Below you will find a list of what your child should know or be able to perform before entering Kindergarten. The more your child knows, the easier the transition into Kindergarten.
Identify colors and shapes
Identifying colors and shapes is a skill that children should be working on in preschool. You can work on this skill at home through drawing shapes and coloring them, using puzzles (Melissa and Doug have a great selection of puzzles), using of play-doh, and identifying shapes and colors found in every day activities.
Counting and Number Identification
Before entering Kindergarten, it is beneficial for your child to have knowledge of numbers and be able to count with one-to-one correspondence. Children should be able to identify numbers 0 – 10 (teen numbers will be taught during the school year). To help your child identify numbers you can make flash cards, practice writing the numbers with your child, play puzzles that contain numbers, write numbers in shaving cream, and identify numbers in every day activities. Make counting a part of your daily routine. Children can count how many food items are on their plate, count the scoops used when giving a pet their food, count the steps as they walk up and down the stairs and so forth. Also, by the end of Kindergarten, students will be expected to count to 100. This takes time and a lot of practice!! Practice this skill daily.
Recognize and Write First NameR
A child should come into Kindergarten being able to recognize and write his or her first name. Also, they will need to be able to identify his or her name on folders, cubbies, work, lunch cards, and so forth. If children can recognize their names, then the start of the school year will be less stressful. Write your child’s name on paper and practice reading it and spelling it. Pick your child’s favorite medium to write with (pencil, crayons, markers) and work with your child on writing their name. If your child is having difficulty writing and holding a pencil, you can do hand-over-hand or write their name and have your child trace it.
Letters and Sounds
Being able to identify letters and sounds before entering Kindergarten will be a huge benefit to your child. Though your child will be taught letters and sounds at the beginning of Kindergarten, in most cases, letters and sounds will not be explicitly taught and may be more of a review. If your child does not have knowledge of letters and sounds when entering Kindergarten, it may be more difficult for your child and he or she may fall behind at the beginning of the school year. If your child has knowledge of all uppercase letters, the majority of lowercase letters, and about half of the sounds, they will be at a far better advantage entering school.
There are many ways to help your child learn their letters and sounds. Some examples include:
-alphabet puzzles
-uppercase and lowercase matching games
-flashcards
-picture association (to help with learning both letters and sounds)
-phonics songs (YouTube has an abundance of alphabet videos that teach both letters and sounds)
Writing
Your child will start writing at the beginning of the school year. A child’s first experience with writing will involve drawing pictures to tell a story. They will then progress to labeling pictures in their story, to writing a few words using inventive spelling, to writing short sentences. The more letter and sound knowledge your child has at the beginning of Kindergarten, the easier it will be for them to hear sounds in words and therefore write. Have your child write a story about an event, such as a birthday party or a game that was played.. Since your child has not yet started school, just work on the illustration. The illustration should match the story they tell.
Reading
As I wrote in a previous page on Sight Words, Kindergarten students will learn anywhere from 20 to 92 sight words (depending on the district and Sight Word List). Having knowledge of letters and sounds will put your child at a better advantage of learning the sight words and in learning to read. If your child has good knowledge of letters and sounds, visit downloads to obtain the list of sight words. It’s never too early to start learning sight words.
It’s Not All About Academics
Entering Kindergarten with some academic knowledge will greatly benefit your child. However, there are also other areas you can work on with your child to help make the transition into Kindergarten easier.
–Help Develop Independence at Home: Dressing self, using bathroom without assistance, provide child with daily responsibilities that are appropriate for his or her age.
–Focus on Self-Help Skills: blowing own nose, putting on jacket, washing hands. Also, remind your child it is okay to ask for help if they are struggling.
–Teach Responsibility: Putting own items in backpack, cleaning up toys, helping to complete family tasks with little to no reminders.
–Develop and Follow Routines: Set up routines that will help your child get ready for the school setting; getting up at the same time every morning, going to bed at the same time every night, eating breakfast together, getting dressed in the morning.
–Read Aloud to Your Child: a valuable activity that will help your child learn to read. Make reading stories fun. Read books about your child’s interests. Take them to the library. Swap books with friends or family members.
–Acknowledge Child’s Feelings: Avoid talking about school too much. Child may feel excited or nervous about starting school. Accept child’s feelings.