How to know if your child is ready for kindergarten

Gesell Institute of Child Development: Your Five-Year-Old

Characteristics of Readiness

• Separation from mother is easy.
• Obedient – able to take in what you say and act upon it.
• Sustains as long as talk holds interest.
• Can sustain within the framework of the group.
• Better organized physically. Has heels on the floor.
• Able to cope with table work. Likes to stay within the lines.
• Attempts to be grammatically correct.
• Anticipates next activity and wants to get to it.
• Gets very involved when participating in activities.
• Better able to participate in group discussion.
• Able to retain information.

Characteristics of the unready child

• Immature speech patterns persist.
• Cannot separate without crying.
• Constantly on the run; can’t slow down.
• Likes all activities that involve movement.
• Needs frequent change of activity; short attention span.
• Shows limited fine motor ability (e.g., cutting, coloring)
• Needs constant supervision on equipment. Forgets safety rules.
• Lacks desire to conform.
• Demonstrates aggressive behavior, sometimes disruptive, sometimes destructive.
• Argumentative.
• Needs rest but resists settling down.
• Easily distracted. Often out-of-bounds.
• Difficulty with change in routine.
• Often fails to finish task.
• Works better in a one-to-one relationship. More time needed for giving directions.
• Shows silly, boisterous humor.
• Poor bladder control evident, especially under stress.
• Tendency to forget or lose items and belonging-lack responsibility