Kindergarten Readiness

Kindergarten marks the beginning of exciting new experiences for your child. These experiences include:

• Interacting with more people
  Kindergarten students interact with other teachers, other children and school staff.
• New settings and activities
  Kindergarten students will have opportunities to use a school gym, library, computer lab, cafeteria and ride a school bus.
• More structure and focus on learning
  Kindergarten classes have a set routine and students spend time in small and large group settings learning new concepts and skills in language arts, math, science, social studies, and fine arts.

Spend time speaking with your child in a positive manner about these new, exciting experiences!

Is My Child Ready?

It is important to remember that children develop at different times and at their own pace.  In general, a child who is starting kindergarten should be able to demonstrate the following skills:

Personal and Social Readiness

• Uses the bathroom independently
• Dresses self and buttons/snaps shirts and pants and zips zippers
• Knows own age and birthday
• Separates from parents easily
• Responds appropriately to adult authority
• Pays attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks
• Demonstrates self-control
• Completes tasks willingly
• Gets along well and shares with others
• Takes turns when playing with friends
• Shows an interest in learning and coming to school

Fine and Gross Motor Readiness

• Traces basic shapes
• Uses crayons, scissors and glue correctly
• Throws or catches a large ball
• Bounces a large ball

Communication Readiness

• Speaks clearly and communicates needs
• Uses phrases and sentences of five to six words
• Can say his or her full name
• Knows parents/guardians first and last names
• Follows spoken directions and rules
• Listens to a story without interrupting

Basic Cognitive Readiness

• Identifies basic colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black
• Shows an interest in books and learning to read
• Recognizes the difference between letters and numbers
• Identifies some alphabet letters
• Recognizes some letter sounds
• Understands positional words such as up, down, over, under, beside
• Recognizes first and last name in print
• Colors and writes (scribbles, tries to write letters and numbers)
• Counts to 10
• Shows an interest in numbers and counting