The transition from Preschool to Kindergarten is a big jump in a child's life. It often means a longer school day and week, learning how to navigate the building and adjusting to a new set of rules and routines. Kindergarten is also an amazing time of growth and learning. Children increase their phonemic awareness and phonics skills to learn how to read and write. They gain an increased knowledge of number sense and begin adding and subtracting. Fine and gross motor skills also grow through writing tasks and playground time. The ability to play cooperatively also increases as children start to gain an ability to create play scenarios and engage with others. Kindergarten is such an exciting time but how do you know if your child is ready for it? Below is a list of skills that children would benefit from knowing prior to entering Kindergarten. However it is not a requirement and all children, regardless of learning level, are welcome in Kindergarten.
Beneficial Skills for Kindergarten Entry
*Color and Shape Identification *Count by Rote to 10
*Count 10 objects using 1:1 correspondence *Identify printed numerals 1-10
*Identify the upper and lowercase letters of their name *Provide personal information
*Write first name using all capitals or a mix of both *Draw a recognizable person
*Begin to isolate the first sound in a word *Average sentence length of 5 words
*Speech is understood roughly 100% of the time *Pencil grasp that uses three fingers
*Social/Emotional Skills include self awareness and self management