By Natalie McClane, KSDE early childhood team 

As spring is just around the corner, many districts are beginning to think about preparing children in their communities to enter kindergarten. The transition into kindergarten is a critical milestone for children, families, and school staff. To make this time most effective, the KSDE early childhood team recommends the following resources:   

• The Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) and KSDE make available "Kindergarten in Kansas," a booklet for families of young children who are getting ready to begin kindergarten. This resource is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Burmese, Swahili, and Vietnamese. Schools and community partners can use an online order form or contact Natalie Schweda, nschweda@kpirc.org, to order copies. 
• The Kindergarten Readiness Toolkit is a resource for districts to use together with their broader community to create plans to improve the transition into kindergarten. It includes a one-pager on the benefits of planning for kindergarten transitions, an MOU work plan template, an MOU template, and example activities, milestone, data sharing ideas, and potential partners for your community’s kindergarten transition planning. 
• KSDE and the Kansas Head Start Association have partnered to create a new resource, Kansas Kindergarten Transition Learning Community Resources Padlet, which shares a wide variety of resources on strengthening kindergarten transitions. This resource includes professional development, book lists, local examples from Kansas programs, Kansas resources as well as national resources.  Feel welcome to share additional ideas or resources that may be beneficial for other communities with Natalie McClane.  
• The updated Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot Fact Sheet for 2026-2027 is available at agesandstages.com/ks. The updated Fact Sheet includes Snapshot dates for 2026-2027, along with additional resources to support educators in partnering with families to meaningfully use Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot data. 2025-2026 participation rates are available in the KSDE Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot authenticated application, and districts now have the option to see state-level data in addition to district and building data. Stay tuned to KSDEweekly for information about upcoming Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) training. Contact Amanda Petersen, amanda.petersen@ksde.gov, with ASQ questions.  
• KSDE will be hosting “Preparing for the 2026-2027 Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot,” 3:30 – 4 p.m., on Tuesday, Feb. 24, and 9 – 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 25. This is a quick overview of the action items schools can take to get ready for the start of the 2026-2027 kindergarten year. Whether you are a seasoned ASQ user or new to the ASQ, join us for timely resources and action items to prepare for the 2026-2027 school year. Register at ksdetasn.org/events. 

Contact Natalie McClane, natalie.mcclane@ksde.gov, for assistance in making the start of the school year most effective for your incoming kindergarteners and their families.