Introduction

September 4th was a big day for my family. My first child, Johanna, had turned 5 in July and
was beginning her first day of kindergarten. Both of us were both nervous and excited about this
day. After a few smiling photos, I walked Johanna into her class and sat with her as other
students and parents arrived. After a few remarks from the teacher, we (parents and children)
took a quick walking tour of the school. The tour ended at the kindergarten playground area
where we were instructed to say our goodbyes and then parents were invited to the auditorium
for a kindergarten parent question and answer session.
Johanna was quick to say goodbye and turned to find new friends to play with. I walked away
and looked back, a bit teary eyed, thinking about this new phase of Johannas life. I watched a
few other goodbyes between parents and kids that were a bit more emotional. I saw a
screamer trying to push his way out of the playground to follow his mom who had tears
streaming down her eyes. I saw a few kids who watched their parents long walk back to the
auditorium with a bit of a worried look on their faces. I saw other groups of children playing
together as if they had known one another for a while.
There they were. Our babies were starting school. For families that didnt already have kids in
school, this meant figuring out new routines: going to bed, waking up, having enough time to get
dressed and eat breakfast. Finding time in the afternoon to complete homework, eat dinner,
bathe and get ready to go to bed, all to wake up early the next morning and continue the routine
was a feat in itself.
As Johannas days in school passed, there were no major problems that I was aware of. Like a
few others in her class she had a potty accident after lunch, but she was able to change into other
clothes that were in her backpack. From the social interactions before and after school with her
classmates, Johanna seemed very comfortable around her peers (she was so comfortable that her
teacher had to talk to her about not kissing her friend on the cheek).
From my observations and perspective, Johanna had transitioned gracefully into kindergarten.
No problems, no worries...yes! Then came my first parent/teacher conference in mid-November.
Going into the conference I was anticipating hearing about how great Johanna was doing. I was
ready to hear about how she was able to work well with others and could read and write words
that she had been practicing. When Johannas teacher began to tell me about his observations, I
wondered if he was talking about my Johanna. The Johanna I know is funny, loving and witty.
She can tell you complete stories and has a great imagination. The Johanna that is friendly and
offers help when needed.
The Johanna her teacher spoke about was a bit lost for the first few weeks. He shared that she
was a bit slower than the other students in completing tasks. When she had time to write and
draw, she consistently drew rainbows. He expressed concern and let me know that he wanted to
encourage her to not be afraid to take a risk and try drawing new things. He let me know that
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holding a pencil was still uncomfortable for her and this was impacting her ability to write
letters, words and draw.
As he spoke, I wanted to curl into a ball, I wanted to defend Johanna, and most of all I did not
want Johannas teacher to know that I had worked for years teaching and tutoring kids after
school at various elementary schools and libraries. Johannas teacher wanted to see her expand
her toolbox so she could have more tools to use to help her learn and grow.
At work, I spoke to my colleagues about Johannas challenges and progress at school. Two of
my colleagues also had children transition to kindergarten this same year, so we started to share
our experiences. Gosh, kindergarten isnt the same as when we went. Now the kids are
expected to read a whole book by themselves. I remember playing dress up, shared one
colleague. I thought my son was going to do great since he already knows all of his colors,
shapes, and can count up to 50. His teacher said he is having a hard time listening when others
are speaking, shared another colleague. As we shared stories and ideas, we felt a sense of
support and comforted each other. By the end of our conversation, we wondered what we, as
parents, could have done? What should we have practiced or exposed our children to before
entering kindergarten? What skills would a kindergarten teacher recommend that a child know
before they enter kindergarten? What have other parents and families experienced when their
child began kindergarten, what could we learn from them, and how could we share this
information with our community?
In California, over 95% of age eligible children enter into kindergarten. Kindergarten is an
almost universal experience, but prior experiences before entering kindergarten can vary greatly.
While a great emphasis has been placed on early education by publicly funding preschool
programs, many children and families still lack access. Karoly, Kilburn and Cannon (2005)
report that many children face deficiencies in the years leading up to school entry in terms of
emotional support, intellectual stimulation or access to resources-due to low income or factors
that can impede their ability to develop to their fullest potential (p.1). Before students even
begin kindergarten, studies have shown a significant achievement gap between low-income
children and their more affluent peers (Karoly et al., 2005). The gaps exist in critical areas that
include the status of their health, cognitive development and social-emotional development
(Daily, Burkhauser, Halle, 2011). These early differences expand as children progress through
school, so achievement gaps tend to widen over time and as a result, many children from
disadvantaged backgrounds fail to meet grade-level expectations. Ultimately, these limited skills
increase the likelihood of undesirable outcomes in adulthood (Karoly et al., 2005). With varying
pre-school experiences, children show up the first day of kindergarten at varying developmental
stages and with varying skill sets. Some will be deemed ready for kindergarten and others will
not. But is it fair to put the responsibility of being ready solely on the child? We have to
wonder how communities can help support families in closing this readiness gap.
Around the nation, programs in communities are realizing and beginning to support that school
readiness doesnt just mean that children are ready for school. School readiness means that
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parents, families, schools and communities are ready to help children to learn and succeed. But
it isnt just low-income children and families that can benefit from support and education.
Working and middle class families also need help in supporting their childs transition to
kindergarten. As educators in homes, in schools, and in the community we must work together to
foster the development of our youth to ensure that all of them enter school with the tools they
need to feel successful in school.
As Johanna is nearly completing her first year in school, I recognize the importance of school
readiness. Not the idea that Johanna solely had the onus of being ready, but we as her family,
her teacher in school and the resources in the community share the responsibility. All of these
sources have a strong part in helping to fill the toolbox that is building her confidence and
comfort level at school. Before Johanna began kindergarten, could we have both benefitted from
attending programs focused around kindergarten readiness? Would I have been more conscious,
as a parent, about my own childs abilities and challenges?
With this in mind, over the next few months, my colleagues and I continued to revisit the
conversation about kindergarten and importance of school readiness. We, along with our
children, were learning and experiencing the transition to kindergarten first hand, at home, at our
childrens schools and at work. As professionals in a public library setting, were coming into
contact with hundreds of families from all circumstance and backgrounds. Families come to the
public library to participate in enriching activities such as story times, arts and crafts and other
free events. In coming to know many of these families, I wondered if the library could be a
neutral place for parents and kids to better understand the transition to kindergarten? How could
a public library, take part in supporting families as they transition to kindergarten? What role
and responsibilities does a public library have to students and families as far as readiness is
concerned? Ultimately, I want to know, how can a public library support families to prepare
for kindergarten?
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