Kindergarten ReadinessHelp Your Child be Prepared for Kindergarten! He or she should be able to: Personal / Social / Emotional Skills• Separate from parent/spends extended periods of time away from home• Demonstrate self control, accept “no” (i.e. rarely has physical and verbal outbursts, tantrums)• Express feelings appropriately• Show respect to others and property, care for own belongings• Use good manners (say please & thankyou, wait patiently)• Demonstrate independence (i.e. toileting, dressing, hygiene, safety)• Listen to and follow directions• Focus on a non-electronic activity for a reasonable amount of time (5 minutes or longer)• Participate in small and large group/play with others, sit in circle time for 15 minutes• Take turns and share with others• Give your child experiences outside of the home and talk about them (i.e. parks, zoo, fire station, library)• Take pride in work and demonstrate good work habits by putting forth best effort• Speak clearly so any adult can understand• Say and recognize first name, know parents’ first names• Understands being a friend (no bullying)• Name the parts of the body• Can change easily from one activity to another• Understand the concept of 911 and what to doCreative Skills• Demonstrate desire to learn/curiousExperiences with: • Music/Dance• Imaginative play/pretending• Nature/outside play• Different textures (i.e. clay, playdough, water, sand, paint, shaving cream)Large Motor Skills• Walk/run independently• Walk up and down stairs• Move within own space with coordinationFine Motor Skills• Can write first name (first letter only capitalized)• Use scissors, pencils and crayons appropriately • Manipulate small objects such as legos, beads, buttons, snaps.*If your child does not know how to tie shoes, please send Velcro close shoes. (keep practicing to tie at home!)Math Skills• Identify number 0-10• Verbally count to 30• Points to each item as child counts to 10• Play board games (i.e. Candyland, Uno, Don’t Break the Ice, Chutes and Ladders, Memory, Missing Number 1_3)• Distinguish between numbers and lettersBegin to understand: • Shapes/Colors/Numbers• Counting/Sorting/Patterning/Sequencing/Opposites• Money• Time (day/night, now/later)Reading/Language Skills• Follow 3-step directions• Say nursery rhymes / rhyme words• Recognize and name approximately half the upper case letters of the alphabet• Recognize and name approximately half the lower case letters of the alphabet• Show interest in letter sounds• Make the beginning sounds of a word• Know the letters in his/her first and last names• Begin to connect printed words to language• Tell a story by looking at pictures in a book• Retell stories• Interest in new words• Handle and care for a book properly(i.e. front and back, right side up) Approaches to Learning: • Excited about learning • Excited about moving body• Seeks adult approval• Looks at and stays focused on teacher• Demonstrate conversation skills• Calls others by name• Try to solve problems• Knows it is OK to be “wrong”• Understand winning and losing• Use equipment properly/clean up• Show respect for environment• Understand male/female• Practice healthy choices• Drink water and eat healthy foods*Read, Read, Read to your child every day! Research has shown that children who are read to on a daily basis have greater success in school.*Talk, Talk, Talk to your child about what they are seeing and doing!*Listen, Listen, Listen to what your child has to say.We are here to help you answer your questions about School Readiness. Please contact Shannon Krikava, School Readiness Coordinator, (Community Ed) at 218-879-9291.
