New free screening tool helps kindergarten teachers spot student needs early

Starting kindergarten is a big step for young children. It can also be a key time to spot which students might need some extra help with that life transition.

A new, free screening tool, created by researchers at the University of Missouri’s College of Education and Human Development, is designed to help kindergarten teachers quickly identify which students could benefit from extra academic or social-emotional support—before small challenges become potential long-term setbacks later in life.

A paper describing this work is published in the Journal of Behavioral Education.

Intended to take just 10–15 minutes per class, the simple three-question screener asks teachers to rate each child’s academic and social-behavioral progress on a 0-to-4 scale (poor–excellent).

It’s not meant to be used to make high-stakes decisions about young children. Instead, it’s a tool for keeping track of progress and helping identify where support may be needed, said Melissa Stormont, the professor of special education at Mizzou who led the study.

“Success early on often leads to more success,” she said. “You need to master the skills of kindergarten to be successful in first grade and so on. We don’t serve children well by waiting for problems to surface or blaming what students come in with. This screener is about acting early—out of care, not criticism.”

Simple tool, big impact

From social adjustment and play to learning letters and academic skills, it’s important to know which kindergarten students may need some more support from day one, Stormont said.

This screening tool gives teachers a simple baseline of what their students might need. It can also give them an idea of what additional resources and training they may need themselves as teachers.

“Think of it like a doctor taking vital signs at a checkup,” she said. “It doesn’t give you a full diagnosis, but it tells you where to look more closely.”

Unlike costly and time-consuming evaluations that require extensive training, this screener is designed to be efficient and easy to use. And it’s already shown its potential value as a useful “grab-and-go” tool.

In a recent study in a Missouri school district, 19 teachers used the screening tool with 350 kindergarteners. They found that about one in four students weren’t fully prepared for school, based on teacher ratings of academic readiness, social–emotional readiness, or a combination of both factors.

“These aren’t kids who are failing—they just need a little more of something, whether that’s three minutes a day of extra practice or some help following directions the first time,” Stormont said. “This extra attention can go a long way when it starts early.”

Looking ahead

While it isn’t currently part of any state-mandated system, Stormont hopes this free tool will encourage a broader shift in mindset from reacting to visible problems to noticing potential needs early and acting with care.

“Children come to kindergarten with very different experiences—some are cared for by grandparents, others are in daycare or preschool,” she said. “That’s why kindergarten is the right time to check in and see how they’re doing. We know what works, so let’s start using effective practices to help kids succeed from the beginning.”