Did you know that Kindergarten Registration events are already underway in Bucks County? In many school districts, children not registered by spring may not be guaranteed placement at their home school. But preparing a child for Kindergarten begins long before the first day of school.
As your family prepares for a child to start kindergarten, consider this:
- There are many great tools and ideas online for getting your child ready for this important transition. Check out the Success by 6 section of the United Way of Bucks County’s website or PA’s Promise for Children website for resources.
- Registering children early helps the child, family, and school prepare.
- Many school districts have ‘On the Way to K’ workshops and/or materials. Make sure to ask about resources when you are registering your child.
Making sure that your child has a smooth transition to kindergarten and first grade is important because it prepares your child for future success in school and in life. Effective transition, including ongoing family engagement, has been shown to improve children’s educational outcomes.
Studies find that kindergartners with a positive learning approach – that means they show by persistence, emotional regulation, attentiveness, organization, and flexibility – made more progress in math and reading through the 5th grade. Several Bucks school districts tracking the effects of quality early childhood education have supported these findings.
Here in Bucks County, the Quality Child Care Coalition has been working for several years to improve transition and encourage registration by early spring. You can visit QCCC website (www.bucksqccc.org) to learn district cutoff dates, kindergarten registration dates and locations, as well as documents needed for kindergarten registration. Click here for a complete list of all Bucks County district cutoffs.
Good luck, Bucks County! We wish the class of 2026 (yes – that’s when the new batch of Kindergarteners graduate high school) all the success in the world.
About the contributor: Pat Miiller is United Way of Bucks County’s Success by Six Manager and the Coordinator for the Quality Child Care Coalition Coordinator in Bucks County. She is passionate about early childhood education, family literacy, and local history. She is one of only a handful of ‘Millers’ with two i’s. If you have questions for Pat, email patm@uwbucks.org.