How to know your child is kindergarten-ready — and what to do if they're not
You’re not a teacher. You’re a parent. But you have more leverage on your child’s kindergarten readiness than your center does. This page is the playbook.
Most parents don't see the gap coming
State standards have moved. School district kindergarten entry expectations have moved. Your center may or may not have moved with them. Centers don't publish what they're teaching against — and very few parents ever look at the actual K entry expectations until they're 6 months out.
By the time the gap shows up — at kindergarten screening, on a state assessment, in the first parent-teacher conference — it's too late to close.
The good news: a 4 or 5-year-old's brain is the fastest learner in your life. Six months of targeted attention at home can close gaps that schools later spend years trying to "remediate."
The 5 questions most parents never ask
[MIKE: these need to come from you — they're the brand IP for this page.]
What you can do this week
You don’t have to homeschool to close the gap. 20 minutes a day at home, focused on the right things, will move the needle more than a full preschool program that’s drifting.
The Crosswalk shows you what your state’s kindergarten classrooms are actually expecting. From there: build a short daily rotation. Letter recognition. Counting. Reading aloud (you, to them). One simple math game.
The brain at this age learns faster than at any other point. Don’t overthink it. Just show up daily.