Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten at Seacoast Charter Academy?
Kindergarten is a significant transition in a child’s life since it is the first step towards education. Being a parent, you may have a question “Is my child ready for kindergarten at Seacoast Charter Academy?” This is a reasonable question since this is a crucial step in the child’s life. Here at Seacoast Charter Academy we want to make this transition as easy and positive as possible and that is why our school is designed to meet the needs of the child in all aspects of their being – academically, physically, and spiritually.
Understanding Kindergarten Readiness
The academic skills are not the only aspect of learning that a child should possess at the time of joining Kindergarten. Of course, it is useful to know the alphabet, count, and distinguish colors, but no less important is social, emotional, and physical development. At Seacoast Charter Academy, we understand that education is a combination of all these aspects and that is why we embrace all of them to help your child start on the right note.
Here are the key areas to consider when determining if your child is ready for kindergarten:Here are the key areas to consider when determining if your child is ready for kindergarten:
1. Social and Emotional Development
It is during kindergarten that children learn how to relate to other kids in a formal setting. Some of the most important are sharing, turn taking and compliance with instructions. Social/emotional development refers to your child’s ability to cope with feelings, separation from parents, and changes in schedule.
In Seacoast Charter Academy, we have ensured that our curriculum is comprehensive in a way that helps children foster these skills. In order to establish confidence and ability to interact with peers, the children are encouraged to engage in group activities, play and guided interactions.
Questions to ask:
Can my child share his toys and play with other children?
Can my child understand simple commands?
Does my child have curiosity and is eager to learn?
2. Cognitive and Academic Skills
It is not required that the child should be able to read and write before joining the kindergarten but it is essential that the child has some basic knowledge of the letters, numbers, and colors. Cognitive readiness also includes problem solving ability and concentration level of the individuals.
At Seacoast Charter Academy, we understand that every child is unique and develops in his or her own way. Our teachers are aware of the child’s developmental stage and are always ready to assist the child to achieve his or her academic goals. At our center our curriculum is designed in a way that will make learning fun and exciting especially when it comes to learning literacy and math.
Questions to ask:
Can my child identify some of the letters of the alphabet and numbers?
Is my child interested in listening to stories and flipping through books?
Does my child know when it is today or tomorrow or yesterday and so on?
3. Physical Development
Physical development that is required for a child to be ready for kindergarten is both motor and manipulation. The fine motor skills are the use of scissors, holding a pencil and solving puzzles. Gross motor skills include the large movements of the body like running, jumping and playing soccer.
At Seacoast Charter Academy, we ensure that children engage in physical activities at some point in the day because we understand the need for the same in the development of the child. In our classrooms, we have provided for the children equipment that will help them in the development of their fine motor skills and our playgrounds are well designed to ensure that the children develop their gross motor skills.
Questions to ask:
Can my child grasp a pencil and use a pair of scissors?
Can my child feed him or herself, for example, button a shirt or zip a coat?
Is my child able to engage in physical activities in the course of the day?
4. Independence and Self-Care Skills
Kindergarten entails a degree of self responsibility because children are expected to handle some things by themselves, for instance going to the washroom, washing their hands and eating lunch. Acquiring these self-care skills is one of the prerequisites of being ready to go to school.
This is true because Seacoast Charter Academy provides a nurturing environment in which children learn to be independent and practice these skills. We foster responsibility for things b
belonging to them, time and the ownership of learning processes among children.
Questions to ask:
Is my child able to go to the bathroom by herself or himself?
Can my child take off the lids of lunch containers and take care of their personal items?
Is my child motivated to do things independently?
Preparing for the Transition
If you think your child may require more assistance in one or many aspects, then this is the right time to start preparing. Small things like reading with your child, playing educational games, and allowing the child to do things independently will go a long way.
Seacoast Charter Academy provides several tools that may assist parents to prepare their children for the start of the school year in kindergarten. From the initial orientation to meet the teacher events, we guarantee that you as well as your child are well prepared for this new phase.
Working with Seacoast Charter Academy
At Seacoast Charter Academy, we believe that every child can learn and it is our duty to ensure that he or she does. Of course, you know that the concept of kindergarten readiness is rather broad, and we are ready to help your child develop in all aspects. If you have any questions or would like to talk about your child’s possible readiness for our program, please call to arrange a visit or a meeting. In this way, we will make certain that your child is ready for the challenges of kindergarten and further.
When you select Seacoast Charter Academy for your child, you are not just selecting a school for your child, but also becoming a member of a community that is committed to the holistic development of the child. We are eager to join you in this mission and work together with you.