I want to start by saying our Saturday School Visit may just be the best day of my year. Something magical happens the day your children visit our school.

As a parent you might be opening the email invitation with apprehension. You could be thinking: will they separate without crying, will they participate, will they listen?!!!

This is what we are thinking on the other end:

We are so fortunate to have many wonderful primary public, independent and parochial school options in the Northern Virginia / Washington D.C. / Maryland area. This blessing does not come without challenges. You are left to wonder...

What is the right match for my child?
What would it be like for my child to attend an independent school? 
When is the right time to apply?
Should we wait until Middle School or Upper School? 

Here are some tips on questions to ask when searching for a school?  

As parents, it seems we are always preparing for what’s coming up next. We have a hospital bag ready before the baby comes, we rig the house for when our babies start to crawl, we have a diaper bag ready for a wardrobe malfunction, and we have enough snacks in our cars to feed an army. You name it - we prepare for it.

Fast forward a few years and your child is four years old. A question is looming - How do we prepare them for Kindergarten? I am going to approach this in two steps.

1. What should you do if you have a child with a summer or early fall birthday? Do you send them to Kindergarten? How do you know if they are ready for this next step?
2. They are going to Kindergarten. How do I help prepare my child when the time comes?

As part of the admission process, most independent schools require that your child take an aptitude test. 

Here are some details: 

• If your child is younger than six years old and entering either Junior Kindergarten (JK) or Kindergarten they will take the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence for Children - Fourth Edition. You will hear it referred to as the WPPSI-IV (whip-see-four). 

• The older version is called the WISC-IV (whisk-four). This stands for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition. 

• No preparation is needed or allowed for this assessment. A qualified examiner works one on one with your child and measures different abilities. 

• The assessment takes about 45 minutes to an hour.