What should a child be able to do before starting kindergarten?

Question

My son will be starting kindergarten in the fall. I think he's ready, but what are some kindergarten readiness skills they should have prior to starting? Any helpful websites are welcome. I want his first year to be as successful as possible! Thanks.

Answer 1

as the others have said the knowledge levels are different in each state, school district and or private school.

if you can talk to your childs current preschool teacher or just a kindergarten teacher in general they can tell you the specifics for that particular school.

on average these are the basic skills that most schools would like your child to be able to do when they are starting kindergarten.

be able to dress themselves --not necc including tying shoes, but able to put on and take off all clothing, socks , shoes, put on coat, hat with some help for buttons and zippers etc

be able to share toys, space, etc--with a minimum of assistance

be able to feed themselves--using spoon, fork and at least spread soft items like butter, peanut butter, etc

know how to pick up and return items to their places, after playing(or at least be willing to help others do it)

be able to recognize at least their first name and poss. their last name (some require the child be able to write their first name)---(beware DO NOT TEACH YOUR CHILD TO ONLY WRITE THEIR NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS--it only sets them and you up for failure and frustration--teach them the first letter is capital and the rest are lower case---children first recognize their names as a shape not as seperate letters)

be able to sit for short periods of time like 10-20 minutes at a time

be able to use some writing/drawing tools--markers, crayons, pencils, pens, paint(water color mostly). and at least be familiar with scissors

also be able to recognize if not name some basic colors, shapes, and positional phrases(in/out, up/down, bottom/top, on/off, first/last)

these are some really basic steps but are all important in the scheme of kindergarten

most of all dont over burden your child with any of these items without teaching them how to use their imaginations for play because play is the most important thing in a childs life and scheme of learning

Answer 2

Your child should be able to write his first name, know his numbers at least 1-10. Know his ABC's and recognize both upper and lower case. They should be detailed in their talking, describing things and making longer than just a 5 or 6 word sentence. They should be able to hop up and down on one foot and also skip. They should be disciplined in the manner that they can follow directions and go through with more than one task at a time. It is a lot different now then it was when I was in school. In kindergarten, all I did was letters and colors. My son had to take an assessment before entering kindergarten and if he didn't pass, he would not have been allowed into kindergarten. Every child learns at their own pace, so don't over do it - just make sure you are taking every "fun" moment and making it a learning one. I'm sure you will be fine.

Answer 3

It really depends on where you live. The standards are different from state to state and city to city.

I can tell you that, from a parent's perspective, I wish that there would be a more federally mandated criterion. My daughter has a late birthday (November), so she is almost the youngest in her class. Here, the cutoff is December 31. If we still lived in Maryland, she wouldn't be starting kindergarten until NEXT September. All of this is quite unfair to me, as I would much rather that my daughter was ahead of the class instead of the youngest.

All that aside, the standards for kindergarten entrance vary greatly. My friend who lives in another state told me that her son would not be admitted to kindergarten until he could master writing his first and last name.

My daughter was screened more generally. They concentrated on how well she separated, how well she interacted with peers, how well she could write her name, and how well she could solve basic problems (ie. puzzles). But had she not completed any of the above tasks, she would have still been admitted to kindergarten. Kids are really only told to stay back here if they have pretty significant cognitive or social delays.

So I'd question the local school district and find what they recommend.

Answer 4

As a teacher, I will tell you what a shining star will know prior to entering kindergarten.

1.) How to write his name in capital letters. Last name would be a n added bonus.
2.) Recognize numbers,shapes and colors.
3.) Recognize letters, mostly capital. (This is usually what schools teach first)
3.5) Counting by1s, 10s, 5s. is usually taught in most preKs.
4.) Interest in reading and books
5.) Ability to respect and socialize with other kids

Some kids can already read entering kinder. Although this is rare, it does happen. If your kid knows how to write letters and know sounds, he is ahead of the game.

Answer 5

you could contact your daughter's kindergarten & ask if they have a Kindergarten Ready Check list... She should be able to write her name. colors, get herself dressed, etc For enrichment. you could conduct your own "circle time" Talking every day about what day of the week it is, the months of the year, what's the weather like today? ETC... During this time you could review her phone number, address, spell her name out loud & mom/Dad's first names... What an exciting time! Best of luck

Answer 6

Things like tying their shoes, colouring, telling time perhaps. If you want, there are toys and games you can buy to prepare your child for school and equip them with the skills they need for kindergarten or first year of school.

Answer 7

your child should be able to at least know the primary colors, recognize shapes, can count 1-10 and able to learn the ABC.I am sure your child already knows these, in kindergarten there isnt much pressure to the children, they will learn throuh play using their senses.
MERRY XMAS

Answer 8

you need to just call the school that your child will be attending, our school passes out a letter to all the preschools that tell you what they "would like" your child to know by kindergarten, mostly they need to know their abc's, their name, how to spell it(at least first name), know primary colors, they prefer them to know how to tie their shoes and dress themselves, ie zip and button coats, pants ect. and they check some motor skills too.

Answer 9

You need to call the school to see if he will have to take a test to enter. Our school does this, can't remember what all was on it. It was simple, something like write your name, write numbers 1-10, know colors, shapes, etc.

Answer 10

follow simple directions--"sit, be quiet, stop talking"
know their colors
know their shapes
know what numbers are
hop on two feet
play with clay
write their name
the alphabet song

read to your child everyday
explain the word to him
write stories together

every moment is for learning.
Read "everything your kindergartner needs to know" by E.D. Hirsch.