On Carlie's official birthday I will post pictures of her throughout the years...but for now I wanted to share my thoughts about the test her school administered to see if she was ready for kindergarten.
At First Baptist Academy they administer a test called the Phelps Kindergarten Readiness Scale which helps determine whether or not they feel your little one is ready for kindergarten based on their score in three different domains: Verbal, Perceptual, and Auditory. (See www.great-ideas.org/manual.htm)
Since Carlie literally turns 5 the day before kindergarten starts, I have been apprehensive about whether or not to hold her back. How do you know? Is she ready? So having something tangible say "Yes, she is ready!" helps to alleviate some of my fears of her not having a successful year. Note to my girlfriends who have children going into kindergarten, too. I believe this test can be purchased and administered at home. If not, most schools might test your child for you.
I got Carlie's scores back and was interested to see what each domain actually consisted of. What were they testing? She scored above the national mean in all domains, but had Auditory as her lowest...with a near perfect score for Perceptual. Here is where it gets interesting. As I studied the domains and recommended activities to increase proficiency in each area...the uniqueness of my girls came out. Now, mind you, Mollie hasn't been tested...but I can already see her strengths. Let me explain.
Verbal is just what it is...anything to do with verbal skills such as word meanings, vocabulary, using language to express themselves and the world around them.
Perceptual has to do with a child's fine motor coordination, eye-hand movements, being able to visual discriminate two different objects, seeing similarities and differences.
Auditory deals with the ability to remember things heard, discriminate different sounds, listen and be able to act on what they have heard.
How do these domains play out, and if one was a particular strength for your child how would you know?
Let me share some of the activities involved with each:
When verbal is a strength... your child might describe objects more accurately...including not just the color of a toy but the shape, it's size in relation to other toys. They may like to play "I Spy" or enjoy telling you how an object works. When told a particular category such as "transportation" they can readily think of several things that would go in that category such as trains, bikes, cars, etc.
When perceptual is a strength...your child might like to do puzzles or play the game Concentration (using both memory and visual) They can easily reproduce something they see such as a letter, number, shape. They love to draw and assemble things.
---This is where Carlie excels. I remember when Carlie was only 3 yrs. old we decided to buy new ceiling fans for the porch. We had to take off the blades of the old ones so they would fit in the trash. Well, Travis was just joking around and showed Carlie how to unscrew one of them and walked away. When he came back, Carlie had totally disassembled the entire fan. She is naturally good at puzzles and playing Concentration. Interestingly too, I can write sentences and Carlie will copy them and it look great...but have no idea what she just wrote. She also can draw the most amazing pictures including minor details such as the DVDs on the bookcase or the small flower by the tree.
When auditory is a strength...your child might love hearing nursery rhymes and filling in the gaps. They may also love to sing or be able to retell a story once they have heard it. They can easily follow oral instructions.
---This is where Mollie excels. It is not uncommon to see her looking at books and "reading" the familiar nursery rhyme. I bought this book series that had all the classic nursery rhymes and she loves to pretend to read it or have me start it and her finish the sentence. I say "Hickory Dickory Dock..." then Mollie follows with, "...the mouse ran up the clock." She also is naturally more drawn to phonics. We have a Leap Frog video, and at a very early age Mollie would say "The A says Ahhhh." Whereas, big sister really didn't catch on that the letters made sounds. Carlie is more likely to memorize what a word looks like such as "the" and then be able to say it when she sees it again. Mollie though very apt at knowing all her letters and their sounds hasn't begun to show interest in writing or drawing pictures. She does however love to sing, and has memorized almost all the songs from VBS.
I guess as a mother, it is exciting to see that though they come from the same family your children will and do exhibit many wonderful differences that make them...well THEM. I wouldn't trade my girls for anything. To Travis and I they are just perfect. I do appreciate the test though, because it made me see more clearly the natural bent of Carlie and Mollie in a way I had never looked at it before. I understand now why Carlie is less drawn to certain activities that Mollie embraces and vs. versa.
If you are a mother look at the website, especially the section that talks about ways to help them excel in other areas that they are not naturally bent towards. Perhaps, take that moment to really listen to your daughter explain "verbally" her picture and elaborate on the story that goes with it. Get them involved in wonderful programs such as Kindermusik that tailors to their interest. Turn off the television and have them tune in to what is going on around them...what sounds do they hear...an airplane, birds chirping, children laughing. Sit on the couch and color your very own picture with crayons. Relish the moment right now you have with them, because soon they will be gone.
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