Kindergarten Readiness is a Mother with Leigh Fitzgerald

Is A Mother

Kindergarten readiness is a Mother! As parents, we want to do everything in our control to get our kids ready to enter Kindergarten, but what does it mean to be “Kindergarten ready”? Our guest Leigh Fitzgerald is a veteran Kindergarten teacher from San Diego, CA, and she joins us on the podcast to explain that Kindergarten readiness is less about knowing ABCs and 123s, and more about helping your kids be excited to be there and empowering agency.
In episode 18 of ___ Is a Mother, we discuss the social, emotional, and academic skills kids need entering Kindergarten, and what parents can do to support their child (& their teacher) during a successful school year. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• The social and emotional benefits for children who attend any schooling outside of the home before Kindergarten.
• Because of this, kids are entering Kindergarten with a higher level of skills and development than ever before.
• What Kindergarten readiness really looks like, beyond the ABCs and 123s.
• Technology is revolutionizing the way kids learn, and parents & teachers connect.
• How to effectively communicate with and build relationships with your child’s teacher.
• Ideas to show your child’s teacher how much you appreciate them.

Episode corrections from Leigh:

In California, Transitional Kindergarten (TK) started in 2012 (not 2010, as mentioned). For the 2024-2025 school year, kids who turn 5 between September 2 and June 2 are eligible for Universal TK (UTK) in California. iReady is used in 600 districts in California (not all of them).

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Rozdziały

1. Kindergarten Readiness is a Mother (00:00:00)

2. Leigh’s journey to becoming a Kindergarten teacher. (00:03:39)

3. Transitional kindergarten (TK) and its benefits for young children. (00:09:18)

4. Kids who went to TK have more comfort level and less separation anxiety as they enter Kindergarten. (00:14:09)

5. Building a supportive classroom environment and fostering student buy-in are crucial for academic success. (00:19:35)

6. Technology use in kindergarten classrooms. (00:25:08)

7. Importance of communication and involvement between parents and kindergarten teachers. (00:31:15)

8. The importance of building a relationship with teachers and understanding their perspective to ensure the best for the child. (00:35:31)

9. Showing your child’s teacher appreciation through personalized gifts. (00:41:50)

10. Parents are encouraged to advocate for their child’s classroom placement if they think it will be the best environment for them. (00:45:47)

11. Preparing kindergarten students for academic success and social skills. (00:49:44)

12. The importance of having your child fully potty trained by the time they enter into Kindergarten. (00:54:07)

13. Managing big emotions and behaviors in kindergarten classrooms. (01:01:04)

14. Strategies for teaching children with diverse needs. (01:04:57)