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Early Entrance Kindergarten

Early Entrance Kindergarten

Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?

Starting kindergarten is an exciting milestone, and we know every child grows and develops at their own pace. While some children may be academically ready, they might still be building the social and emotional skills needed to thrive in a school setting. Research shows that younger students can face challenges as they progress through school, which is why we want to ensure each child has the best start possible. 

In Washington, children must be five years old by August 31 to enroll in kindergarten. However, if your child turns five between September 1 and December 1, they may be eligible for early entrance if they meet specific requirements. Our goal is to support your child’s success by ensuring they are developmentally prepared for their first year of school. To increase the likelihood that your child will be successful in their first year of school, they will be expected to meet standards for a child aged 5 years 6 months or older in all areas assessed.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Early Entrance to Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions for more details. If you have any questions, please contact the Highly Capable office. We’re here to help!

Application Process & Directions

  • Complete the Early Entrance to Kindergarten Application. Applications will be accepted between July 1, 2025 and August 6, 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.

  • Have your child’s preschool teacher complete the Preschool Information Form. If your child does not attend preschool, parents should complete the form.

  • Sign the Permission to Test Form giving consent to the Kennewick School District to test the child for school readiness. Assessment may include the following: intelligence, academic skills, language development, visual-motor skills, motor development, and other areas as related to success in school.

  • The completed application, preschool information and permission to test forms should be returned to:

    Attention: Secretary for Elementary Education
    Kennewick School District Administration Center
    1000 W. 4th Ave., Kennewick, WA 99336.

    At the time of application, you will also need to show current proof of residency and provide an $85 nonrefundable fee by check made payable to Kennewick School District.  

Application Timeline

  • Applications may be found on this website (linked above in Application Process & Directions) or can be picked up from the Kennewick School District Administration Center at 1000 W. 4th Ave., Kennewick, WA 99336.

    Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible.

    • No applications will be accepted after 4:00 p.m. on August 6, 2025.
    • All forms and payment must be submitted by the deadline.
    • Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

    • You will be notified by letter of the exact day and time of your child’s test.
    • Plan on roughly 1.5 to 2 hours for testing.
    • Parents must remain in the waiting area during testing.

    • Parents will receive written notification of the assessment results.
    • Results will be sent to the child's boundary school.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Children must turn five between September 1 and December 1 to participate in the Early Entrance evaluation.

  • Children must be age 5 on or before August 31.

  • In order to determine eligibility for early entrance to kindergarten, candidates will be assessed in the following areas:

    • Academic and Behavioral Readiness - This assessment evaluates foundational academic skills such as early literacy, numeracy, and basic writing abilities. Additionally, it includes observations of classroom readiness, such as the ability to follow directions, focus, and engage with tasks.
    • Language Development - Language assessments focus on understanding and using language effectively, including vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar. General communication skills, such as clarity of speech, are also considered.
    • Cognitive Development - Cognitive skills are assessed to understand the child’s overall readiness for the learning environment. This provides insights into their ability to think, reason, and solve problems.

  • The application process and directions can be found on this webpage under “Application Process and Directions”. Application forms will be available beginning July 1st and closes on August 6, 2025.

  • You will receive a confirmation letter in the mail the week before testing.

  • Each child is individually evaluated by a school psychologist, a speech and language pathologist, and a certified teacher. Each of the three assessments will take 30 to 45 minutes.

  • Children must complete the entire early entrance to kindergarten evaluation on their assigned test date within their allotted assessment period. Incomplete assessments will not be scored. Children who are unable to complete the assessments will not be allowed to complete the evaluation at a later date.

  • Children are not allowed to take the early entrance to kindergarten assessments more than once.

  • You will receive notification of your child’s results by August 22nd.

  • The assessment fee is $85 and is nonrefundable.

  • You may not take the test unless you live in the Kennewick School District attendance area and have current proof of residency.

  • You may not register your child until he/she has been found eligible through the assessment process.

  • The district does not accept private testing results or results from other school districts in the early entrance process. All students must go through the district’s identification process to be eligible for early entrance to kindergarten.

  • Your child does not need to be proficient in reading and writing for this assessment.

  • There is no studying for these developmental assessments.

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