What is the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment?

The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment is a state-wide assessment that helps teachers identify the literacy and numeracy skills which your child brings with them at the beginning of kindergarten. The Best Start Kindergarten assessment has been conducted in NSW public schools since 2010 and helps teachers understand a student’s literacy and numeracy knowledge upon entry to school.

The assessment does not require students to prepare or study, so don’t be concerned if your child can’t answer all the questions. The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment provides teachers with information so they can plan effective teaching and learning programs.

The assessment takes about 20 minutes each for the literacy and numeracy parts. Teachers usually conduct the literacy and numeracy components separately. The assessment is conducted one-on-one by your child's classroom teacher who will make sure that your child feels at ease and is comfortable.

The literacy tasks are designed to identify a range of skills, such as word, sound and letter recognition, early writing abilities and ability to retell storylines from books that are read to them.

The numeracy tasks are related to early number concepts. They identify a range of skills such as number recognition, counting, early addition and subtraction skills and ability to recognise repeating patterns.

All of these are important literacy and numeracy skills that students will develop in their first year of school and beyond.

Teachers may organise a follow up meeting with you, as the parent or caregiver, with information about the skills your child demonstrated during the assessment and ideas about how you can support your child during the first year at school. For ways to engage your child in literacy and numeracy at home, please visit the Department of Education’s website – education.nsw. gov.au.