TK and kindergarten enrollment season is right around the corner. Whether your child is headed to a Las Virgenes Unified school in Calabasas or Westlake Village, a Conejo Valley school, an LAUSD campus in Woodland Hills or Tarzana, or a private program, one question comes up again and again: is my child ready?
Most readiness lists focus on letters, scissors, and potty training. But the skill that shapes how a child does in the classroom more than almost anything else is communication. A child who can follow directions, ask for help, and play with friends has a much easier start.
California TK
Who is eligible for TK in California?
Starting with the 2025-26 school year, California's transitional kindergarten is open to every child who turns 4 on or before September 1. Children who turn 5 by September 1 are eligible for kindergarten. That means many children start school a full year earlier than their older siblings did, sometimes before their speech and language skills have fully caught up.
The checklist
The communication checklist
Starting TK (around age 4)
- Follows two-step directions ("Get your shoes and put them by the door")
- Speaks in sentences of 4 or more words
- Is understood by adults outside the family most of the time
- Answers simple who, what, and where questions
- Asks for help or says when something is wrong
- Tells you a little about their day, even if the order is mixed up
- Takes turns in play and in conversation
Starting kindergarten (around age 5)
- Follows multi-step classroom directions
- Retells a short story in order, with a beginning, middle, and end
- Uses past tense and plurals, with only occasional mistakes
- Asks and answers why and how questions
- Joins a group of children in play and solves small conflicts with words
- Rhymes and claps out syllables in words (early reading skills)
If your child is missing a few, that doesn't mean they aren't ready. Children develop at different paces. But if several items are unchecked, or you notice frustration, meltdowns around talking, or a child who plays mostly alone, it's worth getting a closer look.
Next steps
Signs that a speech and language evaluation could help
- Teachers, coaches, or other parents have trouble understanding your child
- Your child often says "what?" or seems not to follow group directions
- They use gestures or pull you by the hand instead of using words
- They have trouble making or keeping friends at preschool
- They get very upset when they aren't understood
- They stutter, or seem tense when they talk
Timing
Why winter and spring are the right time to check
If your child starts school next August, an evaluation now gives you months to make progress before the first day. Even a few months of speech and language therapy can make a real difference in how confident a child feels walking into a new classroom.
It also helps you go into school with information. If your child might need support at school, having a recent evaluation helps you ask the right questions and advocate for what they need.
Friendships
Social skills count, too
For many children, the hardest part of starting school isn't the academics. It's joining a game, sharing, handling a "no" from a friend, or knowing what to say when they want to play. Our social skills groups and social communication therapy give children practice in a small, supportive setting before they need those skills on the playground.
Westlake Village · Calabasas · Woodland Hills · Tarzana
School readiness support near you
SG Speech Therapy is a pediatric speech and language practice based in Calabasas, serving families in Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, and across the Conejo and San Fernando Valleys. We see children in our clinic, in your home, at school or preschool, and over Zoom, Monday through Friday until 7 PM. We are also a vendored Early Start provider with NLACRC.
Every child starts with a speech and language evaluation, and you'll leave with clear answers and a plan.
Learn more about speech therapy in Westlake Village, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, or Tarzana.
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Free 15-Minute Consultation
Talk with a licensed speech-language pathologist about what you are noticing. No diagnosis or referral needed.
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