Pre Kindergarten Checklist

Developing a Pre-Kindergarten Assessment

• Develop appropriate goals for use of the assessment. A pre-kindergarten assessment can help teachers and parents know which skills a child has mastered and which ones she still needs to develop. Using a pre-kindergarten assessment to bar certain children from entering school is an inappropriate use of the tool, according to "Developing Kindergarten Readiness and other Large-Scale Assessments" published by the National Association for Education of Young Children. However, it goes on to say that pre-kindergarten assessment can help teachers and parents determine if a child needs special placement or assistance with a particular skill in order to be successful.

Who Should Administer Assessment

• Find an appropriate person and an appropriate time to assess the child. The NAEYC says that pre-kindergarten assessments are best administered by a person who is known to the child or by a person who is able to quickly gain the child's confidence. An ongoing assessment by a pre-school teacher or another qualified person who has frequent contact with the child is better than a single-snapshot assessment. Ongoing assessments show whether or not the child is learning progressively and give more information than a single assessment.

Decide Which Skills Need Assessment

• Determine which skills will be needed for kindergarten success. Most public schools have a standard form that lists the skills needed by students entering kindergarten. Developmental guide books such as "Evidence-Based Practices and Programs for Early Childhood Care and Education" by Christina Groark will help with determining what skills your child should know at a particular age. Commonly tested items include being able to hop on both feet, hopping on one foot, whether or not your child can write his own name, knowing names of primary and secondary colors, and whether your child knows how to handle crayons and a pencil.

Helping Your Child

• Assess your own child, using a checklist from your local public school or from the school where she will attend kindergarten. Get a list of the skills they expect your child to have. Develop games to play with your child that include large motor skills. Count objects in your home, and have some fun reading alphabet books and singing the alphabet song. Encourage your child to write her name on personal things, such as the fly leaf in a gift book, the outside of a note book or a label on a game or toy box. Record the things you see her doing on a copy of the checklist provided by your local school.