Starting Kindergarten is a Big Step for Children and Families
This post is the second in our series celebrating the first annual Month of the Kindergartner. See the full series here.
“With school in general, I feel like Malik will really thrive, but the transition concerns me,” said Juwariyah Sou, whose son Malik starts kindergarten this fall. “I have noticed that it can take him awhile to get into new routines. It will take him time to warm up to the new environment and new people.”
Juwariyah was nervous about how he would adjust.
“Malik knows that he gets a new backpack… school supplies and he is excited about that but I don’t think he really, fully knows what to expect with kindergarten.”
The start of kindergarten is a big milestone for children and families. Last spring, Governor Inslee recognized the significance of beginning kindergarten by signing Substitute Senate Bill 5028 into law. This bill declared September to be the Month of the Kindergartner, and encourages schools to celebrate kindergartners “as they begin their life in K-12 education.” This is not the first bill in recent years to draw attention to the significance of kindergarten and the unique needs of kindergarten students.
In 2007, the Washington Legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which established funding and expectations for full-day kindergarten. Prior to this, kindergarten schedules were inconsistent from school to school, district to district, and children arrived to first grade with big differences in preparation.
When they first arrive at school, students will begin participating in WaKIDS, the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills. WaKIDS is a kindergarten transition process intended to help smooth the start to the kindergarten year. It includes a whole-child assessment that takes place over the first two months of school, allowing teachers to get a good understanding of the skills and abilities that children bring. WaKIDS also includes a meeting called Family Connection where each family can sit down one-on-one with their child’s kindergarten teacher at the beginning of school. The purpose of the Family Connection is to welcome families to school and make time for families to speak with the teacher. This connection helps families and teachers begin to build relationships so that they can work together to help children be successful in school.
Sou was already thinking about what she wanted to tell Malik’s teacher. “When a kindergarten teacher learns about the child, learns what they enjoy doing and about their background, then they will be better able to help them in the classroom. I hope that Malik will have a kindergarten teacher who is very welcoming and takes time to get to know him as an individual.”
The start of school is a special time for every child at every grade, but the start of kindergarten is especially important. Recognizing September as the Month of the Kindergartner and conducting WaKIDS are important reminders to slow down during this busy time.
“How teachers welcome children into the school and the classroom is so important,” said Sou. “I just feel like that first teacher really sets the tone for their whole education going forward.”
For more information, please contact OSPI’s Early Learning office at 360–725–6161.
