“What does my child need to know to be ready for kindergarten?”

“My child can read, so will he be bored?”

These are a couple of the questions I have been asked repeatedly over the years as a kindergarten teacher. Now, while these are good questions, there are better ones to ask when researching schools to find the right fit for your child.

The three questions I think are important to ask before enrolling your child in a particular school include:

1. How will you impart the Word of God to my child in your classroom? 

2. How will my child know that he/she is loved and cared for in your classroom? 

3. What are the best indicators that my child is ready for kindergarten? 

Aside from an interest in and familiarity with letters and numbers, the best indicators are two fold:

Being able to focus on the task at hand is important as we build brick upon brick of foundational knowledge.

In kindergarten sometimes there are choices and other times there are not. Your child needs to be able to take direction, so learning is efficient and focused.  We cover many concepts over the year in a structured, logical progression, which is infused with the love and grace of the Lord. It will be a wonderful year, and your child will develop a love for learning!

Children come in the classroom with various skill levels and knowledge. No child knows it all or can do it all. The beauty of the classroom is that it teaches the children how they all contribute to the “class family” as they grow up in community. Children are given the opportunity to shine when they excel in a subject area and give God the glory. If they are having difficulty, they learn that God is there to help, often through the hands of their teachers and classmates. It truly is a “garden” in our kindergarten. Come join the growth!