Abstract
Many children begin kindergarten unprepared; and when children begin unprepared, it is difficult for them to catch up to their better-prepared peers (Alexander & Entwisle, 1988). Recent research demonstrates that parent involvement plays an important role in kindergarten readiness, as well as later academic success. However, parents are not always aware of the ways in which they can help to prepare their children for kindergarten. Parents need information regarding current kindergarten standards so they can help prepare their children. Therefore, a kindergarten readiness handbook was created for parents. This handbook was informed by the literature regarding kindergarten readiness, parental involvement, social-emotional development, language development, literacy development, and mathematical development. The California Preschool Learning Foundations Vol. 1 was also reviewed. The current handbook provides parents with information about kindergarten readiness, parent involvement, and the California Preschool Learning Foundations Vol. 1 (i.e., Social-Emotional Development, Language and Literacy Development, and Mathematical Development). The handbook also suggests ways parents can foster readiness at home, focusing on the conversational activities of Emotion Coaching, Shared Book Reading, and Math Talk. The author utilized academic research, the California Preschool Learning Foundations Vol. 1, and parent-child conversational activities to create the Kindergarten Readiness Handbook for Parents.