aged student, parents get the idea of where their child should be
functioning and how they can help them develop, thereby showing the importance of parent
involvement prior to the beginning of school. Once the concept of parent involvement has
been established, the handbook progresses to the importance of building a family-school
partnership. Due to the nature of my master' s program, an additional section on transitioning
students with special needs was added. Parents will learn here that the transitioning process
for their child will begin earlier than they think. The handbook concludes with a section of
suggested parental resources and a recommended reading list to help them on their quest to
prepare their children for kindergarten. All of the resources provided, including websites and
online games, are all currently functioning. However, this will be an area that will need to be
monitored so that information in the handbook can be upgraded.

50

In creating this handbook, I have aspired to mitigate parental concerns and growing
pains, and answer many of their questions surrounding kindergarten readiness. Notably, it
was both the combination of content analysis and my own experience as a kindergarten
teacher that helped me create this comprehensive parent handbook containing useful
information and strategies to answer my research question: What do parents need to know
about kindergarten readiness ?

A Parent/Teacher Handbook
leah Spergel

"JJIWoeclral THANK YOU to Ms. Spergel's
Kinc.terCJrartE~n classroom at I.D.E.S. for
n~rrnitfi,,a the use of photographs for
this handbook.

52
Table of Contents
53

Introduction
On Our Way to Kindergarten

53

A Day in the Life of a Kindergartener

55

What You Learn in Kindergarten

56

The Primary Program

56

What is Kindergarten Readiness?

57

The Five Domains

57

Professionals Who Can Help

58

Kindergarten Readiness Questionnaire

59

How Can I Help My Child Get Ready for Kindergarten?

60

Social and Emotional Development

61

Self-Regulation

61

What is Social-Emotional Development?

62

Tips for Parents

62

Self-Care

63

Questions for Parents

63

Tips for Parents

64

Language Development

65

Speech and Language Milestones

65

What is Language Development?

66

Tips for Parents

66

Fine Motor Development

67

Fine Motor Skills

67

Developmental Pencil Grasps

67

What is Fine Motor Development?

68

53
Tips for Parents

68

Proper Handwriting Grips

69

Early Academics

70

What to Know

70

Tips for Parents

71

Building Family-School Partnerships

72

Three Positive Parental Behaviours

72

How to Build a Partnership

73

Students With Special Needs
What to Do BEFORE Your Child Begins Kindergarten
I Need More-Resources You Can Count On

74
74

75

Suggested Websites

75

Suggested Books

76

District Contact Information

76

Studies Mentioned in this Handbook

77

54

On Our Way to Kindergarten!

Kindergarten is just around the comer for your child, but it is a big step for the whole family.
It marks a new beginning: making friends, building confidence, learning school skills, and

becoming independent. It can be a wonderful and exciting experience, but it also means a lot
of change for your child. This change can create concerns for both children and parents.
Your child may have questions about his new school, such as:

•:• What will my teacher be like?

•!• Where will my classroom be?
•:• Who will I play with?
Parents will likely also have concerns, such as:

•!• Will my child be safe?

•:• What happens if my child is teased?
•!• Who will help my child get ready for recess?
It is important for your child to be excited about the first day of school so that she can have a

successful start! School District #5 is here to help you and your child prepare for this journey.

REMEMBER: BEING READY FOR KINDERGARTEN CAN HELP REDUCE
WORRY!

55

What is this handbook about?
I'm Ready for Kindergarten is primarily a parent resource. It is based on research into the
what, how, and when your child learns. This booklet is filled with:

•!• up-to-date information
•:• helpful tips on how you can help your child prepare
•!• additional resources for parents

Who is this handbook for?
This booklet is for anyone involved with kindergarten-aged
children:

v'
v'
v'
v'

Parents/Guardians
Family
Teachers
Childcare providers

What does this handbook help parents learn?
The information in this booklet shows you how to better help your child's brain and body
grow, and continue to thrive in a new learning environment. It will also give both you and
your child more confidence in his skills upon entering a formal educational setting. You will
quickly understand that this handbook isn't about a child memorizing the ABCs and 123s; it
is about encouraging your child to be a learner. Many skills can be taught through play,
including how to interact with other people and thinking in different ways.

Did you know?

Parents are their children's FIRST TEACHERS!

56

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A KINDERGARTENER
Activities that may take place in your child's new kindergarten classroom

Enjoying
learning
activities

Listening to
stories and
activities

Making
friends and
getting along
with others

Having quiet
time

Eating healthy
meals and
snacks

Solving
problems and
learning to
communicate
needs

Participating
in indoor and
outdoor
activities

Learning new
skills and
becoming
independent

In kindergarten, children learn by:

./ exploring through play

./ teacher-led activities

57

WHAT YOU LEARN IN KINDERGARTEN
" Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to
be
I learned in kindergarten. "
~

ert Fulghum

In 2010, the British Columbia Ministry of Education released an educational guide,

The Primary Program, to help teachers synchronize their classroom practices and provide
meaningful and consistent education for young children. Although kindergarten teachers
across British Columbia have a set curriculum to follow, The Primary Program helps
teachers create a lesson program that builds the "whole child" in both intellectual and socialemotional ways.

The Primary Program addresses five areas of development:
L

Aesthetic and Artistic Development - Engages children in dance, drama,
music, and visual arts in order to express and communicate their thoughts
and opinions.

2.

Emotional and Social Development - The ability to understand, express,
and manage one's emotions appropriately and then be able to empathize,
communicate, and interact effectively with others based on one's emotions.

3.

Intellectual Development - Involves how a child develops preferences for
certain ways of thinking, learning and communicating.

4.

Physical Development and \Vellbeing - Encourages the development of
both the large and small muscles in their bodies.

5.

Development of Social Responsibility - Encourages development
knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enable them to problem solve in
social situation.

58

WHAT IS KINDERGARTEN READINESS?
The different speeds at which children develop makes the term "kindergarten
readiness" very difficult to define. There is no single factor determining whether a child is
ready to start school. Instead, a child's development needs to be evaluated on several fronts .
As a parent you may think that it's most important for children entering kindergarten to know
their ABCs, numbers, shapes, and colours so they can keep up with the curriculum. However,
the skill set that teachers are actually looking for just might surprise you! Although it could
be helpful for children to start kindergarten with the ability to recognize some numbers and
letters, in School District #5, we consider kindergarten readiness skills exclusively in the
following five domains:
l.

Social and Emotional Development-the ability to express and manage
emotions

2.

Self-Care-the ability to take care ofpersonal needs

3.

Language Development-the ability to listen, understand, and express
language

4.

Fine Motor Development-the ability to coordinate small muscle movement
in a child's fingers, hands, and arms

5.

Early Academics-basic concept knowledge
*These domains will be further discussed in the following pages.

In reality, very few children are equally competent in all of these areas. While one child may
be advanced mentally, he or she may lag behind emotionally. Another child may be adept
physically, but may be slower in terms of language development.

Please keep in 1nind that the MOST important readiness skill is
EAGERNESS TO LEARN!!!

59

IS MY CHILD READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?
It is true that every school district has cutoff dates that determine who can enter the

next kindergarten school year. For instance, in School District #5, a child must reach the age
of 5 by the cutoff date, which is at the end of the current year. Although many schools base
their criteria on chronological age, research shows that age isn't always the best way to
decide whether your child is ready for kindergarten. Parents should instead focus on the
developmental skills outlined in the "KINDERGARTEN READINESS" section.
After all of this reading, you may still be wondering if your child is developmentally
ready to take on her first year of formal education. There are many professionals that can
help you figure out if your child is ready or not. Don't hesitate to talk to:

../

Preschool Teachers

-They will have a good sense of your child's development and how it
compares to that of similarly aged children.

Doctors

-They will have a good idea of your child's physical development and can
offer you helpful feedback.

Family Members

-Family and friends who know your child well can give you an outsider's
perspective on the development of your child.

DON'T FORGET! YOU CANAL \VA YS .....

../

Visit a Kindergarten Classroom

This experience could provide you with some invaluable information. As you observe
the classroom, pay attention to how the other children are behaving and what
particular skills they may have.
NOW ... Can you picture your child sitting in one ofthose chairs?

60

KINDERGARTEN READINESS QUESTIONNAIRE
Please use the fo llowing checklist to help you identify whether or not your child is ready for
kindergarten:

0

1) Can my child listen to instructions and then follow them?
Children need these skills in order to complete classroom activities.

0

2) Is my child able to put on his coat and go to the bathroom by
himself?

0

3) Can my child hold a pencil? Cut with scissors?

0

4) Does my child show an interest in books? Does she enjoy telling
stories based on the pictures she sees?

Children need to be somewhat self-sufficient. There is only one teacher for all
those students!

Fine motor skills are important to begin working on printing tasks and also to
complete crafts independently.

This is a sign that he/she is ready to start learning how to read and that
his/her language development is age appropriate.

0

0

5) Is my child interested and receptive to learning new things?

The interest for learning new things shows that they are ready to be taught.

6) Does my child get along well with other kids? Can he share and
know how to take turns?
These are basic social skills that are needed to make a positive classroom
environment for your child.

0

7) Is my child interested in and able to work together with others
as part of a group? Can my child work independently?

0

8) Does my child have some letter and number knowledge?

Your child will be asked to pe1jorm tasks both independently and in a group
setting.

Although these subjects will be covered as part of the kindergarten
curriculum, having basic knowledge of these subjects can be helpful to the
process of learning.

If you answered "yes" to MOST of these questions: Congratulations! Your child is

ready for kindergarten!

If not, your child might benefit from another year of kindergarten readiness practice.

61

How Can I Help My Child Get Ready for
Kindergarten?
The following sections will discuss these kindergarten readiness skills in
greater detail so that you, as a parent, know you are doing the RIGHT
thing!

Social and Emotional
Development
Self-Care
Language Development
Fine Motor Development
Early Academics

62

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
~ The ability to express and manage emotions. ~

Kindergarten is a time in which children need to explore their feelings and learn how
to cooperatively interact with others. However, in order to make their first year of school
successful, children would greatly benefit from having previously developed their emotional
and social skills. Studies (Cohen et al. , 2005; Raver, 2003) found that having appropriate
social and emotional development before entering kindergarten will positively impact their
behaviour in the classroom and all subsequent academics.
What is Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is the ability of a child to control his/her own reaction to emotional
responses. A child who can successfully self-regulate has the ability to:
•

control impulses and stop doing something when asked

•

perform a task (even if she doesn't want to do it) because it is required of her
(Bodrova & Leong, 2008)

Why Learn to Self-Regulate?
Learning self-regulation is one of the most important tasks of growing up. The benefits of
self-regulated behaviour will have a positive impact on their schooling and throughout your
child's life. They include:
Being able to control one ' s feelings and impulses.
Understanding how to behave in different situations.
Having more self-confidence and higher self-esteem.
Being able to stay focused or shift attention when needed.
Doing better in school.
Being able to tolerate frustration and resist doing something tempting.
(Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2009)

63

Social and Emotional Development means that your child can ...
•!•
•!•
•!•
•!•
•!•

•!•
•!•
•!•
•!•
•!•
•!•
•!•
•!•

•!•

Express feelings and identify a variety of emotions
Express likes and dislikes
Recognize that others may feel differently about the same situation
Describe how others are feeling based on their facial expressions or gestures
Engage in social conversation and cooperative play
Share with friends
Help friends and offer words of encouragement
Pay attention when someone else is speaking
Follow directions
Ask for help when needed
Persist in completing a task
Show excitement and curiosity about new things in the classroom
Develop skills to resolve conflict situations
Recognize appropriate touch and avoid inappropriate touching
(Raver, 2002, Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004)

Tips for Parents
Encourage your child to do things for
herselfwhen she is ready (i.e. feeding,
dressing, toileting, cleaning up, etc.)
Allow your child to answer questions for
herself, instead of the parents answering
Encourage your child to ask questions
Encourage interactions with other children
through play groups or community
activities
Encourage your child to make decisions
by offering choices
Encourage your child to solve everyday problems
Encourage your child to follow directions, remember stories, and take turns
Develop regular routines at home and be consistent-setting limits helps children feel
secure
Praise your child and help him feel good about his accomplishments
Help your child talk about his feelings and to imagine what others are feeling
Help your child learn from mistakes
Help your child find ways to calm down when she is frustrated

64

SELF-CARE
-The ability to take care ofpersonal needs. Can you imagine having to do up 22 zippers, put on 22 set of boots, or help with 22
pairs of mittens every recess?

THIS WOULD TAKE THE ENTIRE RECESS!
There is usually only one teacher to meet the needs of every child in the classroom, so being
able to take care of oneself in the kindergarten room is extremely important. Of course, the
teacher is ALWAYS there to help BUT your child will have a much easier time transitioning
if he can get dressed alone.

ASK YOURSELF ...

Can tny child get his coat on and off and hang it up?
Can tny child dress on her own, such as, button, snap, and
zip anything that is needed?
Is my child able to use the washromn independently without
reminders (including washing hands)?

Is my child able to clean up toys and projects with 1ninimal
prompting and assistance?
Is my child able to be independently entertained for 10-15
minutes?
Is tny child able to open all of the items in her lunchbox?

65

Ifyou answered "NO" to any of these please consider reading the "Tips for
Parents" section on the next page!

Tips for Parents to Promote Self-Care
•!• Take time to teach your child
It is easiest for you to divide the task into steps and train your child how to do itthen make it her "job." Daily tasks may seem simple to us, but remember that they
aren't so easy for a child!

•!• Praise their efforts
Even if the end result isn't exactly how you pictured it, let your child know that you
appreciate all of the hard work that he/she did. It is also valuable to find ''positives in
the negatives." Look at these as an opp01tunity for your child to learn something new.

•!• Give them choices
In order for children to be independent they need to be able to make decisions for
themselves. Encourage your child to make some of his own choices throughout the
day.

•!• Provide directions ONLY when needed
It is easy to take over when your child is struggling. Encourage your child through
reminders and see if she can complete the task on her own .

66

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
~ The ability to listen, understand, and express language. ~

Language development is MORE THAN being able to read and write. It includes
talking, listening, and critical thinking. Studies show that children with delayed language
and/or poor literacy skills by the end of Grade 1 will continue to experience difficulties
reading later on, in addition to being at an increased risk for social, emotional, and
behavioural problems (Cohen et al. , 2010). The more children hear words and practice them,
the better they will be at learning in school.

Speech and language milestones of a five-year-old include:
1. Audition Skills
These skills are also referred to as listening skills. These skills will include being an
attentive listener and also being able to remember things that they have heard.

2. Receptive Language Skills
These are skills that allow a child to understand what she hears. These language skills
are essential for understanding and following instructions, which is a large component
of early education.

3. Expressive Skills
These skills refer to the ability of a child to express his thoughts and needs. A child
lacking these skills has a difficult time engaging appropriately in conversation with
adults and peers.
(Barrington, 2013)

67

Language Development means that your child can ...
•!• Speak in complete sentences that include one or more ideas
•!• Use words to talk about their thoughts, wants, and needs
•!• Use descriptive language
•!• Ask questions and express curiosity
•!• Tell or retell stories and/or everyday experiences
•!• Express ideas so that others can understand

•:• Recite some common nursery rhymes and songs
•:• Listen and understand when spoken to (i.e. can follow directions, etc.)
(Barrington, 2013)

Tips for Parents
•!• Talk to your child as often as possible while

playing or doing daily activities

•!• READ with your child EVERY DAY! Have
them "read" to you as well!
•!• Take your child to the library so he can

choose books to read at home

•!• Keep books and other reading materials
where your child can reach them. Make sure
to add new books often

•!• Ask your child questions that require more
than a "yes" or "no" answer

•!• Play listening games- give them instructions
to find a hidden object
•!• Listen carefully when your child is talking- make sure to ask questions as you listen

•!• Point out printed words in your home and in your community such as names of stores,
businesses, restaurants, schools, and traffic signs.

68

FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT
- The ability to coordinate small muscle movements in a child's fingers,
hands, and arms. Contrary to gross motor development, fine motor skills are often overlooked until a
child reaches school age. Within the elementary classroom setting, 30-60% of allotted time is
spent on fine/motor writing activities (Marr, Windsor, & Cermak 2001 ). If a child is
struggling with their fine motor activities, she will later have trouble completing work tasks.
Since many of the tasks requiring fine motor skills such as printing, colouring, and cutting
are not emphasized until a child reaches school, the development of these skills are often
ignored (Skill Builders, 2002).

Skills that pertain to this development include:
1) reaching
2) graspmg
3) manipulating objects and using different tools (i.e. crayons and scissors)

Developmental Pencil Grasps

1- 1 1/2 years

2- 3years

31/2- 4 years

Cylindrical Grasp

Dittital Grasp

Modified Tripod Grasp

http://sfaot . blogspot. ca/20 1211 0/handgrips. html

.

~a r

Tripod Grasp

69

Fine Motor Development means that your child can ...
•:• Use crayons, pencils, and paint brushes.
•:• Button, zip, and tie or Velcro her own shoes
·:· Hold and use scissors to cut
(Barrington, 201 3)

Tips for Parents
Working on fine motor development involves a lot of practice! However, working on
dexterity and strength with your child can eliminate the development of an inappropriate
pencil grasp (Marr, Windsor, & Cermak, 2001). Here are a few activities to try:
Put puzzles together
Use building blocks
Cutting activities- such as cutting up junk mail
Play cards-encourage your child to turn over cards, coins, checkers, or buttons
without bringing them to the edge of the table
Provide and encourage your child to experiment with a variety of tools (such as
chalk, crayons, pencils, pens, markers, paint brushes)
Encourage your child to open the lids of jars
Have your child clean! Squeezing spray bottles (to clean tables or colour snow),
washing tables, and wiping white boards to develop hand, arm, and shoulder
strength
Play with small toys to develop finger coordination and manipulating the toys in
a detailed manner (i.e. moving the toy cars through a maze)
Use PlayDoh- holding and rolling modeling clay into balls
Tell a story with finger puppets
Play with dolls and stuffed animals-have your child practice "feeding," zipping,
snapping, buttoning, and tying doll-sized clothes
Practice tying up laces

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ....
- Practice holding crayons, markers, pens and pencils correctly

70

Proper Handwriting Grips

There are many acceptable ways for a child to hold their pencil properly. Here
are examples of these proper grip holds:

http://sfaot.blogspot. ca/20 12110/handgrips. html

71

EARLY ACADEMICS

-Having basic concept knowledge. In School District #5, there are no expectations for students to have attended a
preschool. If your child has a "READINESS TO LEARN" (a need to want to learn new
material) and a "READINESS FOR SCHOOL" (cognitive, linguistic, social, and motor
skills to help them learn) (Kagan, 1994), she will be successful in the kindergarten program
here! We have already discussed how you can better help your child improve her language,
social, and fine motor skills. BUT how can you help your child improve her cognitive skills?
AND what should she already know how to do?

Please keep in mind that the following skills are NOT prerequisites to enter
the kindergarten program in School District #5. They are merely suggestions
to kick-start your child's learning!
Early Academics means that your child has a basic understanding of. ..

numbers
letters
colours
shapes
patterning and problem solving
(Kagan 1994)

72

Tips for Parents

. ...
IMPORTANT - Children learn through PLAY!

When developing early academic skills it is therefore important to have your child learn
L •-

through FUN and INTERACTIVE GAMES.
•:• Offer your child a lot of encouragement and praise! Children will learn to become selfconfident which will help them be successful at school
•:• Check out books from the library and "actively" read with your child by pointing out
words and letters, asking them questions along the way, and retelling the story
•:• Look for shapes in the world around you; for example, doors are rectangles, coins are
circles
•!• Teach your child to count, by asking her, for example, "How many stairs are there?"
•!• Sing songs and play rhyming games
•:• Point out letters and numbers in everyday places like cereal boxes, store signs, and
books
•:• Teach your child to sort and compare objects. Point out similarities/differences in
colours and sizes
•:• Have pencils, crayons, and paper readily available

73

BUILDING FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
Remember that helping your child be prepared for school is just the beginning of the
journey! As parents, you play an important role in the ongoing success of your child at
school. Research shows that a parents ' behaviour toward their child' s learning has a
substantial effect on a child's adjustment to the first year of school and beyond (Belsky &
MacKinnon, 1994).

Three Positive Parental Behaviours and the Benefits:
1.

Parental Warmth and Sensitivity
Highly connected parent-child relationships have a huge impact on the socialemotional outcomes of a child. Children with positive parental supports are able
to more easily develop friendships , are accepted by their peers, and are able to
secure attachments with adults.

2.

Support for a Child's Individuality
Parental support for a child's individuality has been linked to positive educational
and social skills, such as increased levels of cognitive competence, selfregulation, communication, and play interactions.

3.

Active Participation in Learning
Parental participation in a child' s learning has also been strongly linked to a
child's positive approaches to learning, participation in the classroom, and
academic achievement.

(Sheridan et a/. , 2010)

74

MOST IMPORTANTLY ...

-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·
i COMMUNICATION IS KEY!!!
-.
·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·-·
I

I

•

I

Good two-way communication between families and schools is necessary for your
child's success. Not surprisingly, research shows that the more parents and teachers share
relevant information with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help
that student achieve academically. Not to mention that partnership practices at the home and
school level will also facilitate a smooth kindergarten transition (Sheridan et. al, 2010).

How can I help build a PARTNERSHIP?

0

Provide your child's teacher with information about your child. Fill out all paper
work/questionnaires that the teacher sends home.

0
0
0

Get to know the teacher by introducing yourself.
Check in on your child' s progress and ask how you can help.
Volunteer within the school and classroom as often as possible. You will also be
able to meet other students and parents in your child's class.

0

Be interested and excited about your child' s learning. Ask about her experiences
EVERYDAY.

0

Check your child's agenda daily for notes from the teacher, complete all required
paperwork, and return it promptly to the school.

0

Make sure to understand homework assignments. If you have questions or your
child is struggling, don't forget to communicate this to your child's teacher!

0
0

Encourage your child to sleep and eat well!
If your child has special needs, communicate with the teacher about your child's
progress on a regular basis. Know the services that are being provided.

75

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
School District #5 happily supports inclusive classrooms! If your child has special
needs you probably have many questions about how to properly transition your child. The
transition process requires careful planning to ensure that the elements ofyour child's
Individual Education Plan (IEP) and the support services required to carry it out are in place.

What to do before your special needs child begins kindergarten:
1) Make the school and teacher aware of your child's special needs.
- Set up an initial meeting with the principal, student services teacher and teacher (without
your child).
- Make sure that the school has ALL important documentation such as pediatrician and
specialist notes.
- Plan a visit to the school with your child. Encourage your child to spend time with the
teacher, explore the classroom, and tour the school.
2) Help the teacher KNOW your child!
- Discuss interests and strengths.
- Share any concerns or special considerations regarding your child, such as fears,
allergies, sensitivities, etc.
3) At home, use pictures to familiarize your child with his new surroundings, including
his cJassroom, school, and teacher.
- This will also help your child become familiar with the classroom rules and routines.
4) If your child attends a preschool, encourage open communication between the
kindergarten and preschool teachers.
-The people who work and know your child are the BEST resource!

DON'T FORGET ...
YOU ARE YOUR CHILD'S ADVOCATE!
MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE SERVICES NEEDED ARE SET UP FOR YOUR
CHILD!

76

I NEED MORE!!!
PARENTAL RESOURCES
Suggested Websites
~

The Imagination Tree
http://theimaginationtree. com/2 013109140-fine-motor-skills-activities-forkids.html
- Help your child build their fine motor skills

~

Handwriting for Kids
www.handwritingforkids. com/handwrite
-Printouts for handwriting practice and math drills forK-6th grades.

~

Starfall Learn-to-Read
www.starfall. com
-Help build your child ' s love of reading!

~

Tumble Book Library
http:/lwww. tumble books. com/library/asp/customer_login. asp
-Read Aloud books with visual display. Great for all ages!

~

.Jump Start
http://www.jumpstart.com/
- A variety of online educational games to strengthen skills.

~

Fun Brain
http://www.funbrain.com/index.html
- Online games to encourage math and language skills.

~

Kinder AR'f
http://www.kinderart. com/index. html
- Several activities to try with your children are categorized under themes
that include sensory play, health and sorting/matching.

~

Seussville
http://www.seussville.com/
- Includes interactive activities that are fun and educational for your child.

~

Story Place
http://www.storyplace.org/storyplace.asp
- Stories with corresponding online and printable activities.

77

Suggested Books to Read to Your Child
•:•
•:•
•:•
•:•
•!•
•!•
•!•

•:•
•!•

•:•
•!•

Welcome to Kindergarten by Anne Rockwell
When You Go to Kindergarten by James Howe
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come by Nancy Carlson
Countdown to Kindergarten by Allison McGhee
Kindergarten Kids: Riddles, Rebuses, Wiggles, Giggles & More by Stephanie
Calmenson
We Share Everything! By Robert Munsch
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Jessica by Kevin Henkes
Owen by Kevin Henkes
The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing

BC Educational Resource List
Ready, Set, Learn Booklet

http:/jwww2.gov.bc.cajgovjDownloadAsset?assetld=052EFE69C2754089A3
673624F3EF2126&filename=rsl_english09.pdf
-This program/booklet is designed to support parents in helping their
preschooler get ready for kindergarten. Attend a program near you!

Strong Start Centres

http:/jwww.sdS.bc.cajprogramsjEarlyLearningResourcesjStrongstartCentr
esjPagesjdefault.aspx
- This FREE play-based early-learning drop-in program helps prepare your
child for success in kindergarten. Find a program at a school near you.

BC Kindergarten Curriculum

http:/jwww2.gov.bc.cajgovjtopic.page?id=ACBD9B60C99E4F5987D5549EBB
FCB1B6&title=Curriculum
- Information about the provincial curriculum for all subjects is outlined

Isabella Dicken School Website

http:/jwww.sdS.bc.cajschooljidesjPagesjdefault.aspx

- Information about local Fernie school programs and activities

BC Partners Handbook

http:/jwww.sd5.bc.cajprogramsjStudentServicesjPartners%20HandbookjP
agesjdefault.aspx
- This online handbook is designed for teaching and support staff of students
with special needs. However, it is also a great source of information for
families on current district policies .

78

Studies Mentioned in this Handbook
Barrington, M. (2013). Re: Speech and language development 5-6 [Online forum
comment]. Retrieved from: <http://www.kidspot.com.au/schoolzone/Speech-Speechand-language-development-5-6+4184+ 308+article.htm>.
Belsky, J., & MacKinnon, C. (1994). Transition to school: Developmental trajectories and
school experiences. Early Education and Development, 5(2), 106-119.
Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2008). Developing self-regulation in kindergarten. Young
Children, 63(2) , 56-58.

Chapman, M., Balabanov, R., Bischoff, C., Dean, H., Denyer, D., Jesten, B., ... Politano, C.
(2000). The primary program: A .framework for teachers. Retrieved from:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/primary_prograrn/primary_prog.pdf.
Cohen, J., Onunaku, N., Clothier, Steffenie, & Poppe, J. (2005). Helping young children
succeed: Strategies to promote early childhood social and emotional development.

Retrieved from: http ://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/helping_
young_children_succeed_final. pdf?dociD= 1725.
Kagan, S. L. (1994). Readying schools for young children: Polemics and priorities. Phi Delta
Kappan, 76, 226-233.

Marr, D., Windsor, M. M., & Cem1ak, S. (2001). Handwriting readiness: Locatives and
visuomotor skills in the kindergarten year. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 3.
Retrieved from http ://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3nl/marr.html.
Raver, C. (2002). Emotions matter: Making the case for the role of young children's
emotional development for early school readiness. Social Policy Report of the Society
for Research in Child Development, 16(3), 1-20.

79
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Curby, T. W. , Grimm, K. J., Nathanson, L., & Brock, L. L. (2009).
The contribution of children's self-regulation and classroom quality to children' s
adaptive behaviors in the kindergarten classroom. Developmental Psychology, 45(4),
958-972. doi: 10.103 7/aOO 15861.
Sheridan, S.M., Knoche, L. L. , Edwards, C. P., Bovaird, J. A., & Kupzyk, K. A. (2010).
Parent engagement and school readiness: Effects of the getting ready intervention on
preschool children's social-emotional competencies. Early Education and

Development, 21, 125- 156. doi:10.1080/ 10409280902783517
Skill Builders. (2002) . Fine motor development 0 to 6 years. Retrieved from:
http://www.skillbuildersonline.com/SBA/PDF /Fine_Motor_ Skill_Development_06_ Years.pdf.
Zins, J., Bloodworth, M. , Weissberg, R., & Walberg, H. (2004). The scientific base linking
social and emotional learning to school success. In J. Zins, R. Weissberg, M. Wang, &
H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Building academic success on social and emotional/earning:

What does the research say ? (pp. 1-22). New York, NY: Teachers Press, Columbia
University.

80
Chapter 5: Conclusions
Contrary to what many people believe, kindergarten is one of the most important
years of education in a child's life. In the words of essayist and novelist Robert Fulghum
(1990): "Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand
pile at school" (p. 6). Kindergarten is a year marked with great learning benchmarks, so it is
important that children are developmentally ready before they begin. When a child is
developmentally mature they spend less time struggling with classroom tasks and have an
easier transition into kindergarten (Cohen et al., 2005). Deciding whether or not a child is
ready for kindergarten can be a difficult decision for parents to make because there is no
single determining factor (Cohen et al., 2005). Rather, a child's development needs to be
assessed on several fronts, including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive maturity. The
purpose of this project was to develop a handbook for parents of preschoolers to provide
them with information and preemptively answer any questions surrounding kindergarten
readiness.
My motivation to complete a handbook on kindergarten readiness was two-fold. As a
kindergarten teacher, I witness every year a new onslaught of concerned parents wondering
and worrying about the same issues. So many are unsure if their child is ready for
kindergarten and are eager to know what they can do to help their child prepare for the
transition. Although the initial intent of this project was to help relieve some of this anxiety
for parents, I also realized that if parents were to complete the suggested activities to prepare
their child for the classroom, this would, in turn, help the classroom run more smoothly and
help us to move forward more quickly.
This handbook is a valuable resource to parents in three ways. To begin, the
handbook provides a clear and comprehensive understanding of the importance of

81
kindergarten readiness, giving parents information about the developmental milestones of a
kindergarten-aged students. A checklist of skills helps parents decide whether their child is
developmentally mature enough to attend school. The handbook provides lists of activities
that can be completed at home in a play-based format to help children prepare. Each of the
developmental domains (social/emotional development, self-care skills, language
development, motor skills, and cognitive skills) are well defined. With this information,
parents are able to assess their child's strengths and weaknesses and begin to develop
activities that best suits their child's needs.
The handbook is also a valuable resource because it addresses any concerns that a
parent may have about the kindergarten program. It also provides parents with an
understanding of how the kindergarten program is fundamentally developed and how a child
in kindergarten learns best. One of the most powerful tools in this section is providing the
parents with visual examples of real-life kindergarten students completing classroom
activities. This allows the parents to see what a day in the kindergarten classroom actually
looks like. Parents can see that their child's learning will be fun and interactive while
teaching them how to work cooperatively and independently. They also see that their child
will be learning both through teacher-led activities and play-based learning.
The third way that the handbook proves to be an important tool is that it introduces,
explains, and demonstrates the power of building a partnership between the home and the
school. Parents will learn how they are their child's first teacher and how two-way
communication has positive implications for a child's learning. Parents also learn that
positive parental behaviours have a substantial influence on a child's adjustment to school.
The handbook provides three examples of positive parental behaviours and their effects on
their child's learning. By demonstrating their warmth and sensitivity toward their child's

82

learning, supporting their child's individuality, and being an active participant in their child's
learning, parents learn that positive behaviours are linked with positive educational and social
skills. In general, the handbook presented in this project provides parents with many
interrelated subjects concerning kindergarten readiness. It is an easy-to-read and -understand
resource where parents can access everything they need to know. Having the necessary
information available to them in one resource will help to alleviate some of the worry that a
parent may have surrounding their child transitioning to kindergarten.
Two limitations came out of this study. The main limitation was that I did not directly
involve parents within the process of my research. Although I was able to use my own
experiences as a kindergarten teacher, they were influenced by my interactions and
discussions with parents. However, perhaps ifl would have analyzed parent interviews I
could have had a different perspective or a few more original ideas to add to my handbook.
The second limitation to the study comes with the lack of experience of the researcher. Being
new to the field of content analysis, I feel as though the process could have gone a little more
smoothly. Despite a structure to follow during the process of content analysis, the project did
run into snags and was far from completed perfectly. However, ifl ever embark on another
project of this stature, I do believe that this experience will help me.
There are some recommendations that I have for this handbook. My first is to make
this handbook more easily available. For instance, I suggest that this handbook also be
produced in an online format so that parents have access to this information anytime.
Moreover, I would recommend that this handbook and the information within it be presented
verbally to parents. By holding an information session for preschool parents, whether it be in
the evening or during the day, parents will have the opportunity to ask questions. Parents
could then walk away from the presentation with a great deal of information that they

83
understand. Lastly, I would also recommend that this handbook be presented to the East
Kootenay School District (EKSD) as a resource that they can use throughout their district
within their schools. The schools would then be able to choose to use this resource or not.
Reflecting on this project, I have come to realize how special my job really is. During
the completion of this Master of Education program, I have also become a mother and
discovered the kind of deep love that comes with being a parent. Having my own child has
made me realize that parents are entrusting me every day with the most important thing in
their lives. They count on me to teach their children about the world and the skills that will
make them successful later on in life. They depend on me to keep their children safe and
happy. Understanding now that my role as a kindergarten teacher is more than just a job, I am
thankful for having had the opportunity to complete this project. Throughout this process I
have not only learned a great deal about kindergarten readiness, but it has also allowed me to
analyze my own teaching practices and develop new research-based ideas to help my
students continue to achieve. While creating an indispensable resource for parents, I have
also discovered ways for my classroom to become an even better learning environment. This
comprehensive handbook answers many questions that preschooler parents may have about
their child transitioning to kindergarten. It also provides clear and accessible information on
how to prepare a child for kindergarten, ultimately helping parents to actively involve
themselves in the transition. In handing over this project, I hope that it reaches parents and
alleviates any anxieties about their child debuting in the school system

84
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Appendix A
Milestones for 5-Year-Olds
Physical growth and development

Your child grows at his or her own pace, and healthy growth is different for every child.
Your child's natural growth rate may be slower or faster than the example below.
Most children by age 5:
Have gained about 2 kg (4.4lb) and grown 4 em (1.5 in.) to 5 em (2 in.) since their
fourth birthday.
Thinking and reasoning (cognitive development)

Most children by age 5:
o Know their address and phone number.
o Recognize most letters of the alphabet.
o Can count 10 or more objects.
o Know the names of at least 4 colours.
o Understand the basic concepts of time.
o Know what household objects are used for, such as money, food, or
appliances.
Emotional and social development

Most children by age 5:
o Want to please and be liked by their friends, though they may sometimes be
mean to others.
o Agree to rules most of the time.
o Show independence.
o Are more able to distinguish fantasy from reality but enjoy playing makebelieve and dress-up.
o Have distinct ways of playing according to gender. Most 5-year-old boys play
in rough or physically active ways. Girls of the same age are more likely to
engage in social play.
Language development

Most children by age 5:
o Carry on a meaningful conversation with another person.
o Understand relationships between objects, such as "the boy who is jumping
rope."
o Use the future tense, such as "Let's go to the zoo tomorrow!"
o Often call people (or objects) by their relationship to others, such as "Bobby's
mom" instead of"Mrs. Smith."
o Talk about or tell stories. They have little or no trouble being understood by
others.

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Sensory and motor development

Most children by age 5:
o Somersault and possibly skip.
o Swing and climb.
o Hop on one foot.
o Use the toilet by themselves. They may still wet the bed , though.
By age 5, most children can use their hands and fingers (fine motor skills) to:
o Copy triangles and other geometric shapes.
o Draw a person with a head, a body, arms, and legs.
o Dress and undress on their own, although they may still need help tying
shoelaces.
o Write some small and capital letters from the alphabet.
o Eat with a fork, spoon, and possibly a flatware knife.