|
Child’s Day Kindergarten Admission |
||
Policy |
||
| Recent research confirms that
developmental readiness and parent involvement are reliable predictors of
a child’s overall success in school. The Child’s Day Kindergarten has been
designed to effectively meet the needs of most children who turn five
years of age by September 1st. Occasionally, children who turn five in
September or October and / or with extenuating circumstances can be
considered for admission.
Placement in the Child’s Day Kindergarten is subject to a child’s clear demonstration of Kindergarten Readiness Skills and requires mutual agreement of the Kindergarten Teacher, Child’s Day Management, and the family. All parties must acknowledge and agree upon an “optimal fit” between an individual child’s needs and the program’s curriculum and objectives. In certain cases, families interested in the Child’s Day Kindergarten program will be asked to participate in a pre-enrollment screening process to evaluate developmental readiness. This process is intended to ensure that the class can reasonably be expected to meet the needs of each child enrolled. |
||
Procedure |
||
| The “Kindergarten Screening”
process begins with a Family Pre-enrollment Interview (approximately 45
minutes) between the parent (or guardian) and the Kindergarten Teacher
and/or Director. This interview provides parents with an opportunity to
share information about their child’s abilities in various areas including
behavior, socialization, problem solving, and coping, as well as facts
concerning academic/cognitive/intellectual skills. Complete sincerity
during this process is fundamental to achieving mutual success. This is an
opportunity for parents to share all available knowledge of their child
including any suspected or previously diagnosed conditions. To gather
additional information, parents will be provided with a “Pre-Kindergarten
Teacher Evaluation Form” to be completed by the child’s current Pre-K
teacher.
The Family Pre-enrollment Interview is followed by a formal screening administered by a professional trained by the Gesell-Institute. The Gesell Developmental Assessment is a widely accepted tool designed to evaluate kindergarten readiness. Children can be considered for admission if a Gesell Assessment clearly shows adequate readiness levels in the areas of cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. Parents are expected to assume responsibility for all expenses associated with the Gesell assessment (usually $50 or less). The professional who administers the Gesell instrument will review the results in a meeting with the parents and Kindergarten Teacher and / or Director. An informal classroom observation may be needed following the Gesell screening. Arrangements for this portion of the process will be finalized on an individual, as needed basis. Information about the Gesell Institute and philosophy
are available in the office. |
||