This summer, Therapy In Action launched ou READY, SET, KINDER-PREP (RSKP) program for children who need an extra boost in developing readiness skills for kindergarten. This small group program was designed and implemented by our current staff of occcupational, physical and speech therapists along with two outstanding educational consultants, Christy Colbert and Cynthia Bean, who have taught kindergarten for many years.

Currently preschool children are expected to live up to high educational standards even before entering kindergarten. Many children and families are finding the kindergarten admissions process to be a daunting endeavor. Some parents are unexpectedly disappointed to hear that their children do not meet the criteria for kindergarten entrance. The question of waiting another year or taking the plunge into kindergarten weights hevily on every parent's mind.

Due to changing curriculum, most kindergarten teachers are no longer able to allow the time to ease a child into academics or to focus on the underlying areas of the child's development that support success with kindergarten. Children are expected to be fully competent in activities such as listening and following through with instructions, fine motor skills necessary for pencil/paper work, independent work habits and the ability to care for personal needs. These are exactly the skills that READY, SET, KINDER-PRE was designed to address.

This summer's READY, SET, KINDER-PREPwas a great success. Many parents expressed concerns about what happens next. What if their child needs more help during the school year! Through continued dialogue with parents and kindergarten teachers we realized that the next logical step was a continuation of RSKP to support those children throughout the kindergarten year. Therefore we are please to announce our follow-up program.... READY GO, KINDER-PRO, while a group program, will also be ble to focus a little more on the individual needs of each participant through dialogue with the children's teachers. We're excited to get this group going and hope to have our first session starting in mid January. Wathc for further information or call the clinic for follow-up information.