Fox Chapel Area Early Learning Forum focuses on kindergarteners

More than 70 early childhood educators and administrators came together last week for the Fox Chapel Area School District's bi-annual Early Learning Forum — a free professional development series offered by the district.

The forum focused on the kindergarten transition during a keynote lecture given by Ken Smythe-Leistico, assistant director of the University of Pittsburgh's Office of Child Development and creator of Ready Freddy, Pathways to Kindergarten Success.

His presentation, “Kindergarten Readiness: What Predicts Success in Elementary School?” shared the complexities of kindergarten readiness.

“Kindergarten transition is a series of events and interactions that foster relationships between the rising kindergarten families and school personnel while promoting comfort in the facility and reducing anxieties for all,” he told the district staff that gathered at the high school.

The school district is focused on the transition to kindergarten and sees it as an important area of focus since 83 percent of the children who are chronically absent in kindergarten are reading below grade level in third grade, said Allison Francis, director of the district's creativity and literacy program and early childhood transition facilitator.

Districts such as Fox Chapel Area are continuing to evaluate their transition practices and looking for meaningful ways to engage early care providers, families, schools and other key community organizations in the process, Francis said.

“We can't underestimate the importance of creating meaningful relationships with our families early on and how this can positively affect attitudes and opinions about the school,” she said.