IS MY CHILD READY FOR GRUNDSCHULE?

Checklist: How to evaluate your child’s readiness for school

Is your child for school or not? The decision for or against enrolling your child in school once they are six is not easy for parents. After all, a lot depends on this one decision. The kindergarten teachers make recommendations, but ultimately the parents need to know what makes their child happy. Important questions like: Is my child independent enough, can they make and maintain friendships, could they be bored in kindergarten, are they interested in numbers and letters enough? These questions explore your child’s Physical, Emotional, Social, and Intellectual development. The most difficult thing to assess is the child’s socio-emotional development.

The decision as to whether a child is ready for school or should stay in kindergarten for another year is not an easy one, especially with children born in summer and autumn . The closer you get to school enrollment; the more parents start to compare their children to other kids in the same age group. It takes a lot of trust in your child to completely free yourself from comparison. It can be nerve-racking when their kindergarten friends have already mastered the alphabet and cheerfully decipher lettering while your child cannot even write their name.

By the way, tying a bow or cutting scissors are also outdated as a sign of whether a child is ready for school, yes cognitive skills count for a happy start to school, but your child’s emotional and social stability has a greater weight. If a child is well-established in this area, they are well on tier way for a great school start. Remember – they will learn to read, write and do Maths in school.

Below is our checklist “Is my child ready for school?”. This checklist is designed to help you assess if your child is ready for school: The more questions you can answer with “yes”, the sooner your child is prepared for school. If you are very unsure about more than five points about your child, speak to the educators in the kindergarten. Above all, they know your child’s behavior in the group and can therefore assess in some areas better.

Social maturity

If your child can assert himself/herself in a larger group of children, and follow the group rules?

Can my child listen to others but also speak in front of others?

Can my child wait for the parents to talk?

Can my child postpone its wants and needs for a period of time?

Can my child be focused for a while?

Will my child be able to reach out to other children and build friendships?

Can and will it usually resolve conflicts with peers on its own without seeking parental help?

Can my child perform tasks together with other?

Can my child perceive and express their own needs?

Is my child able to compromise?

Can my child show consideration for others?

Is my child able to cope with disappointments without parental consolation?

Is my child content playing independently for a long time without my attention?

Is my child ready to adapt to new and unfamiliar situations?

Is my child curious, thirsty for knowledge and often asks questions about backgrounds and contexts?

Can my child both assert themselves and back off in favor of others / the group?

Physical maturity

Can my child undress and undress themselves, tie a bow, fasten buttons, etc. without help?

Is my child’s height roughly the same as his or her age?

Does my child have enough stamina to carry the satchel and keep it up all morning?

Is my child’s hearing well developed?

Can my child see well (an eye test may be recommended)?

Can my child hop on one leg and balance on a wall or something similar?

Can my child also master more complex movements such as catching a ball and throwing it away?

Can my child hold a pen loosely and relaxed?

Is the basic health of my child good (for a child who is often ailing, going to school means an additional burden)?

Mental and Intellectual maturity

Can my child concentrate for about half an hour?

Is my child ready to make an effort to solve a task?

Can my child differentiate between individual symbols (traffic signs, car brands, etc.), numbers or letters?

Can my child tell short stories in their own words?

Can my child easily organize objects by size or shape?

Does my child develop their own game ideas?

Is my child able to complete smaller tasks independently?

Can my child draw detailed pictures, play memory games or solve puzzles with more than 20 pieces without help?

Can my child remember lyrics, sayings or short poems?