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The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

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The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

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From the author of Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, The King of Kindergarten inspires the same kind of confidence. This book will help you show your kid that kindergarten is a place for them to be themself and share all their great qualities with the world.

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This link will lead you to the Seattle Public School's website. It offers practical information like when to enroll and how to prepare.

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Enrolling in Kindergarten

If your child turns 5 by August 31, it's time to register for kindergarten. Enrollment for the next school year typically begins in January! Enroll on Enrollment Services webpage.

Early registration for kindergarten starts a connection to your school community. You will meet other families and learn about:

School activities and events

Before and after-school programs

Drop off and pickup schedules

Free and reduced price meals

Tutoring and enrichment activities

Schools can prepare better for new students when they know in advance who has registered.

Kindergarten Jump Start

Every August, most Seattle elementary and K-8 schools offer a free week-long program to help new kindergartners get ready and excited about starting school. Read more about Jump Start

Kindergarten Readiness Guidelines

Parents and families have a very important role as their child's first teacher. Children learn in different ways and at different rates. They come to school with varying skills.

Playing, reading, counting and talking together (in your home language) and helping your child learn some basic self-care skills will help him or her to be ready for school.

Learn more about preparing for Kindergarten. See a list of skills (translated into 12 languages) that most 5 year olds are developing that you can help your future kindergartner practice.

Helping Your Child Prepare for Kindergarten

Families are their child's first and most important teacher. Your involvement in their learning is critical to both in preparing them as they enter school and over the course of their educational career.

All the experience, care and learning opportunities your child receives from birth to five years of age contribute to their School Readiness. The resources below will help you find information and tools to support you in your role as your child's first teacher.

The State of Washington Early Learning and Development Guidelines ( English, Spanish) offers examples of skills seen in all areas of learning for typically developing children ages birth through eight.

Parents and families have a very important role as their child's first teacher. Children learn in different ways and at different rates. They come to school with varying skills. You'll notice that a child who is ready for kindergarten has skills in many distinct areas, such as:

Self-care and getting along with others

Physical abilities like moving and handling a pencil or crayon, a fork or chopsticks

Listening and speaking

Thinking and problem solving

Recognizing letters and their sounds, and playing with words

Counting and sorting; recognizing shapes and sizes

Personal safety and awareness of one's name, home address, etc.

To help parents and guardians to understand the abilities typical of most 5- and 6-year old children, Seattle and several nearby school districts prepared and translated a checklist of "Kindergarten Readiness Guidelines" into twelve languages (see drop down menu in column to the left). The six areas and the individual skills are drawn from the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS), which teachers used to assess children at the beginning of the school year.

WaKIDS

Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) is a process of connecting families, elementary schools and early education programs so that new kindergartners can be ready to start school.

All Washington public elementary schools participate in WaKIDS, which includes 3 elements:

Family Connection Visits

Before starting school, each new kindergartner's family is offered the chance to meet with their student's teacher to begin building a home-school partnership.

Public Libraries

Reading, talking and singing with your child is an easy way to build their vocabulary and help them get ready for school. Visiting public libraries, even before children can read, helps them to love and appreciate language books, and other media. Libraries provide free virtual story times and activities in different languages. Checking out books and music is free. You can get a library card for your child from birth onward. Visit your local public library for more information.

Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK)
Apply March 1-21, 2022
According to Washington State school attendance rules, a child must be five years old by August 31 to attend kindergarten. For a fee (waived for families with financial need), Seattle Public Schools offers the opportunity for parents of students who show advanced levels of social and cognitive readiness to apply for an exception to this rule.

Students whose fifth birthday occurs between September 1 and October 31 may apply to be evaluated for a one-month trial in kindergarten. After this trial period, the school principal makes the final decision about the appropriateness of continuing or delaying kindergarten. Read more about Early Entrance Kindergarten.
For more information, contact the Seattle Public Schools Advanced Learning Department at advlearn@seattleschools.org or call (206) 252-0130.

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If your child turns 5 by August 31, it's time to register for kindergarten. Enrollment for the next school year typically begins in January! Enroll on Enrollment Services webpage. Early registration for kindergarten starts a connection to your school community.

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The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems

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The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems

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This hilarious and expressive picture book will help you and your kid navigate all the excuses they could think up to avoid starting school and all the valid fears. The book ends with the pigeon eager to go to school which is what we hope for your kid too!

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Rachel Parker, Kindergarten Show-off by Ann Martin

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Rachel Parker, Kindergarten Show-off by Ann Martin

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This narrative is fun and follows a kid's constant thread of thoughts, excitement, disappointment, and revelation. Olivia is a kindergartener who loves share time, but has to navigate how to share the spotlight with her friends. This book teaches awareness of one self and patience with others which are great skills for starting school.

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How To Be Kind In Kindergarten by D.J. Steinberg

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How To Be Kind In Kindergarten by D.J. Steinberg

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How To Be Kind In Kindergarten teaches important lessons and exposes kids to situations that will arise when they start school. It is simple, cute, diverse, and uses easy to understand language.

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Tiptoe into Kindergarten by Jacqueline Rogers

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Tiptoe into Kindergarten by Jacqueline Rogers

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This picture book has cute, childlike illustration and repetition that will be fun to read aloud to your young child. It is a story of a child just too young for kindergarten practicing by watching the big kids. They are excited to start kindergarten as soon as they can.

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This episode of Daniel Tiger will hopefully help a kid get in the mindset of kindergarten through a familiar character and as always with Daniel Tiger, a catchy song!

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Vidio Premier - Daniel mengunjungi sekolah untuk pertama kalinya dan sedikit gugup! Dia belajar bahwa mengajukan pertanyaan adalah cara terbaik untuk mengatasi kecemasan yang datang dengan pengalaman baru

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In this short video, a kindergarten teacher shares with parents what kind of skills are helpful for your kid to have to start kindergarten in stride.

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Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?  Are You? Tips From a Teacher.

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Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick

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Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick

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This book is absolutely precious and will help your child prepare and get excited for the new adventures of kindergarten. If a buffalo can do it, so can they!

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This book has light humor that may help kids name their fears about kindergarten using cute critters as a proxy. It shows that school teachers even get nervous too, and the students are able to help using abilities they were initially self-conscious about.

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Teach your kid to be kind and empathetic with The Buddy Bench! It may also calm some anxieties about being left out in new social settings.

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This funky song is a fun one to watch and learn to get excited about the new possibilities of startin kindergarten.