Do Kindergartens Have Grades?

Sooner or later, a big envelope will arrive with your child’s kindergarten report card. While a kindergarten student’s grades may not hold much meaning to her, she does need to know she is being evaluated and that her hard work is recognized.

Recent research suggests that academic rigor may not be at odds with children’s healthy development.

Do Kindergartens Have Grades?

The answer to the question “Do kindergarten have grades” is a bit complicated. Kindergarten students don’t receive traditional letter grades, but they do get a report card with growth indicators on a 3, 2, 1, NE (Not Evident) scale. The system was implemented nearly five years ago to provide grading consistency across the school district.

Exactly when children start school varies around the world, with some countries, like Russia, setting their school entry age at 6 and others, such as England, Australia, and New Zealand, allowing kids to enroll on their fifth birthday. In the United States, kids enroll in kindergarten at about age 5, putting us near the earlier end of the school-entry spectrum.

Early childhood educators say that’s not a good thing. They argue that children who skip kindergarten arrive in first grade behind their peers on key skills, such as reading. They also miss out on crucial social-emotional learning opportunities that help them learn to sit crisscross applesauce, raise their hands to be called on, and form lines.

In the last couple of decades, kindergarten has become more academic as schools and teachers have had to work harder to meet No Child Left Behind and Common Core state standards. Some parents have opted to keep their children in preschool, which offers a more familiar environment and safe in-person interaction for young children, while others have chosen homeschooling or other remote learning options during the pandemic. As a result, many districts have seen their kindergarten enrollments decline significantly.

Do Kindergarten Report Cards Have Grades?

In kindergarten, as in many other grades, teachers usually use a number system to communicate student progress. This allows you to compare your child’s performance to other students in the same grade and class, or to other children who are home-schooled. However, report cards aren’t just a list of grades; they also provide in-depth teacher assessments and other useful information about your child’s educational experience.

The typical kindergarten report card will include a summary section and an assessment for each of the subject areas your child studies in school, including math, reading, writing, science, social studies, art, music, and physical education. It may also include a special notes section for extracurricular activities and a checklist of your child’s development in some areas.

In some states, such as Florida, kindergartners receive a standard-based report card rather than the traditional letter grading used in 2nd-5th grade. This type of report card provides a breakdown of your student’s performance by the standards domains, and it gives you a more accurate picture of your student’s academic progress than percentage grading does.

Remember that for a young child, a report card doesn’t have a lot of meaning. Tammi Mackeben, a former national School Counselor of the Year, suggests that you avoid discussing every score with your child, as this can take the excitement and joy out of learning. Instead, focus on the positive aspects of your child’s progress and give her lots of praise when she does well.

Should Kindergartens Have Grades Or Not?

The absence of grades in kindergarten has both benefits and limitations. One of the main benefits is that it fosters a positive learning environment without the pressure of grades. This allows children to explore and learn at their own pace, without the fear of failure or comparison to their peers. The focus on progress and growth encourages a love for learning and promotes a growth mindset.

Not having grades in kindergarten allows for individualized instruction and learning experiences. Teachers can tailor their teaching methods to meet the unique needs and interests of each child, ensuring a more personalized learning journey. However, the absence of grades in kindergarten also has its limitations. Without grades, it can be challenging to gauge the academic readiness of a child as they transition to higher grades.

Some argue that the absence of grades may not adequately prepare children for the competitive nature of later education. However, it is important to remember that kindergarten is just the beginning of a child’s educational journey, and the focus should be on their overall development rather than solely on academic achievement.

Final Thoughts

Kindergarten serves as a crucial stage in a child’s educational journey, focusing on the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills. While kindergarten generally does not have traditional grading systems, it utilizes various evaluation methods to assess the progress and growth of each child. The absence of grades in kindergarten fosters a positive learning environment and allows for individualized instruction. However, it is important to consider the limitations of not having grades, particularly in terms of academic readiness for higher grades.