Abstract
Supporting Families as they Prepare for Kindergarten: It Takes a Community and a Library. It is often cited that kids are entering kindergarten “unprepared” or “not ready” for the demands placed on them as they enter school. The term “school readiness” often implies a set of skills that children should have prior to entering kindergarten. In shifting our thinking to understanding that “school readiness” is the “result of a complex process” that involves children, families, the early education system and community, all players can seek to understand the roles that they can play in supporting school readiness (DeBaryshe et al., 2008). Working for a community focused organization, a public library, I sought to understand how a public library could help families to prepare for kindergarten. Through surveys, conversations, observations, collection of videos and photos, my study analyzed how 63 families with children ages 4-5, experienced a pilot program offered during the summer called Kindergarten Boot Camp. By inviting families from the community to participate, building a differentiated classroom for students with mixed abilities and engaging parents, my findings indicate that participation in Kindergarten Boot Camp supported growth and development for students. In addition, parents skills and understandings of how to support their child during the transition to kindergarten were increased. These findings suggest that programs offered within the community with a focus on supporting families to prepare for kindergarten are both beneficial and necessary in providing access to opportunities that stimulate developmental growth as it pertains to school readiness.
Supporting Families as they Prepare for Kindergarten: It Takes a Community and a Library. It is often cited that kids are entering kindergarten “unprepared” or “not ready” for the demands placed on them as they enter school. The term “school readiness” often implies a set of skills that children should have prior to entering kindergarten. In shifting our thinking to understanding that “school readiness” is the “result of a complex process” that involves children, families, the early education system and community, all players can seek to understand the roles that they can play in supporting school readiness (DeBaryshe et al., 2008). Working for a community focused organization, a public library, I sought to understand how a public library could help families to prepare for kindergarten. Through surveys, conversations, observations, collection of videos and photos, my study analyzed how 63 families with children ages 4-5, experienced a pilot program offered during the summer called Kindergarten Boot Camp. By inviting families from the community to participate, building a differentiated classroom for students with mixed abilities and engaging parents, my findings indicate that participation in Kindergarten Boot Camp supported growth and development for students. In addition, parents skills and understandings of how to support their child during the transition to kindergarten were increased. These findings suggest that programs offered within the community with a focus on supporting families to prepare for kindergarten are both beneficial and necessary in providing access to opportunities that stimulate developmental growth as it pertains to school readiness.