Careful consideration of both academic and social-emotional readiness is essential. The early entrance to kindergarten procedures are designed to gather information from a variety of sources including parents, preschool teacher, observation of the child in a school setting, and academic testing in order to guide the decision. The screening process includes consideration and assessment of social interaction, attention and engagement in tasks, gross and fine motor skills, early literacy and reading, number sense and math.  Students who enter school through the early entrance process must be capable of working in a classroom setting with students a year (or more) older.  Early entrance in school may have long-term effects on your child.  It is difficult to predict the potential social/emotional impact on your child as he or she progresses through elementary, middle, and high school.

During the screening, an educational team will observe and assess your child within a classroom setting with other children.  The classroom will be set up like a kindergarten classroom. Parents may not be present in the screening but may wait in a designated waiting area.  Results will not be available on the day of the screening but will be communicated via email within approximately one week of the screening.

Make sure your child is rested and has eaten.  You may want to tell your child that he or she will be asked to show what he or she has learned in school, that he or she should do his or her best, and that he or she should enjoy him or herself.

After each phase in the process, the district team will review the assessment data and provide an email to the parent/guardian regarding next steps. Parents of students found eligible for kindergarten entrance will be asked to meet to discuss the results of the screening. The decision made by the District 203 screening team is final.

Each year, District 203 welcomes kindergarten students, many of them demonstrating high abilities.  Our kindergarten teachers are highly skilled at meeting students’ individual needs through differentiated and developmentally appropriate strategies. Classroom teachers utilize ongoing assessments and observation to identify those students who are grasping classroom curriculum quickly and can benefit from additional challenges at a given time.  Through flexible grouping, teachers match differentiated extension activities to students’ academic and social/emotional needs in all fundamental learning areas.

Residents who move into District 203 after May 12, 2023 and are interested in applying for early entrance into kindergarten should contact Learning Services by email at kdgearlyentrance@naperville203.org. Due to staffing and classroom placement decisions, applications will not be accepted after June 30, 2023 for any reason.