Early Entrance Kindergarten

Early Entrance Kindergarten is an opportunity for families to enroll their child in school at an earlier age than normal. It is a decision that must be carefully considered.

Early entrance should be viewed as a means of meeting your child’s needs.The key to determining whether or not it is appropriate for your child lies in developmental readiness. Even though a child may have a lot of ability, they may not be ready for kindergarten. Other important factors to consider are social maturity, personal development and motor development. Kindergarten, like many other areas of education, has changed considerably over the past couple of decades. Today’s kindergarten students are engaged in a rigorous instructional program. Illinois, along with many other states across the United States, has adopted new learning standards for the purpose of preparing learners to meet the demands of the knowledge-based economy and the needs of the 21st century. Early entrance is designed for the exceptional child, who is both academically ready as well as developmentally mature when compared to others of the same chronological age. Some children may appear exceptional simply because of their access to opportunities (i.e., preschool programs, parents working with them on skills, or access to learning materials). Early entrance is designed for the learner who has high ability and easily achieves when presented with new material. Once the decision has been made for early entrance, the choice is difficult to reverse. If a child is evaluated as a good candidate for early entrance to kindergarten, it is important that all stakeholders are supportive of the decision.

Considerations

• Is my child capable of working in a classroom setting with children who are one year older than them?

• Will my child be frustrated by this placement?

• What are the possible long-term effects as my child progresses through elementary, middle and high school, and begins college at a younger age?
• Do I understand the expectations for students in kindergarten today?

Applying for Early Entrance to Kindergarten

In accordance with Board Policy (6.135, 7.50), Sycamore Community School District 427 evaluates students for early entrance to kindergarten based on cognitive testing and the Iowa Acceleration Scale, 3rd Edition (IAS). An Acceleration Evaluation Team will review the results of the comprehensive evaluation and determine the most appropriate available learning environment for a child.

If you believe that your child may be a good candidate for early entrance to kindergarten, please contact the building principal in your attendance area.

Early Entrance to Kindergarten Evaluation Procedure

The Acceleration Evaluation Team consists of:

1. The learner’s receiving principal
2. A teacher at the grade level to which the student may be accelerated
3. A parent or legal guardian of the referred student, or a representative designated by the parent or legal guardian
4. A district school psychologist

Once all of the required acceleration documents have been received, arrangements will be made to begin the evaluation process.

Contact the principal of the school your child will attend for more information on the early kindergarten entrance process.