Thursday was kindergarten registration at my school, and
it's always an exciting day. The registrar
and the principal count kids and ponder how many teachers we'll need. Nervous parents hold on to excited kids, and
the kindergarten teachers wonder which of these babies will join their rooms in
September.
It's the time of year when parents ask whether their four
year old will be ready for kindergarten in the fall. Most school districts have a cut-off birth
date somewhere between September 1 and December 31. That leaves a lot of room to wonder. As a September birthday, I have strong feelings about this. I didn't mind being the youngest in my class
until high school. Academically, I was
fine, but socially being the baby of the group was frustrating. I was the last of my friends to get my
license, get into rated R movies and turn 21.
Fortunately, I had a boyfriend to drive me places, get my movie tickets
and buy my drinks. If I'd been a boy, I
think it would have been much harder. I
distinctly remember the summer before I turned 21. All of my friends were legal, and I had just
returned from a semester in England ,
where the drinking age was 18. I would
routinely get messages like, "Hey, Kristin, we're all at Carpool, but it's
over 21 tonight. Maybe we'll see you
tomorrow."
As a reading teacher, I've noticed that most of the students
I see have late birthdays. Their peers
born in January have eight to nine months more experience with language and
books. Even if the academic curriculum
isn't a challenge, think about the social aspects. Do you want your kid to be the biggest and
the smartest? The freshman who plays
varsity? Top of the class? These accomplishments statistically fall to
the older students.
Whatever you decide, the best way to prepare your child for
kindergarten is read to her everyday. The
kindergarten curriculum includes learning the alphabet and learning to count,
writing your name, and emergent reading skills.
Anything your child already knows, puts her ahead of the game.
Here are my favorite books for kindergarteners. I've mentioned it many times before, but Chicka
Chicka Boom Boom may be the perfect alphabet book around. Letters and rhymes - what more could you
want? But then you can't go wrong with
Bill Martin, Jr or Eric Carle. I'd also
recommend classics like Where the Wild Things Are, Corduroy, and Alexander
and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Then there's Kevin Henkes, who just seems to
understand how hard it is to be a kid. I
love Chrysanthemum for kindergartners.
It's about a Chrysanthemum, who believes her name is perfect until a
mean spirited classmate begins to tease her.
Two new favorites are Gossie by Olivier Dunrea, about a goose who
loves her red boots, but shares them anyway, and Do Crocs Kiss? by
Salina Yoon, a rhyming, animal sounds, lift-the-flap book. Books teach our children about life and
language, and in process prepare them for kindergarten.
In the end, I can't say I wish my mom had kept me back a
year. I had a wonderful school
experience, and I made great friends (many who shared their IDs with me.) And, now, as an adult, I like that all my
friends will turn 35 months before I do.
Great Books for Kindergarteners
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad
Day by Judith Viorst
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Gossie by Olivier Dunrea
Do Crocs Kiss? by Salina
Yoon
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems