My daughter just got tested for kindergarten... do they expect kids to be brain scientists at 5?

Question

Some of the things they wanted her to know amazed me. Is anyone else overwhelmed with what kids should be taught? I thought I did a good job preparing her. She'll be 5 in July, so we decided to wait. Was that the best??

they wanted her to know how to spell her name-- she knows.
draw a person-- she drew everything but legs, so she didn't get all the points.

they wanted her to know how to spell her name-- she knows.
draw a person-- she drew everything but legs, so she didn't get all the points.
above, under, around, beside commands.
tell a story based on the pictures shown.
the difference between an apple and a banana.
How to use scissors--she has since cut her bangs off.

It's not just ABCs and 123s anymore. She's gone to preschool for one year by the way.

Answer 1

Yes! I am sure you did a great job in preparing her for kindergarten and she might have been ready to go in early, but waiting will only help her feel more secure. She will be a little older and more mature. My parents put me in kindergarten too early and I stayed behind. Eventhough my parents had the choice to send me to first grade they chose to have me repeat kindergarten. This was the best decision because I excelled in school after that. My parents thought I was ready the first time, but it would have been better to wait then to have me watch my friends go on to the next grade and to repeat everything all over again!

Answer 2

They do have to know more for kindergarten now days. My son turned 5 in March and when we did Kindergarten round up the teacher told us as long as they could do some of the tasks on the list like at least half to go ahead and send them, they said that when they do a checklist like that for readiness it is stuff that they should know by the time they finish Kindergarten so your child would have the whole summer and school year to learn all those things. My sisters son turns 5 in July and she is keeping him back but only because she belives he is not emotionally ready to go.

Answer 3

U should just enroll her. U have the whole summer to teach her things. As long as she reconizes shapes, colors, alphabets and numbers, she should be fine. If u delay enrolling her by one yr, she'll think she was just stupid when she starts to realize that she is one yr older then the rest of the classmates.(and low-self esteem is the worst for a child and they perform lower on testing) If there is difficulties during the school yr, u can get tutors as well as test her for disabilities. Kindergarten is very important to find out if ur child has any learning diablities and to find out what subjects she has difficulty in..so don't hold her back..she will catch up in no time...

Answer 4

I guess I will be the odd-man-out. I say send her to school in the fall. I no problem with public schools, if its a good school in a safe environment. My oldest will be in second grade in the fall, and she started Headstart at hte age of 3, almost 4. She is a VERY smart girl. Aces everything she does, and a very excelled reader. I am a firm believer it si b/c she started so young. I am putting my second child in Sure start this fall, she is 4. We are not in public school anymore, though. We are going to a DODDS (army school) in Germany.

If she is ready, wanting to learn then send her now, and she will blossum!! She is 5, right? I though kids were supposed to be in school by this age, anyway.

Answer 5

You could home school her. I did that for my son .

They basically want them to know how to read write and do numbers one to ten how to say numbers letters colors. I just personally just made a game out of it like singing ABC's drawing his name reading to my son while in the womb and upward playing classical music At age 3 my son was reading and doing computer word games we would go to the library and pick up the beginning reading series You can catch them up in about 3 weeks if you work with them and don't stress them out.make games out of it . We got a go fish with colors and we would clap after he would match two of them up and I would say you win. then we would count how many colors of fish take away 1 and we would have 1
Then I went to the dollars store and got the ABC put them on the fridge at first let him just play with the letters and numbers
they also have identify the pictures what things are and evrytime he would get it right I would say you win.
If you choose not to work with your child too much you should put her in school.Other wise she should be homeschooledb so she won't get two far behind.

Answer 6

Schools are assuming that kids going into kinder know more these days, because of more kids going to preschools and stuff. When I went into kinder, we just needed to know our ABCs and numbers. Now, they want them to know so much more. My best advice is to just teach your child what you think will be on the test, and hope they pass. You are doing your best as a parent to educate your child, and that is what the school wants to know.

Answer 7

my child will turn 6 this july too, he's in grade one now. yeah it really is amazing to know what these teachers wanted these children to do at that age. but kids can cope. mine passed kindergarten with staight A's, you just have to guide every step of the way for her to understand. and please don't shut her inside the house, the earlier she be trained for the real world the better, she'll thank you for that when she grows old, you'll see. I did that to my parents.

Answer 8

Reputed schools try to get the social financial cultural and emotional background of kids and parents indirectly.Such schools want only "good" students even for kindergarten.

Answer 9

Yes, it overwhelming. What we were learing in 3rd grade, they learn in an earlier grade. Kids are just smarter these days. Yes, I agree that you should wait. When she's older, she'll pick up on things faster.

Answer 10

what they say they want the kid to know is what they will be teaching them.....kindergarten is to get the kid used to the idea of going to school and being on a schedule. Tell the teachers to do their job thats what they get paid for is to teach....