It’s Almost Time for Kindergarten Registration

Posted on February 16, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson

I know, it’s only February. You might think it’s a little crazy to be talking about kindergarten registration when your child won’t start for another 7 months. But the reality is, early registration helps school districts plan ahead for how many classrooms and teachers will be needed come fall. It’s better for everybody involved when teachers can be hired ahead of time instead of at the last minute. To help encourage families to register early, and to make it easier to remember when registration begins, Spokane area schools have picked a universal date for the start of kindergarten registration—mark your calendars for March 1! This change is new this year, and at this time there are a few individual schools that opened registration earlier. If you are concerned about getting your kindergartner into the school of your choice, be sure to check with your specific school to verify their process and timeline. But for the majority of Spokane area families, March 1 is the date to remember.

This is only the beginning

Of course, registering for kindergarten is only the beginning. The expectations for a child entering kindergarten have changed a lot in the past few years. Children need some basic skills to be ready to successfully learn and adapt when they enter kindergarten. These skills can be divided into six domains that include language, literacy, physical movement, math, cognitive ability, and social-emotional. Right now, you’re probably wondering what in the world these domains mean and what exact skills your child is expected to learn. The District has done our best to make it as easy on you as possible by putting together a Kindergarten Readiness website. Click here to visit the page, which explains exactly what each domain is and what skills are involved. Not only that, the site provides ideas for activities that will help your child develop the needed skills. These are simple activities that do not require a lot of preparation or supplies. You’ll also find information on how to register and links to local schools and the forms they require.

If you need some extra motivation to get moving on your kindergarten preparation, or if the registration process feels a little intimidating, we invite you to come celebrate Kindergarten Registration at your local library. During the month of March, the library will be hosting nine Kindergarten Kickoff programs. Check out the schedule here to find the program that works best for you. We’d love for you and your future scholar to join us, but if you aren’t able to, our Getting Ready for Kindergarten site has all the information you need.

Tags: early learning, education, Kindergarten, parenting, parents