When it was time to send my oldest child to school, my biggest dilemma was Lincoln Public Schools' requirement that incoming kindergartners be 5 by Oct. 15.

Did that deadline mean my son should be ready even though his birthday was just 10 days before it? And I wasn't sure he was socially prepared to enter school.

After talking to several parents, I heard the common wisdom that if he was a boy - especially a boy - who had a summer or fall birthday, it was better to wait an extra year. So I did, with few reservations, except that another year of preschool might not be overly stimulating.

According to Barb Jacobson, director of curriculum for Lincoln Public Schools, two things can help parents decide if their child is ready for kindergarten. The child's gender and birth date were not among them.

"The biggest thing is that kids are ready to settle down and can sit for 10-15 minutes at a time," she said.

That's because they need to be able to focus on what the teacher is talking about and their class work.

The second-biggest thing is print recognition, Jacobson said. They don't have to know how to write their name or read, but it helps if they can at least recognize their name and have some sense that when they open a book, the letters mean something, Jacobson said.

Another thing that helps in the kindergarten classroom is if children have had opportunities to socialize with others their own age and to learn to cooperate and share, Jacobson said. Attending a play group, Sunday school class or preschool, or just playing with the kids in the neighborhood are all good ways to develop a child's social skills, Jacobson said.

"Reading books is one way, but also talking with them about everything" is important for building language skills, Jacobson said.

According to her, children who come to school with 5,000 words in their vocabulary are better prepared than their classmates.

LPS ExCITE Coordinator Pat Schmidt emphasized not only the social readiness of the child but also their emotional readiness. The comfort level of the child has a big impact on academics, she said.

Does the child easily separate from his parents? Is he comfortable interacting with other children and adults? Can he express himself and at the same time appreciate what other people are saying?

The emotional component ties in closely with a child's social growth, which will determine whether they can jump between academic levels, Schmidt said. One way to encourage social and emotional growth is to give children opportunities to interact with other adults without the parent being there and/or the parent in the background, she suggested.

It's also important for parents to get comfortable with the child's future environment and with their role as their child's primary teacher, Schmidt said.

LPS's only requirement for kindergarten is that children be 5 by Oct. 15. It does not test incoming kindergartners to determine if they are ready to start.

LPS does offer services to help children ages 3 and 4 prepare for kindergarten, but they must meet specific criteria and be accepted into one of the ExCITE programs (Early Childhood Infant & Toddle Educare). ExCITE includes an early childhood special education program, Title I preschools and a Head Start program.

Last year ExCITE offered half-day programs at 20 elementary buildings and had 716 children enrolled on the final day of school.

"It's our time with a child alone in class," Schmidt said. "We offer a wide variety of experiences and consistency of approach that does not end when we send them home."