This kindergarten checklist is giving parents all kinds of anxiety
As if the first day of school wasn’t stressful enough for parents, one Tennessee elementary school is causing a stir with a checklist sent out to parents of skills required for their child to be “ready” for kindergarten.
“I have failed my son for kindergarten,” wrote Reddit user Lucas Hatcher underneath an image of the checklist. His five year old son Jackson will be heading to the Hamilton County school this coming September and can currently do everything on the list — except “identify 30+ letters.”
The alphabet only has 26 letters.
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“We thought the ’30-plus’ thing was funny. That’s really what it was,” Hatcher told TODAY. “Everyone else seemed to be pointing more toward, ‘Hey, this is crazy, all the stuff that’s on this list.’ I was pretty surprised by the reaction on that.”
Other requirements on the list include children being able to write and say their name, hold a pencil “the correct way,” cut with scissors “correctly,” count to 10 or more, identify colours and shapes as well as be able to follow along in a book.
“My son’s school expected him to be able to read fluently by the end of Kindergarten,” Reddit user Lynoctis commented. “I’m thinking back on my time in Kindergarten and all I remember doing was having story and snack time, watching other kids eat boogers, and recess. That’s about it.”
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When contacted by TODAY, Tom Arnold, principal of Ooltewah Elementary School who sent out the checklist explained it was only meant to provide “a bit of guidance.” Additionally, educational psychologist Michele Borba agreed that the list was pretty standard practice at most schools.
“If you do a search for any regular district across the U.S., these expectations are identical to what you’ll find,” she said.
What do you think of the kindergarten checklist? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
