All children develop at their pace. Listed below are some general activities that most children should be able to do or can practice doing to prepare for Kindergarten.
Language Skills
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Speak in complete sentences and be understood by others most of the time
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Use words to express needs and wants
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Understand two-step directions
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Make comparisons and describe relationships between objects like big/little, under/over, and first/last
Reading Readiness Skills
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Enjoy listening to stories
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Know how to find the first page of a book and which way to flip the pages
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Recognize familiar logos and signs, like stop signs
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Recite the alphabet and identify most of the letters
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Recognize and try to write their own name
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Recognize when two words rhyme (like cat and bat)
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Start to connect letter sounds to letters (like the sound of the first letter in their name)
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Draw a picture to help express an idea
Math Skills
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Count from 1 to 10 without skipping numbers
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Match a number to a group of five or fewer items (“I see three cats”)
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Recognize and name basic shapes (square, circle, triangle, rectangle)
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Understand more than and less than
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Arrange three objects in the right order (like from smallest to biggest)
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Name or point to the colors in a box of eight crayons
Self-Care Skills
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Use the bathroom and wash up on their own
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Get dressed on their own (but may still need help with buttons, zippers, and shoelaces)
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Know and can say their first and last name and age
Social and Emotional Skills
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Separate from a parent or caregiver without getting overly upset
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Interact with other kids
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Pay attention for at least five minutes to a task an adult is leading, like listening to directions for an activity or discussing the day’s weather during circle time
Fine Motor Skills
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Use a pencil or crayon with some control
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Use scissors
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Copy basic shapes
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Make distinct marks that look like letters and write some actual letters, especially the ones in their name
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Put together a simple puzzle
Gross Motor Skills
Here are some read aloud stories to share with your child about Kindergarten:
"Look Out Kindergaten, Here I Come!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHdX9dtb4Y
"Kindergarten Rocks!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzZHRmWnpE8
