Steps Towards Increasing Kindergarten Readiness

This research to practice article accompanies a study involving focus groups of preschool teachers and kindergarten teachers investigating what is meant by the term kindergarten readiness. Participants within this study perceived school readiness as skills that students should exhibit on day 60 of kindergarten that would allow for them to have a successful kindergarten year. Some skills that would be typical on day 60 of kindergarten are that students are: able to control their emotions and understand the emotions of others, understand how to behave in familiar environments when routines and procedures do not change, and are able to discriminate the sound that an alliteration and rhyme make but may not be able to explain the reason for the alliteration or rhyme. This article delves more deeply into the daily practices of early childhood educators while working to better prepare children for kindergarten and beyond and recommends six concrete steps for educators and parents toward reaching this level of preparedness for kindergarten.