Pre-K · Ages 4 – 5
Will my child be ready for kindergarten?
It's the question behind every Pre-K decision — and for a lot of families right now, it's the reason a district preschool is on the table. Here's exactly how we build readiness, what Ohio actually measures, and what to weigh before you switch. No hard sell; you should choose the program that fits your family.
Same standards. Same state quality system.
The difference isn't the learning. It's the hours, the calendar, and what happens after May.
The same state standards
Our classrooms follow Ohio's Early Learning and Development Standards — the same standards Ohio's public preschool classrooms are built around — through The Creative Curriculum.
The same quality rating system
All Around Children participates in Step Up To Quality, Ohio's state rating system for early learning programs. It's the same yardstick that rates district preschools, so you can compare like for like.
Full day, all year
Our centers open as early as 5:30 AM and stay open as late as 6:00 PM, every weekday, year round — including the weeks a school calendar is closed. Hours vary by location, so check your center page.
The four areas Ohio looks at
Every Ohio kindergartner is assessed shortly after school starts. These are the areas it covers — and what we're doing about each one, every day, in Pre-K.
Language and literacy
What Ohio looks at
Listening and understanding, vocabulary, letter and sound knowledge, and early print awareness.
What that looks like here
Daily read-alouds and conversation, letter names and sounds, rhyming and syllables, name writing, and print all over the room — labels, sign-in sheets, and children's own stories written down.
Mathematics
What Ohio looks at
Counting, number recognition, comparing quantities, shapes, and simple patterns.
What that looks like here
Counting real things that matter — snack cups, blocks, days on the calendar — plus sorting, patterning, measuring, and shape work through hands-on materials rather than worksheets.
Social foundations
What Ohio looks at
Attention, persistence, following directions, self-regulation, and getting along with other children.
What that looks like here
The part most people underestimate. Turn-taking, working through a disagreement with words, sticking with a hard puzzle, cleaning up, and following a multi-step direction without a reminder — practiced in small groups all day long.
Physical well-being and motor development
What Ohio looks at
Gross motor coordination, fine motor control, and healthy self-care habits.
What that looks like here
Outdoor play every day it's possible, plus the fine-motor work that makes writing possible later — scissors, tongs, beading, clay, and pencil control.
We teach to these skills. We don't drill for a test — four-year-olds learn this through play, conversation, and repetition, which is exactly what The Creative Curriculum is built to do.
What the year actually looks like
Readiness isn't a checklist handed out in May. It's built in a sequence, and you'll see it happening.
August – November
Fall
Settling in, and learning how school works.
- Separating at drop-off with confidence
- Learning classroom routines and transitions
- Recognizing their own written name
- Counting to 10 and beyond with meaning
- Joining a group activity and staying with it
December – March
Winter
The stretch where the academic pieces click.
- Letter names and the sounds they make
- Hearing rhymes and beginning sounds
- Writing their name, then other letters
- Sorting, patterning, and comparing quantities
- Solving a disagreement with words first
April – July
Spring
Stamina, independence, and the handover.
- Sitting with a task long enough to finish it
- Following multi-step directions unprompted
- Managing coat, lunch, and bathroom independently
- Asking an adult for help when they need it
- Talking about kindergarten with excitement, not worry
How you'll actually know where they are
You shouldn't have to take our word for it.
A kindergarten-readiness portfolio
Over the Pre-K year your child's teacher builds a portfolio — work samples, observations, and photographs showing growth in each area. It's yours to keep, and it's the clearest picture you'll get of where your child stands.
Conferences twice a year
Sit down with your child's teacher, go through the portfolio, and talk candidly about what's solid and what still needs work.
Daily photos and notes
Photos, milestone notes, and updates through the family app — so the year isn't a mystery you catch up on at a conference.
Developmental check-ins
Regular observations across every learning domain, documented as they happen. No high-stakes testing — just a running record of what your child can do.
How to compare the two options
District programs vary a lot from one district to the next — check these against the specific program you're considering.
| What to compare | A typical district pre-K | All Around Children Pre-K |
|---|---|---|
| Daily hours | Often a half-day session | Full day, open as early as 5:30 AM and as late as 6:00 PM (varies by center) |
| Calendar | School year, roughly 180 days | Year round, including all summer |
| Breaks and snow days | Closed with the district | Open |
| Curriculum | Varies by district | The Creative Curriculum |
| Learning standards | Ohio's Early Learning and Development Standards | The same standards |
| State quality rating | Step Up To Quality | The same system |
| Class ratio | Varies by district | One teacher to 14 children in Pre-K |
| Meals | Varies | Two meals and a snack daily, included |
| Younger siblings | Only the four-year-old | Infants through school age, one drop-off |
| Next year | Program ends in May | Before and after school care, plus summer camp |
| Cost | Often free or low cost | Tuition, with assistance available |
A good district preschool is a good option, and for some families it's the right one. What we'd ask is that you compare the whole week — not just the classroom.
Three things to check before you switch
These catch families out every year, and all three are easier to sort out before you give notice than after.
The hours gap
A half-day program ends in the early afternoon, and most districts don't provide transport for four-year-olds. Work out who covers the rest of the day, the school breaks, and the snow days before you commit — for a lot of families that turns into a second arrangement on top of the first.
What it does to your assistance
If you use a voucher or publicly funded child care, a change in schedule can change what you're authorized for. Ask your caseworker — and talk to us — before anything is finalized, so there are no surprises in your first month.
Whether the spot will be here in the fall
We can sometimes hold part-day care around a school schedule, but not always — it depends on the center and how the classroom is filled. If you think you might want to come back, tell your director early rather than in August.
Not sure how any of this applies to you? Call your center — we'll talk it through honestly, even if the answer is that the other program fits you better.
Find your center's numberThe part nobody says out loud
Cost shouldn't be the reason you leave.
A district program that's free is a real advantage, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. But a lot of families don't realize how much assistance they qualify for here — and it's worth ten minutes to find out before you make the call.
Ways we can help
- Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC)
- Ohio's Child Care Choice Voucher Program
- The Family Start Grant — up to $500 in enrollment credit for new families
Straight answers about readiness
Next step
Come see a Pre-K room on a normal day.
Not a staged tour — a Tuesday morning, mid-activity. It's the fastest way to answer this question for yourself.
Already with us? Ask your center director for your child's readiness portfolio at your next pickup.