Kindergarten Readiness: But My Child Already Reads Shakespeare!
The start of Kindergarten is an exciting time for both children and parents! Kindergarteners are eager to learn and full of curiosity! It is our aim at The Classical Academy to capitalize on these characteristics and give your Kindergarten student a joy filled “first” learning experience.
It’s common for your young learner to want to “do school.” Often times, they have older siblings they want to emulate, or they have eager parents who are excited to begin the wonderful classical education journey. However, at The Classical Academy, we follow the educational research that tells parents and educators alike that the older a student begins Kindergarten the better. Often times, we want to usher these little ones into the academic atmosphere because they might already know their numbers, letters, or even know how to read. But academic ability or current academic level is almost never the issue when determining when to begin Kindergarten.
A child’s physical, social, and emotional maturity often does not match their “academic” level, even at 4 and young 5. It would go beyond the scope of this posting to discuss in details the results of all the educational research about starting Kindergarteners too young. Here, at The Classical Academy, we are firm believers in late-start Kindergarteners and even feel that our current cut-off of five years old by August 31, 2018 is still too young, but we are going to keep it there for the 2018-2019 school year. Keep in mind, that although your child may know his letters and even read, they often have difficulty sitting still, following directions, forming letters correctly and legibly with a pencil, and instead of being in a classroom want to play all day long. And, play they should! Forcing children into the academic environment too early just frustrates them, the parents, the teachers, and the other age appropriate students in the class. It is simply asking too much of them at such a young age. It can put them on a frustrated path of disliking learning and school.
Once your child begins school they will be on a track to keep moving forward and it’s always harder to pull back later than to simply wait for the right time that is best for your child’s success. Many educators in a regular, full-time, five day a week elementary school, can attest to suggesting to hold back first grade students for simply being “too young.” Academics is almost never the issue. Most of these students being suggested to repeat first grade were at the academic top of their classes. All of them could read, but their social and emotional maturity made for a very difficult learning experience for everyone.
In our current educational atmosphere in America, childhood has been lost on the rigor of school. While classical education can no doubt be more challenging than many traditional approaches, research has proven that students at the right maturity level, at the right time, handle it quite well and grow to love learning! This is the future we want for your preschool and Kindergarten student!
If you feel your child can handle the two full days on-campus and complete their at-home assignments as a kindergartener and they don't meet the cut-off date for kindergarten, please let us know. We will allow your student to test into early placement.
Otherwise, we welcome you to consider our Junior Kindergarten, Classical Beginnings Preschool. Students who have turned four years old by August 31, 2018 are welcome to apply. Until then, enjoy the early years, do lots and lots of read-alouds, and PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! There’s no other time in life quite like childhood.
The start of Kindergarten is an exciting time for both children and parents! Kindergarteners are eager to learn and full of curiosity! It is our aim at The Classical Academy to capitalize on these characteristics and give your Kindergarten student a joy filled “first” learning experience.
It’s common for your young learner to want to “do school.” Often times, they have older siblings they want to emulate, or they have eager parents who are excited to begin the wonderful classical education journey. However, at The Classical Academy, we follow the educational research that tells parents and educators alike that the older a student begins Kindergarten the better. Often times, we want to usher these little ones into the academic atmosphere because they might already know their numbers, letters, or even know how to read. But academic ability or current academic level is almost never the issue when determining when to begin Kindergarten.
A child’s physical, social, and emotional maturity often does not match their “academic” level, even at 4 and young 5. It would go beyond the scope of this posting to discuss in details the results of all the educational research about starting Kindergarteners too young. Here, at The Classical Academy, we are firm believers in late-start Kindergarteners and even feel that our current cut-off of five years old by August 31, 2018 is still too young, but we are going to keep it there for the 2018-2019 school year. Keep in mind, that although your child may know his letters and even read, they often have difficulty sitting still, following directions, forming letters correctly and legibly with a pencil, and instead of being in a classroom want to play all day long. And, play they should! Forcing children into the academic environment too early just frustrates them, the parents, the teachers, and the other age appropriate students in the class. It is simply asking too much of them at such a young age. It can put them on a frustrated path of disliking learning and school.
Once your child begins school they will be on a track to keep moving forward and it’s always harder to pull back later than to simply wait for the right time that is best for your child’s success. Many educators in a regular, full-time, five day a week elementary school, can attest to suggesting to hold back first grade students for simply being “too young.” Academics is almost never the issue. Most of these students being suggested to repeat first grade were at the academic top of their classes. All of them could read, but their social and emotional maturity made for a very difficult learning experience for everyone.
In our current educational atmosphere in America, childhood has been lost on the rigor of school. While classical education can no doubt be more challenging than many traditional approaches, research has proven that students at the right maturity level, at the right time, handle it quite well and grow to love learning! This is the future we want for your preschool and Kindergarten student!
If you feel your child can handle the two full days on-campus and complete their at-home assignments as a kindergartener and they don't meet the cut-off date for kindergarten, please let us know. We will allow your student to test into early placement.
Otherwise, we welcome you to consider our Junior Kindergarten, Classical Beginnings Preschool. Students who have turned four years old by August 31, 2018 are welcome to apply. Until then, enjoy the early years, do lots and lots of read-alouds, and PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! There’s no other time in life quite like childhood.
