LEXINGTON, Ky. - Hundreds of Lexington 5-year-olds will get ready for school this fall with Countdown to Kindergarten. Now in its second year, the initiative teams up Fayette County Public Schools with local community groups.
Events this summer will allow children and their families to participate in events focused on dance, music, and learning.
“To give them the comfort level of being successful with activities kind of on their own and then with their parent help, that kind of thing is really important for success to give them that confidence in Kindergarten,” says Fayette County Preschool Coordinator Whitney Stevenson.
Incoming kindergartners will also go through a screening process at their new school.
“There’s no cutoff score, it’s not going to keep children out of school. It’s for us as a district to meet children where they are the first day.”
Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the state Department of Education will require all districts to use a screening program.Parents can help their children prepare by going over numbers, letters, and colors.
“Asking your children those questions: ‘Where’s your red coat?’ Labeling those kinds of colors or the activities, those are things that we screen for, those basic concepts,” say Stevenson.
The first Countdown to Kindergarten event is this Saturday at the Lexington Ballet Company. Click here for a complete schedule.
