What is Kindergarten Screening?
Every year all students who are new to a school district must be screened for potential giftedness and potentially handicapping conditions. This is a requirement under New York State education laws and often takes place in kindergarten. There is no prescribed method for this screening. Many districts tend to use what is recognized as a “kindergarten readiness” test. It typically asks children to perform tasks such as simple cutting, identifying colors, and recognizing their names. Some include asking children to bounce a ball or skip. Obviously none of these tasks would identify a child as being gifted academically or artistically. If after a screening, a child were identified as potentially gifted, the law requires that parents and district superintendents be notified. It does not require that a program be provided. Only if a potentially handicapping condition exists, must there be further investigation and provision of program. Giftedness in young children is identified by many chara
