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Transitioning from preschool to a formal classroom setting can be a big change for a child. And, at only four or five years of age, development can vary significantly from student to student. As experts in applied behavior analysis (ABA), our expert clinicians at Scottsdale Children’s Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, give students the tools they need to have an intentional and purposeful learning experience.

If your child is nearing four or five years of age, here are a few ways to gauge their readiness for kindergarten.

Consider standard milestones

Every child is different, and each school has its own admissions criteria. However, most areas have standard requirements for starting kindergarten, including Scottsdale, Arizona.

To get a general sense of where your child stands, you should start by asking yourself a few basic questions, such as:

• Can my child hold utensils or a pencil?
• Can they use the bathroom and wash their hands on their own?
• Can my child cooperate with others and follow instructions?
• Does my child speak in sentences containing at least five or six words?
• Can my child identify shapes and numbers?

These are just a few ways of determining your child’s development across several categories, from basic academic and behavioral skills to emotional and social skills.

Formally evaluate your child skills across different areas

The best thing to do if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s school-readiness is to seek professional help. At Scottsdale Children’s Institute, our primary goal is setting your child up for success. As part of this process, we offer a complementary kindergarten readiness assessment to help evaluate your child’s skills and individual needs.

We start with evidence-based methods that rely on direct observation and personalized assessment across all relevant subject areas. First, we perform an analysis in relation to the Comprehensive Preschool Inventory of Repertoires for Kindergarten Assessment (C-PIRK). This assessment analyzes their skills across a variety of areas, including:

• Math
• Reading, writing, and language
• Social skills and compliance
• Self-management

Then, we compare our findings to the early learning standards defined by the state of Arizona and the Scottsdale area to see how they align.

With this science-based approach, we can provide personalized and accurate recommendations about whether your child is school-ready.

How to prepare your child for kindergarten

There are several steps parents and caregivers can take to prepare children for school. But, we can help take things a step further by providing specific and customized strategies based on your child’s free school-readiness assessment.

Our doctoral and master’s-level ABA experts offer strategies that are personalized for each child. Our programs can benefit all children, including those with developmental conditions and autism spectrum disorder.

In our ABA kindergarten readiness program, you can expect your child to learn vital skills in several areas by doing the following:

• Developing language and communication skills
• Improving social skills, focus, and memory
• Decreasing challenging behaviors that interfere with learning

As a result, your child can improve their social, communication, and learning skills in a positive and supportive environment. We also provide you as parents or caregivers the valuable tools you need to continue reinforcing all of these desired behaviors at home and other “real-world” environments.

For more information on school readiness or to schedule your free assessment, book an appointment online or over the phone with Scottsdale Children’s Institute today.