Exhibit – Countdown to Kindergarten

The Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! Kit is a product of the Department of Early Education and Care, and the Boston Children’s Museum and its Museums/Libraries Project. The goal of this curriculum is to support educators to create learning opportunities based on the Massachusetts Early Learning Standards, in their unique efforts to help families prepare their children to enter kindergarten.

Kindergarten is a big step, even for children who have already spent time in preschool or in a group early education and care setting. It usually means learning new names and faces, a new building, a new classroom, and a new kind of schedule. Being ready for kindergarten can make all the difference in a child’s introduction to formal education. When families and educators work together to prepare children for school, parents know more about what to expect and what they can do to support their children.

As an educator, you too can provide a kindergarten classroom experience by using the materials provided in the Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! Kit and creating a “let’s play school” setting in your space. You can invite your visitors to hear a Circle Time story with a puppet, play a new game, or practice their writing skills. The opportunity for children and families to experience a classroom setting, meet a “teacher,” read a story about going to kindergarten, and ask questions is valuable for your visitors—and it’s valuable for your community!

Are you ready? Download the Guidebook, Activities and Signage and pop-up a Kindergarten Classroom!