Illinois KIDS Assessment: What It Measures in Kindergarten

The Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is how Illinois public schools look at where children are when they start kindergarten. Teachers observe each child during roughly the first 40 days of school and rate their skills in three areas: social and emotional development, language and literacy, and math.

KIDS is not a test. Your child does not sit down with a paper, and there is nothing to study for. Here is how it works, what the results mean, and what actually helps children start kindergarten ready.

What KIDS measures

KIDS is built on the idea that readiness is more than knowing letters. The required readiness measures fall into three areas:

• Social and emotional development: following routines, managing feelings, getting along with other children, and keeping at a task.
• Language and literacy: listening and speaking, understanding stories, knowing letters and sounds, and early writing.
• Math: counting, understanding quantity, comparing amounts, and recognizing shapes and patterns.

Districts can add other measures, such as physical development or approaches to learning.

How teachers rate children

Teachers watch children during normal class activities: circle time, centers, play, snack and outdoor time. They take notes, collect samples of work and sometimes photos. Then they place each child on a scale that runs from early skills to more advanced ones. A child's rating shows where they are along a path of development, not a pass or fail.

Because it is based on everyday observation, a child who is shy in the first week is not stuck with that rating. Teachers look at what children do over several weeks.

What "ready" means in the statewide results

Illinois reports the share of children who show readiness in all three areas. That number has been low since KIDS began in 2017. According to an Advance Illinois report covered by NPR Illinois, it rose from 23.6% in 2018 to 31.6% in 2024. About a third of children did not show readiness in any of the three areas.

These numbers sound alarming, but keep two things in mind. The benchmarks are set high, and many children who are not "ready in all three" are close in one or two areas. Kindergarten exists to build these skills.

How parents see the results

Practice varies by district. Many schools share KIDS information at fall parent-teacher conferences, along with the teacher's own observations. Districts also report school-level results on the Illinois Report Card website. If you want to know how your child was rated, ask the teacher. See our list of parent-teacher conference questions.

What helps children feel ready for kindergarten

The skills KIDS looks at grow from everyday life far more than from worksheets.

For social and emotional skills

• Time in a group with other children, taking turns and sharing a teacher's attention
• Simple routines at home: putting on shoes, cleaning up toys, waiting for a turn to talk
• Naming feelings out loud, such as "You look frustrated. Let's take a breath."

For language and literacy

• Reading together every day and asking "What do you think happens next?"
• Rhyming games and songs
• Pointing out letters on signs and in your child's name

For math

• Counting stairs, snacks and toys
• Comparing: which pile has more, which tower is taller
• Board games with dice, puzzles and sorting laundry by color

Our post on how early kindergarten prepares kids for school has more ideas.

KIDS vs. other kindergarten assessments

• Kindergarten screening happens before or right at the start of school in some districts. It can be used to plan support or class placement.
• MAP Growth and similar computer tests are used by some schools to check reading and math progress during the year.
• KIDS is the statewide observation tool required in Illinois public kindergartens.

Frequently asked questions

Is KIDS required in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois public school kindergartens complete KIDS for their students each fall.

Can my child fail KIDS?

No. There is no pass or fail. It describes where your child is on a range of skills.

Should I prepare my child for KIDS?

There is nothing specific to prepare. Reading, talking, playing with other children and simple routines help far more than drills.

Does KIDS affect class placement?

KIDS is meant to guide teaching and show state trends. It is not used to keep children out of kindergarten.

Getting ready for kindergarten at Children's Land

Our pre-K program for four and five-year-olds builds the social, language and math skills children use in kindergarten through thematic units, STEAM projects and fine arts. Children's Land also offers a private kindergarten program with a 1:10 teacher-child ratio and MAP testing twice a year. Find a location or contact us to learn more.

Related reading: Pre-K vs Kindergarten: What Changes in the Classroom.