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Special Education Blog
Dec 20, 2010
Posted in: Blog
For many people, December is easily connected to the holidays and winter season. For teachers and administrators, our thoughts are on budget planning for the next school year. How scary is that? I have already had conversations with our Early Childhood Committee about Kindergarten Screening for the students who will be in entering kindergarten next September.
In our district, we conduct our screenings at the end of September, and all screenings must be done by October 15th. We used to conduct our screenings in the spring but changed that practice about five years ago because we found that 4-year olds make significant growth during the summer months before entering kindergarten. Half of the students who showed delays in the spring were re-screened and seemed to catch up by October. But we have decided to reconsider holding our kindergarten screening in the spring again, and to do that we need to begin planning now, and that's where it connects to the budget.
Kindergarten screening involves having your child spend a little time with one of our teachers or therapists doing some simple activities that help us better understand your child's skills using and understanding language, coordinating large movements, such as hopping and jumping, and using small tools such as markers and scissors to draw, cut and make numbers and letters. We look at your child's ability to follow directions. We also look at your son or daughter's comfort level working with a new person and leaving mom or dad for a bit of time. Is your chils shy, withdrawn, outgoing, active, or excited about school? We may watch the children for a while as they "play school" so we can see how comfortable they are. If we see anything we consider a red flag, we might suggest a referral to Child Development Services for some assessments or a conversation with your primary care physician to explore medical concerns. All of this is helpful in what we call early intervention services, so your child has a chance to be more successful in school. If at any time you wonder how your child is developing, don't hesitate in making that call to a school, CDS Center, or your family doctor. We are all part of that big team that will invest our energy in your child's success and well-being.
Happy Holidays to all.