A main goal of a kindergarten teacher's aide is to provide instructional support for the classroom teacher. This may include reading stories or providing additional instruction on an assignment with a group of students while the teacher is busy, or helping students when they need assistance with assignments. A kindergarten teacher's aide may also help students use computers or use other multimedia equipment.
A kindergarten teacher's aide also provides clerical support for the teacher. Aides may make copies of worksheets, enter grades into the grade book, cut out pieces for an art lesson or research to find information for an upcoming lesson. Teachers' aides may also file papers to be graded or returned to students or locate books for the classroom library.
One important goal for many teachers' aides is to provide personal assistance to students, often those with special needs. This assistance may involve providing special instruction for individual students or students in groups. The teacher's aide may also administer standardized tests for students with disabilities by reading difficult portions or helping students fill in their answers correctly. In the kindergarten classroom, some students with special needs may also require assistance with using the toilet, eating and tasks such as writing or coloring.
Maintaining good behavior in the classroom is an important goal for teachers' aides, who may be asked to work with children who display behavioral problems. Teachers' aides may also keep students quiet during the lesson to minimize classroom disruption, as well as monitor student behavior in the lunch room or on the playground during recess.