Countdown to Kindergarten

At every meeting with a family, you can provide support. Many families need help with rent, food, physical and mental health, and child care. However, families also benefit from support with child development and school. The transition to kindergarten can be overwhelming. YOU and your organization can help! Be ready to use your touchpoints with families to provide guidance and support.

People often talk about “Kindergarten Readiness.” Many families think this phrase means schools will not accept children who are “not ready” for kindergarten. That’s not true! Public schools will welcome all 5-year-olds. You can reassure families that their child is ready to grow and learn in kindergarten.

Remind families children learn and grow at their own pace. Children will meet child development benchmarks at their own speed. Help families to understand that they impact their child’s growth and learning by creating loving relationships, having conversations, and engaging in play. Regardless of where children are developmentally, kindergarten teachers will meet students where they are.

You can use the talking points and activities in this calendar when you meet families preparing for kindergarten. The first part includes activities for any time of the year. The second part has activities for each calendar month. The goal is for families to hear similar messages on the same timeline throughout the community.

Child development tips in this calendar apply to all families. Some are developmentally appropriate for 3 to 5 year olds. Others may be too difficult for younger children and are best for the year prior to kindergarten. Color coding is used to suggest appropriate age levels. It is also used to highlight the kindergarten transition process.

Further, enrollment information focuses on JCPS. If you or families have questions that cannot be easily answered with this calendar, contact the JCPS Call Center at 502-313-HELP (4357). Team members will connect you to the appropriate JCPS department or staff member. You can also email jcps.help@jefferson.kyschools.us.

Finally, if families are interested in additional kindergarten options, this resource has information about other programs in the community. Many private and parochial schools have timelines and procedures that are similar to JCPS.

View the COUNTDOWN TO KINDERGARTEN Communication Toolkit

3 to 5 Years

• Routines are important! In classrooms, circle time, lunch, and recess are all routines that children will experience every day! These routines help children know what to expect and give them a sense of control. Families can set routines for meal times or bedtime to help children learn about routines.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Talk to adults about school choice and encourage them to explore school options. The JCPS School Finder website is a good place to start. JCPS also offers School Choice guides for elementary, middle, and high school. These documents have been translated into Spanish, Arabic, Swahili, Nepali, and Somali. Families can also visit school websites and talk to friends and co-workers.
• The JCPS Office of School Choice has team members at events throughout the community to support families with school choice, registration, and application. (Registration involves setting up an online account with JCPS and verifying proof of address. Application is the process of requesting school choices.) Reach out if you are interested in having them attend an event that your organization or program is sponsoring.

3 to 5 Years

• Encourage families to practice counting and talking about numbers. They can point out numbers in the environment or practice counting familiar objects. If possible, model for adults by counting the child’s fingers.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Encourage families to attend the JCPS Showcase of Schools. They can talk to staff from different elementary schools and learn more about school choices available to their families. They can also learn about the processes for registering and applying to JCPS. Multilingual staff and interpreters are available to assist families at the Showcase of Schools.
• Talk to families about registering with JCPS. All families with new kindergarteners must register online—even if the family already has older students attending school. If possible, offer to help families complete the online registration. Registration requires two steps:
  • 1) complete the online form: For Parent/Guardian and Child—name, date of birth, gender, phone number, and email address.
  • 2) submit proof of address: LGE or water bill, paycheck stub, signed lease or deed, or government agency correspondence. If families do not have a fixed address, they can contact the Office of Access and Opportunity at 502-485-3650. They may be eligible to have address verification waived.
• Once families register, they will have an account which they will use to submit their application in November. Remember, registration involves setting up an online account with JCPS and verifying proof of address. JCPS requests 24 to 48 hours to process registrations before families can submit an application – the process of requesting school choices.

Year Prior to Kindergarten

• Encourage families to talk to children about words and letters they see around them. Families can start with the letters in their child’s name and add new letters once they have learned those. Talking about letters and words helps children learn that these symbols carry messages.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Encourage families to learn more about schools that interest them. Most schools offer opportunities for prospective families to learn more including open houses and tours. The procedures for scheduling and types of offerings are different for each school. JCPS has created a list of events by level. Families may need to call the school office to schedule an individual appointment. Families can request an interpreter to assist them at JCPS events.
• Talk to families about the difference between registration and application. Registration involves setting up an online account with JCPS and verifying proof of address. Application is the process of identifying school choices and requesting those schools. During November, families can apply for their child’s school. Encourage families to do this by the December deadline so that they have access to the schools that are the best fit for their child. If possible, offer to help families complete the online application or help them schedule an application appointment with JCPS. Families can request an interpreter for their application appointment. If families have not registered online when they go to their appointment, they will have to schedule a second appointment for application.

3 to 5 Years

• Homemade art makes treasured gifts. Children can work on drawing and signing their name. Model how to grip a pencil or marker. Encourage families to give their children chances to draw or write. Explain that what looks like scribbling to adults is an important learning opportunity for children.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• The application deadline for JCPS is in December. Ask families if they have applied. If they have not, encourage them to do so. If possible, provide a computer and assistance to help families complete their application.

3 to 5 Years

• Winter means coats and hats! Talk to families about the importance of allowing their children to dress themselves. It may take a little longer, but it encourages their child to be more independent. Knowing how to button, zip, and put on clothing are helpful life skills.
• Model for families how they might talk with their children about colors and basic shapes. Simply asking and answering questions about colors and shapes in the world around them helps children build language and math skills. Games, like “I Spy” are another way to talk about colors and shapes.

Year Prior to Kindergarten

• Encourage families to talk to their children about sounds. Tune in to everything from music to the sounds of birds or insects and from clapping to laughter. If possible, model talking about the sounds in your setting. Helping children distinguish between same and different sounds is an important early literacy skill.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Talk to families about the importance of using feeling words. Children need words to talk about how they are feeling. Using words, such as mad, scared, excited, and nervous, can help children to understand their own feelings. Model using these words by sharing your own emotions as you interact with families. You may be excited or happy to see them!
• Encourage families to visit the library regularly. Storytime and other library activities are a great place to meet and talk to other children and families. All families can enjoy library programming. Families may be eligible for a library card with the Louisville Free Public Library.

3 to 5 Years

• As spring begins, talk to families about movement and gross motor skills. Encourage families to get outside and hop, skip, and jump. Trips to the playground provide opportunities to climb steps and play on balance beams. These activities build children’s muscles while improving their coordination and balance.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Talk to families about the health requirements for children entering kindergarten. Children need to have current immunizations, physical examinations, dental checkups, and eye examinations. Encourage families to make appointments early.
• JCPS screens incoming students who may qualify for English Learner services. Families can request screening up to six months before school starts. Encourage families to reach out to the English as a Second Language (ESL) department to schedule their child’s screening.

3 to 5 Years

• Talk to families about building independence at meal times. Children should be encouraged to feed themselves using a fork or spoon. Families can also teach their children to open packages. Real life motor work builds hand strength and helps children grow stronger.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• In April, families will learn their school assignment. Encourage adults to visit the school website and follow social media accounts to learn more about their child’s school community. Families should watch for information from their individual schools about registration and welcome activities throughout the summer and early fall.
• Many schools host spring family engagement activities and will welcome their incoming kindergarten families. Encourage families to find out what is happening at their child’s school and to attend events if possible. The more time children and families can spend in their new school, the more welcome they will feel.

Year Prior to Kindergarten

• When interacting with children, ask questions such as, “Where do you live?” and “What is your phone number?” Explain to families that in case of an emergency, their child is old enough to know this important information.
• Encourage families to read books about school. They can talk about how the characters are making friends and learning at school. Be sensitive to families’ varying literacy levels. If adults have limited reading and writing skills, they can still talk with their children about the pictures in books.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Share information with families about JCPS Camp Ready4K—a summer camp to help welcome children into kindergarten. Registration typically occurs in early May. This program fills up quickly, so encourage families to register early.
• Encourage families to watch for information from their school about welcome events during the summer and early fall. Many schools will send mail or email to each family.

3 to 5 Years

• Many community organizations offer summer programming for families. Encourage families to engage in LFPL’s Summer Reading Program or the Louisville Cultural Pass.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Encourage families to plan for back-to-school supplies such as backpacks and clothing. Many community partners host supply give-aways. Share information about events happening in your area.
• Encourage families to reach out to the Family Resource Center (FRC) coordinator at their school. The FRC can refer families to the JCPS Clothing Assistance Program (CAP) which can provide free uniforms, other clothing, and vision screening vouchers. If possible, call the school together and connect the family with their FRC coordinator.
• Encourage families to walk, ride, or drive by their child’s school if possible. Point the building out to their child and talk about how much they are going to learn at school. These positive conversations can set the expectation that school and learning are important.

Kindergarten Transition Process

• Talk to families about the first day of school. Help them make a plan for routines such as laying out clothes the night before, packing backpacks, and how their child will be transported to school.
• Encourage families to participate in school events such as kindergarten camp, open house, meet the teacher, and other opportunities that will allow their family to visit the school.
• Many families qualify for free or reduced price meals at school. Talk to families about completing these forms, so that their child can access these services at school. If possible, offer to help families complete and submit these online forms.