School Readiness Print What to Expect at Your Child's Kindergarten Screening Written by twitter linkedin Written by Amanda Rock Amanda Rock, mom of three, has spent more than a decade of her professional career writing and editing for parents and children. Learn about our editorial policy Amanda Rock Updated on September 14, 2019 More in School Readiness Getting Involved Learning At Home and Afterschool Learning Disabilities Special Education Before your preschooler transforms into a kindergartner, there are a few things you'll need to take care of first. In addition to helping your child be emotionally and socially ready for kindergarten and teaching her some basic academics, you'll need to register her for kindergarten and bring her for a kindergarten screening. To register your child for kindergarten, call your local school district or private school to find out the process. You will likely need to provide documentation to prove your child's age, such as a birth certificate or passport, and residency, typically your driver's license and a utility bill in the parent's name. Most schools also require vaccination and immunization records, along with a physical prior to starting school. The school should provide forms for your pediatrician to fill out when you register or when you bring your child to the kindergarten screening. Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell The Purpose of a Kindergarten Screening Kindergarten screenings are not always required in a school district, but it is a fairly common practice. The purpose of a kindergarten screening is to ensure a child is developmentally ready to start kindergarten and to determine whether any additional classroom supports may be needed. Kindergarten screenings are also a great way to familiarize your child with her new school and gives the school an opportunity to meet your child. Screenings will vary from school to school. In general, the school will evaluate a range of developmental tasks including self-care skills, language development, cognitive skills, gross motor skills, and fine motor skills. What Skills Are Assessed? A prospective kindergartner will typically meet with a teacher alone or in a group for about 20 to 30 minutes and will be assessed for basic kindergarten readiness skills. Some schools may look for more kindergarten readiness skills than those listed, and some may look for less. Self-Care Skills Many everyday tasks need to be taught and practiced. Some of the self-care skills your child may be assessed for include: Ability to wash hands on her ownIs fully potty trainedCan dress after using the potty, including fastening and unfastening buttons, snaps, and zippersAbility to put shoes on by herselfCan eat lunch or a snack without assistance, such as putting a straw in a juice box and opening a lunch boxCan put on her jacket and zip or button it closed Language Skills At the kindergarten screening, your child's ability to communicate, comprehend, and follow instructions will be assessed. Some areas they may look for include a child's ability to: Be understood by an adult who does not talk with the child every daySpeak in complete sentences of at least five wordsFollow directions that have at least two different steps, such as "Find your coat and put it on"Answer basic questions, such as name and ageRhyme simple words Cognitive Skills Cognitive skills refer to a child's ability to gain meaning and knowledge from experience and information. In kindergartners, these skills include: Classifying and identifying objects by different variables, such as shape, color, size, etc.Knows how to hold a book the right way (reading preparedness) and may pretend to "read"Can put together a small (less than 10 pieces) puzzleCan recognize a pattern and identify the next items in the sequenceCan correctly identify four colorsRecognizes their own name in writingCan identify some letter soundsCan count up to five objectsCan name at least five body parts Gross Motor Skills Gross motor skills are actions that use the body's gross muscles, such as those in the arms, legs, and core. Sometimes referred to as large motor skills, the school may look at a child's ability to: RunStand and hop on one foot on each footSkipWalk backwardThrow and catch a large ballKick a ball in a straight lineWalk up and down stairs using alternating feet (not stepping with one foot, then the other onto the same step) Fine Motor Skills Fine motor skills refer to the coordination between small muscles, like those of the hands and fingers, with the eyes. These skills include: Cut with safety scissors, holding them the right wayFit pieces into a puzzleHold and use a pencil the correct wayDraw a straight line, a cross, a square, and a circleCan draw a person who has five body partsPossibly write some letters and numbers, perhaps their nameTrace a variety of shapes, letters, and numbers What to Do If Your Child Doesn't Seem Ready If you have any concerns about your child's development or are worried she isn't meeting milestones on time, talk with your child's preschool teacher or pediatrician. Even though these are kindergarten readiness skills, there is an age range for anything having to do with child development. Depending on where their birthday falls, some children that enter kindergarten may be nearing age 6, while others may still be age 4. Some parents choose to hold their child back and delay starting kindergarten for a year, especially if children are young for their class or do not seem ready to start school. 4 Ways to Get Your Child Ready for Kindergarten Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Continue Reading