The first day of school is usually marked with a new backpack, new clothes, a few tears and plenty of smiles. But getting kids ready for that first day of kindergarten goes beyond packing their lunch and getting a new outfit. To give parents an idea of what it takes to get their child prepared for that first day - starting when the child is still a baby - we’ve put together a panel of teachers with over 85 years of teaching experience among them!

While people often associate school with academia, the teachers agree that determining a child’s readiness for school does not lie primarily in academics. For example, if a child cannot use the bathroom by herself, she’s probably not ready for school, even if she knows her alphabet and numbers well. Granger explains, “It’s important to look at the development of the whole child. Because at this point they’re so young, they’re all at different points in development, and kindergarten is a time for preparing them. We really feel it’s not the skills you know, but the readiness for school such as attention span and social skills.” Some practical skills the teachers try to recognize in a child before he or she should begin school are communication and independence, as evidenced by things like being able to sit through a story, finish a project, hold a conversation, follow directions, verbalize basic needs, speak in complete sentences, unpack and pack a book bag and be comfortable being separated from parents. Nearly each teacher also brought up the importance of basic social skills and using manners, as shown when a child knows how to share, show respect for adults, take turns, cooperate with peers, express anger verbally – not physically, use “please” and “thank you” and show basic kindness in speech and actions. The teachers also noted that while the child doesn’t have to show complete mastery over academic skills, he or she should be curious and show a desire to learn.

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