5 signs your child is ready to start kindergarten

Sarah Slattery talks with Evan Forehand, right, during a session that uses table toys to help students with socialization during Kindergarten Camp, a camp that prepares incoming kindergartners for school, at Westwood Elementary School in De Pere.

With kindergarten registration season underground, many Wisconsin parents are deciding whether their little one is ready to start their elementary education journey.

To start kindergarten in the 2023-24 school year, a child must be 5 years old by Sept. 1. But even if a child meets the age requirement, there’s no requirement for parents to enroll them in kindergarten right away. Parents may choose to keep their child at home or in child care, or send them to 4K (which is optional in Wisconsin), delaying kindergarten until the following school year.

Sometimes, parents of children are born shortly after the Sept. 1 cutoff date might feel their 4-year-old is ready to start kindergarten with their older peers and seek early entrance. They will have to go through their school district’s process to determine whether they can enroll early, which typically involves working with a school psychologist and doing some testing, said Mary Renning, principal at Lakeview Elementary School in Neenah.

It doesn’t matter what position your family is in, here are some signs your child might be ready to start kindergarten, according to experts.

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They have social-emotional skills and interact well with peers

Parents may focus on academic markers to indicate their child is kindergarten ready, but there are myriad social-emotional skills that children need to know going in, including: identifying feelings, self-soothing, sharing, taking turns and resolving conflicts without physical altercation.

“It’s so much more than just letters and numbers,” Renning said.

Appleton’s McKinley Elementary Principal Andrea Vinje said these skills are often learned in child care, 4K, on recreational teams or other environments with groups of peers, but having been in these settings is not a requirement for achieving social success. She stressed that these skills are constantly practiced in kindergarten.

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they are independent

Self-help skills are huge when it comes to kindergarten readiness, principals say. It’s good for children to know how to dress themselves, put on their shoes, button their coats, go to the bathroom independently and be able to keep track of their belongings. Part of this, Renning said, is ensuring your child recognizes their name when it’s labeled on things.

They can follow a routine

Throughout a typical kindergarten day, children will move from one activity to the next. Parents should analyze how well their child follows routines.

“Can they do it independently, or do they need Mom or Dad to be right there, doing it for them?” asked Sherrie Stanczyk, the Stevens Point Area Public School District’s early learning principal.

Transitions can be hard for young children. Dana Bain, a referral specialist and training coordinator at Child Care Resource and Referral Fox Valley, said in August 2022 that making a schedule with pictures can help children to visualize these routines and transitions.

They’re familiar with books, have a basic vocabulary

Many of the skills children naturally learn by being read to and interacting with the books they prepare for kindergarten, Stanczyk said. They should be able to recognize common sounds in words, be familiar with handling a book and understand basic concepts like words make sentences, and sentences end with a punctuation mark.

“We hope they have a nice vocabulary base, because as they advance in their schooling, so much comprehension requires a good understanding of vocabulary,” Stanczyk said.

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Experts say they’re ready

If you’re not sure whether your child is ready for kindergarten, consider consulting a few key people.

Well-child checks are a good time to bring up concerns with your child’s pediatrician, Stanczyk said. Renning and Stanczyk said a child’s 4K or child care teacher can also help. Stanczyk said school district developmental screenings can help determine whether a child is ready for kindergarten.

Each child develops differently, so it’s not uncommon to see children with different levels of skill sets in kindergarten. Vinje said that, while the points above are good indicators a child might be ready to start kindergarten, not having some doesn’t necessarily mean a child won’t flourish in kindergarten.

The most important thing is to give your child a good foundation, she said.

“Having them be loved and have a safe, secure home environment gives kids a sense of security,” Vinje said. “When that sense of security and that sense of belonging is met for students, we can do just about anything: We can learn (and) learn expected behaviors.”