Getting Ready For Kindergarten
Please work with your child on these skills ...
Saying their first AND last name clearly + confidently
Recognizing their first name in lower case printing (e.g. Anthony vs. ANTHONY)
Stating their birthdate and current age (e.g. My Birthday is on July 16th, I am 5 years old)
Start practicing their phone number and address - working towards memorization
How to twist open a glue stick lid. Twist up the glue and twist it down and put the lid back on.
How to place fingers into the holes on a pair of scissors. How to cut with the thumb on top.
How to hold a pencil, marker or crayon with a strong tripod grasp.
How to stay organized and keep track of their personal belongings.
Before School Starts
Set up a consistent bedtime routine/time, even through the summer - 7:00pm-7:00am is ideal
Two weeks before school begins make a big effort to stick to this sleep and wake time in preparation for starting school.
Read to your child every night as part of the bedtime routine to help foster a love of literature.
Keep screen time to a minimum (The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends NO more than 1 hour per day and NO screens at least 2 hours before bedtime)
Practice opening and closing their lunch box and all snacks - pouch lids, yogurt tubes, applesauce cups, granola bar wrappers - and practice eating within a 20 minute time frame - with good table manners (e.g. tummy to table, chew with mouth closed, feet on the floor, wipe up crumbs/wipe face after eating.)
Screen Time
Limit Screen time to 1 hour or less per day of HIGH-QUALITY programming that is AGE APPROPRIATE and thoughtfully selected to enhance your child's development.
PG 14 or adult content is not appropriate for kindergarten-age children to see or hear, even if it is "just in the background". We often have students in class who complain of nightmares or difficulty sleeping due to being exposed to adult movies or video games that they cannot fully process or understand.
For help selecting age-appropriate content, you can visit Common Sense Media- https://www.commonsensemedia.org/social-media-social-life-infographic
Printing - Lowercase
Printing Guidelines
Printing Workout
Fine Motor Milestones
Between the ages of 3-4 years, your child will:
Build a tower of 9-10 small blocks
Use playdough to make balls, snakes, cookies, etc.
Build things with large linking blocks, such as Megablocks or Duplo
Draw a circle by herself
Copy a cross (+)
Imitate you drawing a square
Start to hold a crayon or pencil with a mature grasp (like an adult)
Cut across a piece of paper
Start to cut along a straight line
Manage buttons
Put on most items of clothing by herself, but may still need help with shirts and jackets
Feed himself well with a spoon and fork
Red Flags for Fine Motor Development (4 years)
If you notice some of the following things about your child by the time he is 4 years old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional such as an occupational therapist.
His movements seem shaky or stiff
Her arms and hands seem very weak
She is not able to cut across a piece of paper with scissors
He cannot copy a cross (+)
She is not able to draw a circle and straight lines by herself
She cannot string ½ inch beads onto a lace
He cannot use a fork and spoon well
She is not able to put on her own pants, loose socks and shoes
Between the ages of 4-5 years, your child will:
Start to use one hand consistently for fine motor tasks
Cut along a straight line with scissors
Start to cut along a curved line, like a circle
Draw a cross by herself (+)
Copy a square
Begin to draw diagonal lines, like in a triangle
Start to colour inside the lines of a picture
Start to draw pictures that are recognizable
Build things with smaller linking blocks, such as Duplo or Lego
Put on his own clothing, but may still need help with fasteners like buttons/zippers
Start to spread butter or cut soft foods with a small table knife (with supervision)
Start to learn to print some capital letters
Red Flags for Fine Motor Development (5 years)
If you notice some of the following things about your child by the time she is 5 years old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional such as an occupational therapist.
His movements seem shaky or stiff
Her arms and hands seem very weak
He is not able to cut along a straight line
She is not holding her crayons or pencils with her thumb and fingers
He is not able to draw a circle, square and cross (+)
She is not able to put on her own shirts, pants, socks, and shoes (with some help with fasteners)
He is not able to feed himself well with a spoon and fork