Kindergarten screenings determine if a child is English proficient.
When it's time to start thinking about kindergarten, parents and children can get excited and nervous about what to expect. Some states or districts require that children be prescreened for kindergarten. While different tests have different activities, the major goal is to determine if a child is ready to enter kindergarten and, if not, what can be done to improve his success next year.
Identifying Special Needs
If a child has special needs and hasn't been screened prior to kindergarten entry, it could take his teacher up to a year to determine an issue and access the proper assistance. During that year, the child can fall behind his peers, which could set him up for failure in future years. If a child is being screened for kindergarten and the screener thinks he might have a special need or need some kind of accommodation, she can work with special education teachers and administrators to create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that states any special accommodations that the child will need. This additional assistance can help the kindergarten student stay developmentally closer to his peers.
Identifying Limited English Proficiency
Some students could easily fall behind in a traditional kindergarten classroom if English isn't their primary language. Kindergarten screening should determine if a child is English-proficient. Florida, for instance, has an English checklist, and if students don't match just two of the items on the list, they qualify as Limited English Proficient (LEP) learners. Screeners can also determine if the child is LEP by asking if he speaks another language in his home or if he frequently speaks another language. Some states are required to provide adequate English training for students with LEP that includes instruction in listening, speaking, reading and writing, the Florida Department of Education says.
Some parents, however, want their children to become proficient in their primary language first. Districts should have policies in place, particularly in areas where another language is frequently spoken, as to how they will handle such requests.
Familiarizing Students
Because many 5-year-olds aren't used to an educational setting that takes place all day every day, low-key kindergarten screening can be a good opportunity for students to become familiar with the school and their future teachers. Even students who are used to a full-time day care setting can have apprehensions about kindergarten because the expectations are different. Providing a simple test with some of the expected work from kindergarten can help ease these fears.
Tags: determine child, another language, about kindergarten, fall behind, Limited English, primary language, Some states
