Your Journey to Kindergarten

Welcome!

We are GA4YC (Guilford Advocates for Young Children). We believe that all young children deserve an educational experience that is developmentally appropriate and allows for choice, autonomy, and play. Through family engagement activities and resources along with professional development and resources for teachers, our goal is to create excellent learning environments for young children. We actively share these beliefs with community partners and encourage families to be empowered participants in their child's educational journey.

Click here to visit our Kindergarten transition support pages

Handdrawn Loose Doodle Buildable Theme Park

Your Journey to Kindergarten

Click on a destination to go to an activity.

Come back here to explore more

Which one is right for US???

What we need

Public (GCS)

Private

Charter

Magnet

Trained and professional teachers

Ask: not required

Required

Capped by state

Ask: not regulated

Class sizes

Required: Evaluation and services free of charge--sometimes requires switching schools

Services such as special education accommodations, speech or OT

Ask: Required to provide evaluation and services--sometimes requires switching schools or fees

Required: Evaluation and services free of charge

Ask: not required

High Quality tutoring for math and reading

Services provided free of charge

Ask: not required

Services provided free of charge--sometimes requires switching schools

Curriculum and pacing set by district, differentiated instruction, some have AG programs as young as first grade

Curriculum and pacing set by district, differentiated instruction, some have AG programs as young as first grade but may require switching schools

Ask: Curriculum not regulated by state

Academic rigor for “high flyers”

Provided on-site--some have universal free; free or reduced pricing available

Ask: not required

Provided on-site--some have universal free; free or reduced pricing available

Lunch

Ask: not required

Ask: sometimes offered to/from neighborhood school--REQUIRES ADVANCED REGISTRATION

Provided--Requires advance registration

Ask: not required

Transportation

Ask: Most are tuition funded/parent responsibility; Opportunity vouchers available but there is a budget cap

Limited public funding: Free, ask about possible additional fees

Publicly funded through taxes

Funding/Costs

ACES available at some sites, parent pays, space very limited

Ask: Varies by school

Extended Care Hours

Start Here

Understanding School Choice:

Your guide to decision-making

Click the yellow arrows to explore more

Public: Your neighborhood school where your and your neighbors’ children can enroll and attend for free, funded by the property taxes paid by the home-, land-, and businessowners in your neighborhood.

Private: Any number of tuition-based programs throughout Guilford County that are sometimes affiliated with faith-based organizations. Families apply for and typically pay tuition to attend these schools. Vouchers, scholarships. and financial aid are often available but do not cover the entire cost.

Charter: Typically begun by public petition and governed by the guidelines set forth in the approved charter, these schools receive some public funds and are bound by some of the same guidelines. Families apply for these schools but do not have to pay tuition, most are registered by lottery.

Magnet/Choice: A public school that has a special focus such as math, science/technology, or arts. Students typically come from all over the city or county. These schools are bound by the same rules and regulations as public, neighborhood schools but may not have some of the same services. Families enter a voluntary lottery for a space at these schools.

What’s next?

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Guilford County Schools

Kindergarten Registration Requirements

Find my school!

What’s Next?

Follow this chart to help you feel prepared

Private PreK or NC PreK

Find your neighborhood school
Register your student on School Mint
Make an appointment with your family healthcare provider--don’t forget the school health form and ask for a copy of your child’s immunization record!
Obtain a copy of your child’s birth certificate
Gather your materials for proof of residency
Bring these documents to your school’s kindergarten registration night
Research Choice schools and talk to parents at those schools if possible
Plan to attend the GCS Choice Showcase January 31, 2024
Create your applications on School Mint during the window (Jan12-Feb23)

You are here

My child turns 5 after Aug. 31, 2024

(Transitional

Kindergarten)

My child is just not ready yet

(deferred enrollment)

My child will be 5 before Aug. 31, 2024

Public/Magnet

Each school has its own timeline/Check with school admissions

Charter

Moving out of Guilford or want to learn more about kindergartens around the state?

Click here!

enrollment time!

Private

Each school has its own timeline/Check with school admissions

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Ready to Take on the World!

Myths and Facts of School Readiness

Social/Emotional

Cognitive

Language/Literacy

Physical

The idea of “readiness” focuses on four main developmental domains. Each child develops skills in these domains on their own, individual timeline. While parents are sometimes focused on getting their child ready for school, educators often focus on getting their classrooms ready instead--ready to meet the skills and needs of each student who enters their learning environment! Click each bubble to learn more about the developmental domain.

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Social/Emotional

What it is...

Skills for identifying emotions of self and other people, skills for regulating strong emotions like frustration and disappointment, skills for negotiating play and solving disputes that arise during play, skills for managing impulses, skills for forming relationships with other children and for trusting adults outside of family members.

Why it’s important...

These skills form the foundation for friendships, being able to focus mind and body on tasks at hand, and working collaboratively with teachers as learning partners. Studies indicate that social-emotional development has greater impact on school success than any other group of skills, including literacy and math.

Activities to build it...

Back

Talk about feelings throughout the day
Consider using resources for social-emotional learning such as Conscious Discipline
Model healthy emotional habits
Allow children to spend time in play with other children without an adult directly guiding
Encourage children to form relationships with other adults such as a caregiver or family friend

Cognitive

What it is...

Thinking skills, reasoning, memory, and problem-solving

Why it’s important...

These skills form the foundation for being able to learn and remember skills learned

How to build it...

Play games with children like memory games, rhyming and word games, number games, puzzles
Make time for discovery activities like cooking and simple science experiments
Provide toys that require problem-solving and materials that can be used in multiple creative ways
Ask questions as children play, build, and create about what could happen or why something happened
Ask children to make guesses and predictions

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Language/Literacy

What it is...

Vocabulary, language and speaking, comprehension, and letter knowledge

Why it’s important...

Language supports developing literacy skills as well as supporting social-emotional and cognitive domains

How to build it...

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Talk with children throughout the day--during meals, play, routines--and encourage back and forth exchanges
Sing with children and read rhyming poems and nursery rhymes
Read every day and have conversations about books that help them make predictions, identify feelings, and make connections to their own life and experiences
Point out letters and words in the environment such as signs and household items
Play letter and rhyming games that encourage them to understand the sounds letters make

Physical

What it is...

Large muscle (gross motor) development in arms, legs and torso/back (core); small muscle (fine motor) development in wrists, hands and fingers

Why it’s important...

Gross motor development is not just important for health and growth: it also supports children’s developing focus and body control as well as the ability to sit comfortably for sustained periods. Fine motor development supports the completion of tasks that require hand control--such as writing.

How to build it...

Back

Allow plentiful outdoor playtime in all weather--encourage running, skipping, jumping, climbing, dancing
Provide toys and equipment that encourage children to move their bodies in many ways--tricycles/bikes, climbing structures, balls, swings
Encourage activities that cross the mid-line of the body, where right hand/foot goes to the left side of the body and vice-versa
Encourage hands to move with squishing, squeezing, and kneading activities such as playdough, cooking, and sensory play
Allow time for art/craft activities such as painting, drawing, cutting with scissors, sculpting, stringing beads, gluing and toys that connect such as Legos or other small pieces

Prepping at Home

What you can do at home to help your child feel successful in kindergarten (and beyond)

The best way to support your child in school, is to demonstrate that you are a partner with your child’s teacher and school! This is especially important and challenging if you or someone else in your family had negative experiences with school.

Speak positively about school and learning
Speak kindly about your child’s teacher in the child’s presence (give the benefit of the doubt, assume positive intent, help children see other perspectives, encourage communication) and save criticism for private adult speak
Get involved in school life if you have time in your schedule such as volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, or helping with special projects
Make time to attend evening events such as PTA meetings, parent nights, fundraiser nights
Attend all conferences and any meetings requested by the school with a positive attitude