Learn what kindergarten readiness looks like and how social-emotional skills prepare children to thrive with Denise Palmer.

What does it really mean to be ready for kindergarten?

In this episode of The Heartfelt Way, Denise Palmer, an experienced pre-K teacher in Heartfelt Impressions’ Great Start Readiness Program, joins host Rhonda Meyers to reframe one of the most common worries families face: kindergarten readiness. 

Denise shares how many families arrive concerned about ABCs, numbers and early reading. 

[00:05:49] “I always tell my parents that the letters and the numbers [are] gonna eventually come to them.”

Denise’s teaching focuses on independence, emotional regulation and social problem-solving. Those skills, she explains, are what allow children to thrive in a classroom with one teacher and many peers.

Throughout the conversation, Denise offers classroom examples that show how children learn readiness skills by working through conflict, collaborating with peers and being supported — not rescued — by adults. 

[00:13:32] “We like to make the children solve their own problems because we already know as we get older, we're gonna have problems forever.”

If you’re a parent worried your child isn’t “there yet,” or an educator supporting children on different timelines, this episode offers reassurance, perspective and hope. Readiness isn’t a checklist — it’s a foundation built through trust, relationships and time.

Preparing for Kindergarten: What Really Matters (Hint: It’s Not Worksheets)

Get Started

Download the App