Dear Kindergarten Families,
The Abbotsford School District
has a long history of planning
carefully for the transition to
Kindergarten and acknowledges
the need for a gradual entry
process into Kindergarten. This
important transition phase is aimed
to set up students for success for
the rest of their school years and
often involves a variety of visits,
communications and opportunities
to connect young children and their
families with their schools, before
beginning the first day of Full Day
Kindergarten.
“Early adjustment and transition to school
has been the focus of research and policy
over many years. Research has described
the importance of the first few years of
school as predictors of later school
success”
(Ramey & Ramey, 2004)
Resources for Early Learning:
British Columbia Kindergarten Curriculum –
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/welcome.php
British Columbia’s Primary Program
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/primary_program/
primary_prog.pdf
British Columbia’s Early Learning Framework
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=9CA
EBBF8B90848D1A66E2A7303E18915
StrongStart BC
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=0BB
A019742D04B1E90ED13E752DC3FAC
Full Day Kindergarten Program Guide
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/DownloadAsset?as
setId=51A1A1F97E3D4D2EB074E732A15DAD
0D
Ready, Set, Learn
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=509
8BC8DCBD64C46A0AF9F15CD6C2BB5
Self Regulation – what is it and why is it
important?
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=000
4ED5F711944428CB428E28EF7624E&title=Sel
fRegulation%u2026%20What%20is%20it%20a
nd%20why%20is%20it%20important%20for
%20learning%3F
“More recent models of family–school
interaction emphasize the quality of
relationships over time and the shared
meaning that is created in supporting
children’s learning”
Hamre, & Pianta, 2001
Questions?
Please contact Cindy Romanowski
District Principal, Early Learning at:
cindy_romanowski@sd34.bc.ca
Revised September 2014
The Gradual Entry
Process for Full Day
Kindergarten in
Abbotsford School
District
During the Kindergarten Gradual
Entry Process:
•
•
•
•
All Kindergarten students
will come to school with
their parents/caregivers for
a morning meeting on the
first day of school
Please note that 7 days for
Gradual entry is consistent
across the District for Full
Day Kindergarten, however
times of intake meetings and
groupings of students will
vary from school to school.
Please check your school
website or office for more
detailed information.
Students will have the
opportunity to get to know
their teacher, as well as
some classmates, classroom
routines and meet key staff
from the school.
Kindergarten teachers will
gather important
information about each
student (interests, readiness
levels and learning styles) to
help inform their
instructional plan for the
student. This information is
gathered from children and
families from conversations
and observations.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)
1. What does Gradual Entry to
Kindergarten mean for my
child?
This means your child will have a
focused time to connect with
his/her Kindergarten teacher and
adjust to the new social/emotional
realities of the elementary school
context. This developmental model
of transition allows children and
teachers to work in smaller groups,
adapting to the new learning
environment that the Full Day
Kindergarten program offers.
Teachers will be introducing
children to classroom routine and
procedures, easing the transition in
a more personalized way, so your
child feels comfortable and valued
as a new member of the school
community.
3. When is a child ready for
school?
Children don’t all talk or walk on
a schedule, so it’s no surprise
that chronological age is often
not the best indicator of school
readiness. How ready each child
is for school depends more on
their level of well-being,
creativity, social responsibility
and language development.
Gradual entry can help teachers
identify which children need
support and make sure
resources are made available to
give that support.
2. What does Gradual Entry to
Kindergarten mean for our
family?
The Abbotsford School District
recognizes the parents /families are
the first teacher of the child and the
gradual entry process gives families
the opportunity to share valuable
background knowledge with school
personnel.
* For information on
registering your child
for school please see
http://www.sd34.bc.ca/node/16