Parent Resources

Spotlight: Getting Ready for Kindergarten Workshops will be held this May in each borough click here for more information.

 
  • Still looking for a pre-k option for this year's program your 4-year-old born in 2008?  Please click here for district-specific flyers to find out which pre-k programs may still have seats available.
 
 
 

Events for Families
Pre-K Family Forums
In an effort to advance the NYC Department of Education's priority to inform and involve families, OECE will host interactive sessions for families with children enrolled in public school or community-based organization pre-kindergarten programs.  These sessions support families as their children take the first step on the path to being ready for college and career.

Events for Families
Pre-K Family Forums
In an effort to advance the NYC Department of Education's priority to inform and involve families, OECE will host interactive sessions for families with children enrolled in public school or community-based organization pre-kindergarten programs.  These sessions support families as their children take the first step on the path to being ready for college and career.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten – A Workshop for Parents and Families
Parents and Families of children entering Kindergarten in September 2013 are invited to attend the “Getting Ready for Kindergarten” Workshop hosted by the Office of Early Childhood Education.  At the end of this interactive workshop, parents and families will:
  • Know what to expect in Kindergarten and how to monitor their child’s progress over the years to come
  • Understand how to further support their child’s transition to kindergarten and to extend learning at home and on the go
  • Know how to engage in their child’s school/district community
  • Receive information on supporting summer learning and summer programs

Child Care available for children ages 4 – 12!

For information on dates, times, and locations please see the flyer here.

Arabic      Bengali      Chinese

French      Haitian Creole      Korean

Russian      Spanish      Urdu


Pre-K Guides For Families

Guides to support children's learning in pre-k
 Learning Standards for Pre-K: The Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core
On October 17, 2011, the New York State (NYS) Board of Regents approved the NYS Pre-kindergarten Foundation for the Common Core.

"The primary purpose of the pre-k standards is to ensure that all children, including children with disabilities, students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), and English Language Learners (ELLs) have rich and varied early learning experiences that prepare them for success in school and lay the foundation for college and career readiness." (page 5 of the standards found here) 

Developmental Screening in Pre-K:  The Early Screening Inventory-Revised (ESI-R) Screening
All Universal Pre-kindergarten (UPK) programs are required to adopt a standardized screening tool that assists educators in learning more about the various aspects of a child's development such as language, cognition, perception, and motor development.  Most UPK programs use the Early Screening Inventory-Revised (ESI-R) as their screening tool.

The screening does not determine whether your child is eligible for pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, nor is it a test of IQ, school readiness or acceptance into the Gifted and Talented program.

Questions to ask your child’s teacher during Parent-Teacher Conferences
Click here for a list of questions early childhood parents can ask their child's teacher during parent-teacher conferences.  Please refer to A Parent Guide to Parent-Teacher Conferences to help you prepare for the discussions you have with your child's teacher.

Engaging in your child's public school/ district community
  • Become a member of your school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)
  • Become a member of your school's Parent Association (PA)
  • Become a member of your School Leadership Team (SLT)
  • Become a member of your School Assessment Team (SAT)
  • Take part in Community Education Council (CEC) meetings

For more information about these opportunities, visit the DOE's Becoming a Parent Leader page.

Additional Resources
Special Education
Information on Special Education services for children from pre-k to school-age.

For information on Early Intervention for children with special needs from Birth to Age 3, please visit here.

Gifted & Talented (G&T)
G&T testing is available for all pre-kindergarten through second grade students who are current New York City residents for kindergarten through third grade programs. The New York City Department of Education provides G&T programs for students who score at the 90th percentile or above on a combination of two tests designed to measure intellectual capability and school readiness.  For more information, or to get a Request for Test form, please visit the G&T Office's website here. 

English Language Learner/ Dual Language Programs

Charter School Options (beginning in Kindergarten)