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Friday, August 4, 2006
Reading By Five
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There seems to be a lot of confusion about what kids are supposed to know when they enter kindergarten. A friend of mine was stunned when she took her 5-year-old son in for an assessment and walked out with a list of things to “work on,” such as helping him learn the sounds of all the letters.
This is what kindergartners should know before they walk in the door???
(An aside, my friend was praised for her child’s ability to put his shoes on the right feet. She didn’t mention that he put them on the wrong feet and she switched them in the car!)
From an earlier blog post (edited slightly for clarity):
I have a question…What does a child need to know after finishing Pre-K? My twin boys just finished and I’m wondering if they are ready for Kindergarten. Could a teacher or experienced parent let me know? Also, Do they need to be reading before Kindergarten?
And then this response:
Pre-K Teacher here. If your child knows their shapes, colors, some letters, some numbers, and can write their name, your child will be fine in Kindergarten. Kindergarten is where children are really starting to learn to read.
Parents, do you feel pressure to send your child to kindergarten already on a path to reading? Teachers, do you think parents hsould be working with their kids on sounds and letters before kindergarten? Are the expectations for kindergartners just too high given the differences in development among 5-year-olds?
