Kindergarten Groups

Structured, small-group activities designed & led by pediatric Occupational & Physical Therapists working together to get everybody Kindergarten Ready

2023 Kindergarten Readiness Groups

in partnership with Parent Network of WNY

WEDNESDAYS July 12- Aug 9th

5:00 PM - 5:45 PM
Parent Network of WNY
1021 Broadway St, Buffalo NY 14212

Cost: FREE

We welcome children ages 3-6 years old to play & learn in a weekly small group led by pediatric occupational therapists (OTs)

Practice pre-school skills like coloring, cutting, and gluing along with other fun activities to challenge little bodies & minds. Adults will be given extra resources to take home & continue the learning!

“The most important day of a person’s education is the first day of school, not Graduation Day. ” — Harry Wong

  • In-School Programming

    Our Kindergarten Program provides fun, graded activities for beginning students led by therapists in conjunction with classroom teachers

    • Provides a Tier 1 intervention required by Response to Intervention (RTI) that will focus on exposing and developing age appropriate skills needed for educational success

    • Educates teachers on activities that can be incorporated into the school day to assist with fine motor and visual motor development

    • Collaborates with teachers to enhance academic performance of early learners

    • Provides foundational skills for continued academic performance

    • We are happy to help with grant writing & finding resources to support ongoing programming

    Email: contact@APOT-wny.com for pricing details and availability

  • Kindergarten Readiness Summer Groups

    Weekly summer programs are offered for ages 3-6 to support children of all needs & their families in preparation for entering school in September.

    Our programs focuse on skills which research has shown are necessary for success & satisfaction in school. Social emotional, attention, and self-regulation skills are at the core of our program led by Pediatric OTs & PTs.

    Family involvement and carryover to home is extremely important for us to continue to provide meaningful, child & family-centered programming. We provide take-home activities & exercises as well as information on community resources in an attempt to help our learners continue to grow their skills even after our program has ended.

  • Why Pre-K?

    Ages 3-5 are important for all kinds of physical, cognitive, and social development:

    • cognitive skills (naming colors, recognizing letters)

    • fine motor skills (snipping with scissors, imitating shapes, coloring)

    • gross motor skills (climbing stairs with alternating feet, catching a ball with 2 hands)

    • social skills (playing with others, developing more independent play)

    • emotional skills (understanding praise, demonstrating empathy/recognizing when someone else is hurt)

    School readiness has been found to be a predictor of long-term academic success (1, 2). Children with delayed social-behavioral skills are more likely to repeat grades, receive special education services, and have significant disciplinary issues in school (3).

What does OT & PT look like for Preschoolers?

Preschool (ages 3-5) is an important time to build skills that will help carry a child throughout their school career.

OT and PT can help if there are concerns about:

  • physical development, balance, strength, coordination

  • social, emotional & play skills

  • sensory/picky eating needs

  • daily living skills like potty-training, feeding, dressing

  • self-regulation or behavioral regulation skills

Contact us if you have any questions about preschool OT & PT services or if you’re interested in scheduling an evaluation for your child. 

(1)  Williams, P. G., Lerner, M. A., Council on Early Childhood, Council on School Health, Sells, J., Alderman, S. L., Hashikawa, A., Mendelsohn, A., McFadden, T., Navsaria, D., Peacock, G., Scholer, S., Takagishi, J., Vanderbilt, D., De Pinto, C. L., Attisha, E., Beers, N., Gibson, E., Gorski, P., … Weiss-Harrison, A. (2019). School Readiness. Pediatrics, 144(2), e20191766.  (2) Wolf, S., Magnuson, K. A., & Kimbro, R. T. (2017). Family poverty and neighborhood poverty: Links with children’s school readiness before and after the Great Recession. Children and Youth Services Review, 79, 368–384.  (3) Bettencourt, A. F., Gross, D., Ho, G., & Perrin, N. (2018). The costly consequences of not being socially and behaviorally ready to learn by kindergarten in Baltimore City. Journal of Urban Health, 95(1), 36–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-017-0214-6