Transition to Kindergarten Parent Guides
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Great Start/Early Childhood Development and Family Education, is pleased to share a resource for parents of children entering kindergarten. The resource is a culmination of many offices within MDE working together to develop Parent Guides, a series of tip sheets which highlight a variety of questions parents may have when their children are entering kindergarten.
The Parent Guides were developed out of a request from a stakeholder group of parents of young children who reported that the most difficult transition time for them was kindergarten entry. The Parent Guides were reviewed by the Parent Involvement Committee of the Michigan Interagency Coordinating Council (MICC) and were approved by the MICC and authorized for distribution by MDE.
MDE is excited to now provide Parent Guides in Spanish and Arabic. If you would like electronic copies of the Arabic guides, please contact Cheryl Najm at najmc@michigan.gov.
Directory of Parent Guides
Directory (English) 
Directory (Spanish)
Directory (Arabic)
Introduction - Entry Into Kindergarten
Introduction (English)
Introduction (Spanish)
Is My Child Required to Attend Kindergarten?
Parent Guide #1 (English)
Parent Guide #1 (Spanish)
How Do I Know if My Child Is Ready for Kindergarten?
Parent Guide #2 (English)
Parent Guide #2 (Spanish)
How Do I Enroll My Child in Kindergarten?
Parent Guide #3 (English)
Parent Guide #3 (Spanish)
Early Entry Option for Kindergarten Enrollment
Parent Guide #4 (English)
Parent Guide #4 (Spanish)
What if My Child Has a Disability?
Parent Guide #5 (English)
Parent Guide #5 (Spanish)
Selecting Full or Half-Day Kindergarten, Which Is Best for My Child?
Parent Guide #6 (English)
Parent Guide #6 (Spanish)
How Will My Child Get to School?
Parent Guide #7 (English)
Parent Guide #7 (Spanish)
What Does a Great Kindergarten Program Look Like?
Parent Guide #8 (English)
Parent Guide #8 (Spanish)
What Will My Child Do in Kindergarten?
Parent Guide #9 (English)
Parent Guide #9 (Spanish)
Why Play in Kindergarten?
Parent Guide #10 (English)
Parent Guide #10 (Spanish)
What Will My Child Learn in Kindergarten? Reading and Math Success = Student Success
Parent Guide #11 (English) updated 2/2017
Parent Guide #11 (Spanish) updated 2/2017
What Will My Child Learn in Kindergarten? Student Success in Science, Technology, Social Studies, Nutrition and Health, Physical Education, the Arts, Careers, and for some, World Languages
Parent Guide #12 (English) updated 2/2017
Parent Guide #12 (Spanish) updated 2/2017
How Do I Know if My Child Is Learning?
Parent Guide #13 (English)
Parent Guide #13 (Spanish)
What if There Are Concerns About My Child's Development?
Parent Guide #14 (English)
Parent Guide #14 (Spanish)
What Is a 504 Plan for Students with Disabilities?
Parent Guide #15 (English)
Parent Guide #15 (Spanish)
What Can I Do at Home?
Parent Guide #16 (English)
Parent Guide #16 (Spanish)
How Can I Help My Child Become a Reader?
Parent Guide #17 (English)
Parent Guide #17 (Spanish)
How Can I Help My Child Ease Those First Day Jitters?
Parent Guide #18 (English)
Parent Guide #18 (Spanish)
Are There Books to Read to Get My Child Ready for Kindergarten?
Parent Guide #19 (English)
Parent Guide #19 (Spanish)
How Can I Be Engaged With My Child's Education?
Parent Guide #20 (English)
Parent Guide #20 (Spanish)
What About Communication?
Parent Guide #21 (English)
Parent Guide #21 (Spanish)
What Do I Do if My Child Does Not Speak English?
Parent Guide #22 (English)
Parent Guide #22 (Spanish)
What About Sharing My Family Culture?
Parent Guide #23 (English)
Parent Guide #23 (Spanish)
Will My Child Benefit From an Extra Year of Kindergarten?
Parent Guide #24 (English)
Parent Guide #24 (Spanish)
