BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Beaverton School District was offering kindergarten 101 crash course to kids in 30 classrooms across the district during the district's program, Kinder Academy.
Kids have been getting a seminar on how to be a kindergartener and getting a glimpse of what to expect. They're meeting other soon-to-be kindergarteners and learning the lay of the land.
“We bring them in so that they get to look at the school when the older kids aren’t here. They get to learn to use the bathroom. They get to learn the recess rules,” said Kim Gerde, a kindergarten teacher at Raleigh Hills K-8 who has been in the profession for almost 20 years.
She said giving these kids a preview before the school year starts is important.
“It’s important because some of the kids haven’t been to preschool so they haven’t experienced being in a room with a whole bunch of other kids, sharing materials, listening to one adult who’s in charge of a lot of kids,” Gerde said.
The short time spent in the classroom pays off once school begins, according to Gerde. “It’s amazing what just a few days of a preview, what kind of habits they can come into kindergarten with. It really helps.”
It’s not just Beaverton, other school districts are offering something similar for their incoming kindergartners. Last week, Salem-Keizer held a week-long Jump Start program for its kindergarten students.
Portland Public Schools has a couple programs dedicated to familiarizing kids with kindergarten, one is called the Early Kindergarten Transition program, a three-week summer program. Another is called the Ramp Up where teachers connect with families and there is a full-day kindergarten practice option.
A number of districts, including Beaverton, are emphasizing the importance of registering kids for kindergarten as soon as possible to make sure districts are prepared and adequately staffed.