Transitioning to Kindergarten

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Great Start/Early Childhood Development and Family Education, is pleased to share a resource for parents of children entering kindergarten. The resource is a culmination of many offices within MDE working together to develop Parent Guides, a series of tip sheets which highlight a variety of questions parents may have when their children are entering kindergarten.

The Parent Guides were developed out of a request from a stakeholder group of parents of young children who reported that the most difficult transition time for them was kindergarten entry. The Parent Guides were reviewed by the Parent Involvement Committee of the Michigan Interagency Coordinating Council (MICC) and were approved by the MICC and authorized for distribution by MDE. The topics of these guides are listed below:

• Is my child Required to attend Kindergarten? Spanish

• How do I know if my child is ready for Kindergarten? Spanish

• How do I enroll my child in Kindergarten? Spanish

• Early Entry option for Kindergarten Enrollment 
  Spanish

• What if my child has a disability? Spanish

• Selecting Full or Half-Day Kindergarten, which is best for my child? Spanish

• How will my child get to school?   Spanish

• What does a great Kindergarten program look like? Spanish

• What will my child do in Kindergarten?   Spanish

• Why play in Kindergarten? Spanish

• What will my child learn in learn in Kindergarten? Reading and Math - student success.   Spanish

• How do I know if my child is learning?   Spanish

• What if there are concerns about my child's development?   Spanish

• What is a 504 plan for student with disabilities? Spanish

• What can I do at home?  Spanish

• How can I help my child become a reader?  Spanish

• How can I help my child ease those first day jitters?   Spanish

• Are there books to read to get my child ready for Kindergarten?    Spanish

• How can I be engaged with my child's education?   Spanish

• What about communication?   Spanish

• What do I do if my child does not speak English?   Spanish

• What about sharing my family culture?   Spanish

• Will my child benefit from an extra year of Kindergarten?   Spanish

Source: Michigan Department of Education, 2016

Click here to view the Guide by visiting the Michigan Department of Education website.

Hearing and Vision Screening

The Hearing and Vision program provides hearing and vision screenings for preschool and school age children.  All Monroe County School Districts work in partnership with Monroe County Health Department to provide hearing and vision screening throughout a child’s school years.  Children are screened in school according to the following schedule:

                        Hearing: Preschool and grades K, 2 and 4

                        Vision: Preschool and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9

In addition to school screenings, FREE hearing and vision screenings are available at the Monroe County Health Department. Call (734) 240-7800 for an appointment.

              MCHD Vision & Screening Form

**Reminder: Hearing and Vision screenings are required for children ages 3-5 before starting kindergarten in the State of Michigan.** Source: Monroe County Health Department

Immunizations 

The Monroe County Health Department offers appointments to residents who are interested in using their services for child immunizations. Visit the Monroe County Health Department website for appointment availability.

 Michigan Health Appraisal Form

MSU Extension Programs

The Monroe County MSU Extension program offers parenting classes throughout the year that help parents of young children with topics such as understanding feelings, developing family morals, values and rules and effective discipline. For more information on these programs, visit the MSU Extension website.