WaKIDS Training and Webinars

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WaKIDS Office Hours

We invite administrators and teachers to attend our office hours to discuss any questions or concerns related to WaKIDS implementation.

Office Hours take place every 1st Wednesday of the month at 10 am.

Contact Information

The Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) is a transition process designed to ensure children have a successful start to their K-12 experience. By connecting the key adults in a child's life, WaKIDS fosters a supportive environment for young learners. Training sessions are available for kindergarten teachers, Transition to Kindergarten teachers, Special Education teachers working with kindergarteners, administrators, and support staff. 

Required WaKIDS 101

The WaKIDS 101 2025-26 summer training is now available for registration for any of the following sessions:

July 9 – August 6
August 13 – September10
September 17 – October 22

To register, please visit the WaKIDS 101 Course Registration Survey.

Starting WaKIDS 101 | Frequently Asked Question: This document will answer frequently asked questions for getting started with WaKIDS 101. Please consult this letter before contacting the OSPI WaKIDS Team or your WaKIDS 101 instructor.

Logging into WaKIDS for the First Time: This Logging Into Your WaKIDS For the First Time video shows you how to log into Canvas for the first time.

Note: Participants will have from the start date of the monthly session to the end date to complete their course. The amount of time they have available will depend on when they register, and no extensions will be granted. The whole course takes approximately 16 hours to complete. 16 clock hours will be provided after completion.

Any WaKIDS related questions can be directed to wakids@k12.wa.us.

Optional WaKIDS Trainings

The following optional WaKIDS trainings are now available for registration!

Training Descriptions

WaKIDS 101 is the one-time asynchronous online training required by Washington State (RCW 28A.150.315) for all kindergarten teachers new to WaKIDS, including Transition to Kindergarten teachers and certificated Special Education teachers who provide instruction to kindergarten children with disabilities.

WaKIDS 101

WaKIDS 101 is the one-time asynchronous online training required for all kindergarten teachers new to WaKIDS (including Transition to Kindergarten teachers and certificated Special Education teachers who provide instruction to kindergarten children with disabilities). This training includes the Interrater Reliability (IRR) which is embedded in the course. Participants will have from the start date of the monthly session to the end date to complete their course. The amount of time they have available will depend on when they register, and no extensions will be granted. The whole course takes approximately 16 hours to complete. 16 clock hours will be provided after completion.

Teachers must successfully complete WaKIDS 101 in order to administer WaKIDS.

WaKIDS 101 explores all three components of WaKIDS (Family Connection, Early Learning Collaboration, and Whole-child Assessment), elements of high-quality full-day kindergarten, documentation, observation, and the SmartTeach™ platform. Teachers will gain a better understanding of how observation is foundational to effective and developmentally appropriate instruction, how to create a developmentally appropriate and high-quality kindergarten environment, and will explore strategies and resources for collecting and leveling documentation.   

Please note: While WaKIDS 101 is a self-paced training, WaKIDS 101 instructors will be available throughout the training and will host optional weekly office hours.

WaKIDS for District and School Administrators Course

The WaKIDS for District and School Administrators course is designed for district and school administrators, including principals, assistant principals, early learning coordinators, district office administrators, and School Board members. This three-hour asynchronous course provides contextual information for the three components of WaKIDS (Family Connection, Early Learning Collaboration, and the Whole-child Assessment), as well an overview on how to leverage SmartTeach™ report functionalities to support teachers, data collection, and analysis.

The WaKIDS for District and School Administrators course is asynchronous and does not contain any in-person meetings. Participants can complete the three-hour course anytime within the training time period. Clock hours are not offered for this course.

This course is intended to prepare administrators to support teachers with WaKIDS. Completion of the course does not allow the participant to administer the Whole-child Assessment component of WaKIDS. If you need access to SmartTeach™ please contact your District Assessment Coordinator.

Additional details will be made available during the registration process.

WaKIDS 101 Refresher Course

The WaKIDS 101 Refresher course is a five-hour, self-paced asynchronous course designed for kindergarten teachers, Transitional Kindergarten teachers, certificated special education teachers who provide instruction to kindergarten children with disabilities who previously completed WaKIDS 101 but wish to refresh their knowledge. This five-hour online course offers a light review of Family Connection, Early Learning Collaboration, and components of a high-quality full-day kindergarten classroom. The WaKIDS 101 Refresher course offers a deeper exploration into the Whole-child Assessment, collecting and leveling documentation, and leveraging components of SmartTeach™. Teachers who complete the WaKIDS 101 Refresher course will receive five clock hours.

Completion of WaKIDS 101 is required for course enrollment. Please note that the WaKIDS 101 Refresher course is asynchronous and does not contain any in-person meetings. Participants can complete the five-hour course anytime within the training time period.

Additional details will be made available during the registration process.

WaKIDS Support Staff Course

The Support Staff course is a three-hour, self-paced asynchronous course for staff supporting the implementation of WaKIDS. This training is designed for paraprofessionals, specialists, librarians, coaches, counselors, psychologists, etc who plan to support kindergarten teachers, Transitional Kindergarten teachers, certificated Special Education teachers who provide instruction to kindergarten children with disabilities. Participants who complete the WaKIDS Support Staff course can assist teachers in collecting documentation for the Whole-child Assessment.

The WaKIDS Support Staff course offers a brief overview of the three components of WaKIDS: Family Connection, Early Learning Collaboration, and the Whole-child Assessment. This course takes a deeper dive into the elements of high-quality full-day kindergarten and how to support teachers with observation and documentation collection for the Whole-child Assessment.

Please note that the WaKIDS Support Staff course is asynchronous and does not contain any in-person meetings. Participants can complete the three-hour course anytime within the training time period.

Additional details will be made available during the registration process.

WaKIDS Paraprofessionals Course

The WaKIDS for Paraprofessionals course is a three-hour, self-paced asynchronous course for staff supporting the implementation of WaKIDS. This training is designed for paraprofessional who plan to support kindergarten teachers, Transition to Kindergarten teachers, certificated Special Education teachers who provide instruction to kindergarten children with disabilities. Participants will receive a username to SmartTeach™ so they can assist teachers in collecting documentation for the Whole-child Assessment.

The WaKIDS for Paraprofessionals course offers a brief overview of the three components of WaKIDS: Family Connection, Early Learning Collaboration, and the Whole-child Assessment. This course takes a deeper dive into the elements of high-quality full-day kindergarten and how to support teachers with observation and documentation collection for the Whole-child Assessment. Paras who complete this course will receive three clock hours.

Please note that the WaKIDS for Paraprofessionals course is asynchronous and does not contain any in-person meetings. Participants can complete the three-hour course anytime within the training time period.

Additional details will be made available during the registration process.