Kindergarten supports children's cognitive, language, physical, social and emotional development

Description

Five-year-old children are experiencing rapid changes in their growth and development. Kindergarten provides a free learning opportunity that supports them during this critical time and lays a foundation for future school success. In kindergarten children learn from highly-qualified teachers and benefit from interacting with other children.

Kindergarten is provided through Minnesota public school districts and charter schools. More information about kindergarten can be found online.

Features

• Area Served by County
  • Hennepin County

Eligibility

Children must be five-years-old on or before September 1 of the calendar year that school starts and have received required immunizations. Children who are not yet five-years-old on or before September 1 may be considered for early entrance. Each school board establishes its own early admission policy for early entrance.

All district kindergarten programs require children to complete an early childhood screening before kindergarten or within 30 days of starting kindergarten. Charter school kindergarten programs may require early childhood screening – contact the school for more information. A child may meet the screening requirement by submitting a copy of a comparable health and developmental screening provided by Head Start, Child and Teen Checkups or through a health care provider. If a parent is a conscientious objector to the screening program for their child, the child does not need to participate in the state screening program. Learn more about Early Childhood Screening online.

In Minnesota, kindergarten eligibility is based on age; it is not based on what your child knows and is able to do. Children are always learning and all children are ready to begin kindergarten by age 5. There are no required skills or tests to decide whether a child is ready, or not ready, to begin kindergarten (unless the child is being considered for early entrance).

Kindergarten is not mandatory in Minnesota. Families can choose to enroll their child; however, kindergarten offers an important school experience and enrollment is strongly encouraged.

Fee

There is no cost