Wondering what your soon-to-be kindergartener needs to know before the first day? As a kindergarten teacher, I spent many days leading up to the start of school calming parents’ anxiety about their child’s transition. Not knowing what their child REALLY needed to know was unnerving. What does kindergarten readiness mean anyway?
To ease their uncertainty, I passed along this checklist of the top five skills I hope every child has mastered before he walks through my classroom doors. A few items might surprise you.
To help you get there, we have our Ultimate Preschool Activity Pack in our shop to prep you for all things kinder!
Pre-Reading Skills
Because kindergarten focuses so heavily on teaching children to read and write, ensure that your child has a solid foundation of pre-reading skills. Spend time reading with him everyday, talk about the books, sing rhyming songs and teach him the names and sounds of letters.
Buckling a Car Seat
Not only does buckling a seatbelt without help make the car pick up line move more smoothly, it also gives children the chance to build their independence. Kindergarteners need to be able to complete school projects on their own. After all, there is only one teacher in a room filled with many students. Buckling is a first step toward autonomy. A pretty surprising kindergarten readiness skill, right?
Basic Art Skills
Let’s face it: kindergarten is famous for creating irresistible art projects. Making sure that these activities don’t overwhelm your child requires knowing a few art basics.
Teach him how to cut with children’s scissors, take marker caps on and off, and draw simple stick figures. Your child will feel prepared to create masterpieces and will strengthen his hand muscles so that he can write heartwarming kindergarten stories for you later.
Follow Directions
Imagine a class filled with children who couldn’t follow directions. It would be a NIGHTMARE. Kindergarteners who know how to listen to a teacher’s request and follow through on it have a much easier time settling into class expectations. You can teach your child to follow two-step directions by:
- Playing Simon Says: “Simon says, ‘Jump on one leg and touch your nose.’”
- Following a cooking recipe: “Please crack two eggs into the bowl and whisk them.”
- Finishing chores around the house: “Please pick up your socks and put them in the laundry basket.”
Being a Good Friend
Learning how to start conversations, invite friends to play and apologize when we make mistakes is hard. Even for adults. You can give your soon-to-be-kindergartener a jumpstart by reading books on friendship, brainstorming with your child how to behave before he starts a play date and setting up play dates so that he has plenty of opportunity to practice. This is an essential kindergarten readiness skill and life skill as well!
Find More
With these five skills in place, your child will be well on his way to beginning kindergarten as an all-star. Want more? Check out our Ultimate Preschool Pack that takes the guess work out of helping your child get ready for school.
I love how your list is practical and process building! So many parents stress out about kindergarten, I love that your list is simple and straightforward.
Shared on my FB page!
Thank you for sharing, Megan!!
I love your list! I would just add learning board game skills like taking turns and good sportsmanship with winning or losing graciously, and reading spinners and dice, and counting spaces. My son’s teacher requested this when she realized many of her kindergartners had never played a board game before.
Great additions to this list, Erin!! Thank you for sharing.
I would love for you to link this post to my Back to School Traditions link up! It is awesome!http://www.jdaniel4smom.com/2012/08/back-to-school-tradtions-link-up.html
Thanks for the invitation! I just linked up and pinned the post to my “Back to School” Pinterest board. 🙂
My twin daughters started kindergarten today! I have 2 older children, and I totally agree with your suggestion about seatbelts. I try not to get irritated with the slow parents, but good grief, some of them go through a 5-minute production EVERY MORNING in the drop-off line as they get out of the car (NO!), help their child out unbuckle and get out, take out the backpack, help their child slip it on, hugs and kisses, on and on . . . the rest of us barely slow down as our kids jump out ; )
Thank you so much for linking up!
Art lessons will help enhance your kid s imaginative side. Children who are subjected to the humanities at an early age have high self-esteem and incredibly expressive. The arts may help create their psychological and emotional development.:
Latest posting produced by our personal web page
<.http://www.prettygoddess.com/
Great point, Jed!!
thank you for the list! I disagree with others about the seat belt. Most 5 year olds still fit best in a 5 point harness. I will not be switching my now 6 year old to a booster with seatbelt until it fits her properly. I know this can slow up a carline but safety must come before expediency.
Great post. I agree with the seat belt suggestion too!
Karen- I don’t think this point relates to safety necessarily. My kids can unbuckle both a 5 point harness and a regular seatbelt. I don’t think the recommendation was to change kids to boosters. I think teaching them to unbuckle a 5 pt harness carseat is just as important, and a much harder skill… which is great for building finger strength.
I’m a Kindergarten teacher, and I found this on Pinterest. The list is so simple, yet very important. Many times, kids some in without these basic skills. I’d love to have this list for incoming kindergarten students. Thanks so much! Sharing immediately.
Yay! I’m thrilled to read that you give these 5 skills a thumbs up too, Lisa. Thanks for sharing!!
Think your suggestions are so. Helpful, just might add…waiting your turn. AND walking in a line…those overwhelm a lot of kdg teachers…
Great additions, Karen!!
Hi. Having taught Kindergarten for 10 years I would also suggest that the parent teach and have their little ones practise doing up their coats (zippers and buttons) and putting on their shoes and boots.
Great tip, Brenda!! And if kids are still struggling with tying laces, velcro shoes are a great alternative. Building students’ independence is key.
Great tips.. Thanks for sharing!
Actually, knowing the names of letters does NOT help with reading; it hinders. The letter sounds are MUCH more important. However, as a kindergarten teacher, it’s my job to teach your child skills such as reading, writing their names, understanding the properties of 10 and so on. It’s nice if they’ve had a head-start but not essential. What I look for in my kindergarteners (and mind you, being from Ontario, Canada, my students come in at 3 or 4 years of age), are some independence skills, such as getting dressed to go outside on their own (velcro fastenings on shoes are a must!), a beginning understanding of how to share and take turns, how to treat others kindly, how to follow directions, TO RESPECT OTHERS (it’s sad how many don’t), and so on. It’s great if they can already count to 10, if they’ve been exposed to the use of numbers, and if they’re read to daily. These can all be achieved by joining a play group at a local library. Here, we also have free kindergarten readiness (and other) programs at provincial day cares. Being completely toilet trained is nice, too, but also not a requirement. In an ideal world, all parents would be like those who visit sites like these and actually take some time to play with their children and prepare them for school.Where I teach, this happens rather infrequently, alas.
Thanks for weighing in, Leslie!
I really like this video that features kids talking about the transition to Kindergarten. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching/transition
I’ve taught Kdg. for 17 years. We request that each child be able to manage all of the clothing that they wear to school. If they can’t tie shoes, please send them to school in slip on sneakers or velcro sneaks. If they can’t do a belt, don’t wear one. Our pleas fall on deaf ears much of the time.
I have students in Grade 3 and 4 who still cannot tie their shoes properly. I think a lot of parents believe that we teachers are supposed to teach EVERYTHING (including basic life skills and manners) to their child, and that home time is just for hanging out and playing.
I’m a Pre K (3-5year olds) teacher in Indianapolis. Three things I wish parents knew before send their kids to school are
1. Homework is not important, but reading and letting your children interact as you work around the house are.
2. Teach your kids that they don’t have to be perfect, but they do need to try.
3. Teach your children the skills to let others know when they are upset. (I teach my students that they have to talk with each other before coming to me, unless someone is hurting or going to hurt someone else).
Kids will learn to read and write mostly from interaction with teachers, peers, and their families. They need to learn to be a good citizen, friend, and to have confidence in their abilities at an early age.