Top 10 Signs of a GOOD Kindergarten Classroom

While parents of older children are anxiously awaiting (or possibly dreading!) the arrival of summer, parents of 4 and 5 year old children are already looking forward to the fall. Come August or September, parents of little ones across the nation will be seeing them off to school, and in many cases for the first time. There will likely be tears from mom and dad, and maybe even some from the kiddos, but entry into Kindergarten is ultimately an exciting right of passage for families. There are a multitude of ways to determine whether or not your child is ready for Kindergarten, and even useful timelines with suggested activities to ensure they are well prepared. But what else can you do to help your little one get off to the right start? Visit the Kindergarten classroom ahead of time to see what the environment is like, watch the classroom teachers and aides in action, and generally get a feel for the culture of the school.   In fact, here are 10 helpful hints from Education.com on what to look for when evaluating your child's Kindergarten class:

1. Children are playing and working with materials or other children. They are not aimlessly wandering or forced to sit quietly for long periods of time.
2. Children have access to various activities throughout the day, such as block building, pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as legos, pegboards, and puzzles. Children are not all doing the same things at the same time.
3. Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend time only with the entire group.
4. The classroom is decorated with children’s original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and dictated stories.
5. Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. Exploring the natural world of plants and animals, cooking, taking attendance, and serving snack are all meaningful activities to children.
6. Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play and explore. Filling out worksheets should not be their primary activity.
7. Children have an opportunity to play outside every day that weather permits. This play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.
8. Teachers read books to children throughout the day, not just at group story time.
9. Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Because children differ in experiences and background, they do not learn the same things at the same time in the same way.
10. Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel safe sending their child to kindergarten. Children are happy; they are not crying or regularly sick.

  Article Courtesy of: http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Top_10_Signs_Good/