Parenting expert Julie Ogata knows what it means to be kindergarten ready. Still, as a mom, she had her concerns about Carys.
"She doesn't know her ABC's," said Ogata. At first I was very concerned. I thought that was the big indicator, she doesn't know how to read, she's going to go in, she's going to be behind."
Ogata experienced similar doubts when it was time to send her older daughter, Cienna, to kindergarten.
"I just wasn't sure she was ready to go, emotionally," said Ogata.
She made the difficult decision to hold Cienna back. Educators say it's an option for parents who feel their kids need more time to grow emotionally and socially.
Last year Cienna graduated from kindergarten at the head of her class. Now, it's her sister's turn.
"The thinking now is the more interaction kids have with other children the better," said Linda Morgan, Parenting Expert & Author.?
A checklist from Morgan confirms Carys is ready.
- Can your child sit still for periods of time?
- Can your child focus on one activity for 10 minutes or so?
- Does your child know how to put his own jacket on?
- Does your child get along with other kids?
"She might not know her ABC's, she might now know her numbers, but I can see the wheels turning in there all the time and so I do feel very confident she will be fine," said Ogata.
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