Preparing for a San Francisco Kindergarten Kindergarten is a big step for kids and parents alike. While many people think of kindergarten readiness as an age cutoff, the truth is that age is only one factor. Some signs your child is ready for kindergarten: Social skills — Is your child able to get along with peers and adults? Do they recognize and take direction from authority figures? Independence — Can your child do basic things for themselves, such as using the toilet, washing up, putting on shoes and a jacket? Communication — Is your child able to understand others and express themselves using their words? Self-control — Can your child sit and pay attention to something such as a story or directed task for a short time? Another thing to consider is transitional kindergarten (TK), a program that’s available to children who turn 5 between September and December and miss the cutoff to go to kindergarten that year. There are many great TK programs to choose from in San Francisco and they are often very cheap or free. Once you’ve decided you’re ready to make the leap, it’s time to get familiar with the kindergarten enrollment process. Many factors will go into how you choose a school. Should you go the private or parochial school route, both you and your child can expect a rigorous application process including tours and interviews. We recommend you contact these schools early to find out what they will expect of your child and what their specific enrollment process is like. If you’re looking at public schools, in San Francisco we are lucky to have some of the world’s best — unfortunately, they come along with an opaque and confusing lottery process. You can read a good breakdown of it here: http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/outsmarting-san-francisco/ The main takeaways if you’re looking at SFUSD are: start looking in the fall before you apply, don’t miss the January enrollment deadline, have a long list of schools that would work for you, and don’t forget that if you don’t like your placement you can re-apply in follow-up rounds. ---- If you’ve enrolled a child into a San Francisco kindergarten, please leave a comment below and share your experiences! How did you know your child was ready? What are your tips & tricks for surviving the enrollment process?

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