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Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Helps Make the Most of Your Child's First Year of School

It’s important to Garfield Heights City Schools that we get every kindergarten student off to a good start. That’s because the learning that takes place in kindergarten sets the stage for a child’s coming school years.

First we must find out what your child already knows and can do—or might need help with. We want to learn these things so we can do everything in our power to make his or her kindergarten experience successful.

This year, we are using Ohio’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment to find out how to teach your child best. The teacher will do the assessment right in the classroom. Most children don’t even know that they or their classmates are being assessed.

The teacher looks at four areas of your child’s skills and development: language and reading; numbers; physical well-being; and social factors such as how well your child is able to understand rules or follow instructions.

There is no right or wrong response in the assessment. This is not a test to grade your child or compare your student to other children. Kids develop in different areas at different speeds. They can be strong in one area and need help in another. That’s perfectly normal!

For part of the assessment, the teacher quietly works with your child one-on-one or in a small group while another teacher is working with the rest of the classroom. For example the teacher may ask your child to match two shapes that look alike out of a group of shapes.

For the rest of the assessment the teacher will observe your child as part of regular classroom activities.

Each kindergarten teacher will be finished assessing all students by Nov. 1. By around Thanksgiving, the teacher will have a report so he or she can share the results of the KRA with you. Even while the teacher is doing your child’s assessment, he or she will be able to act on the results immediately to better help your child.

Attachments Available To Download:
Kindergarten Readiness Checklist