This week I begin the process of meeting and assessing the Kindergarten recruits for next fall's class. We use the Gesell Kindergarten Readiness Screening. I've been giving this 'test' for 25 years. A few minor things in the dialog have changed, but for the most part it has stayed the same. More importantly, the norms and the milestones have stayed the same. It is actually reassuring to me that no matter what technology or organized sports competitions we expose them to before they reach 5, there are still things that are the same for these children that were seen in children 50 years ago. (The more things change, the more they stay the same I guess)
One of the hardest parts about teaching Kindergarten for me has been watching parents send children that may not be developmentally ready for school. The screening we give incoming students looks at more than just what they can recite or write on paper. It looks at attention span, language skills, fine motor dexterity and how the child reacts to new situations. Yet when a child screens young, parents immediately think they can fix it before school starts in the fall. Although I've always tried to keep my room a Kindergarten that allows children time to play and interact, the curriculum guide has become more academic over the years. Another reason to make sure a child is READY for the task of reaching those standards and benchmarks decreed by the district, state and national tests.
Sorry! I didn't mean to get on my soapbox. My goal was to say that I am looking forward to meeting yet another class of eager, wiggly, smiley 4 & 5 year olds. The children I work with give me so much every day. Their energy is contagious and it helps to keep me young. Just as Easter Sunday marked a new beginning, I think it's appropriate that I will begin meeting a new and eager batch of children this week.
