1. Welcome to Oehrli Elementary

2. Why is development so important when determining when children are ready to start Young Fives or Kindergarten? Children grow and mature at different rates A child’s developmental age is a better indicator for success in school then his chronological age –Intelligence –Verbal skills –Reading ability –Preschool experience –Social and emotional development All children develop at different rates but they move through the same predictable stages

3. Can young children catch up developmentally? Typically a child makes a year’s growth with a year’s instruction Physical growth does not equate to cognitive growth New learning depends on prior experiences that provide hooks for other new learning

4. How will we know which program will be right for our child? Kindergarten –Attend for longer periods of time –Is able to focus without distraction Young Fives –Attends for shorter periods of time –Is easily distracted by toys, noise, etc.

5. Kindergarten Young Fives –Independent completion of tasks –Self directed/motivated –Longer activities/less movement –Group completion of tasks –Not self directed/motivated –Many short activities/more movement

6. What are some signs of academic readiness for both programs? Kindergarten –Have had exposure to the alphabet and can recognize some letters –Can recognize their name in print –Begins to recognize and supply rhymes Young Fives –Have had exposure to the alphabet but does not recognize letters –May or may not recognize their name in print –Lacks the ability to rhyme

7. Readiness Factors Kindergarten Separates easily from parent –Knows the difference between numbers and letters –Counts to 20 –Shows comprehension of stories read to them –Shows interest in writing Young Fives May or may not separate easily from parent –Does not recognize the differences between numbers and letters –Counts to 10 –Difficulty attending to stories and discussing stories read to them –Shows limited interest in writing

8. What are the readiness differences in gross and fine motor skills? KindergartenYoung Fives Exposed to writing Comfortable holding a pencil or crayon Have had experience cutting out objects Demonstrates hand eye coordination and spatial awareness Is able to dress with little assistance(snap, button, zip, tie) Exposed to writing/coloring but lacks interest or ability Has had limited experience or lacks ability in cutting Lacks hand eye coordination Needs assistance dressing Has difficulty hopping, skipping, jumping and has limited spatial awareness

9. Exit Curriculum Outcomes Kindergarten Concepts of print Knows letters and sounds in order to blend sounds into words verbally and in writing Writes simple sentences to match a picture they have drawn Young Fives Concepts of print Recognize upper and lower case letters Dictates simple sentences to match a picture they have drawn

10. Kindergarten Young Fives Can sequence 5-6 pictures Retells an activity sequentially Hear and supply rhymes, segments sounds in words Understands story elements Can sequence 3-4 pictures to retell a familiar event Is able to hear and supply rhymes Is able to answer questions and make predictions about stories

11. Exit Curriculum Outcomes Kindergarten Count to 100 Compare and contrast shapes Sort by 4 or more attributes Represent simple addition and subtraction problems Identify, create and extend complex patterns Young Fives Count to 50 Recognize common shapes Sort by 3 attributes Recognize and build numbers to fifteen Identify, create and extend simple patterns