Soon summer will be here and soon my baby girl will be in KINDERGARTEN. Although it can be sad, I am thrilled...I don't want her to grow up to fast but I know she will learn a lot and have fun doing so. With all that in mind I decided to post about what your 4/5 year old needs to know by kindergarten. This list was actually given to me to help prepare my daughter for her Kindergarten Assessment.
Reading:
- familiarity with books
- letter knowledge (lower and uppercase)
- letter sound knowledge
- experience with rhyming words
- the difference between letters and words
Math:
- know difference between numbers and letters
- count to 30 or higher
- be able to count small groups of objects
- recognize colors
- know shapes
Writing/Speaking:
- Write first and last name
- handwriting practice
- repeat a sentence of 6-8 words
- practice letter sound relationships (ex: parent says sound student writes letter or parent says letter and student says sound)
Social Behavior:
- Walk themselves to classroom
- be able to unpack book bag
- clean up small messes independently
- be kind to others
- respond to directions from adults
- conflict resolution skills instead of tattling
- be able to sit and listen for up to 10 minutes
- Use restroom appropriately
General Knowledge:
- Know first and last name
- know phone number and address
- practice tying shoes
- know age and birthdate
- know parents name
- know how to dress themselves
- practice zipping and buttoning
- be able to follow 1 and 2 step directions
- correctly hold pencils and scissors and other fine motor skills
I hope this list does not overwhelm anyone. I know I was a bit overwhelmed when I first saw the list, but thankfully I have a daughter who is willing to learn. With that all said, I compiled a group of fun learning activities to kick off preparation for kindergarten. Enjoy.
How to tie shoes
Letter Knowledge
Recognizing Numbers
Counting objects
Differentiate between letters that look similar
Sight Words
I have used some of these/or some very similar learning activities with my daughter and she has enjoyed them...with LOTS of patience on my end.
Thanks to the internet their are numerous free printables or you can always go to the dollar tree and check out their school aisle; they have flashcards, dry erase boards, and so much more. oh yeah, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition works ALOT...especially with memorizing your phone number, birthdate, and how to spell name.
JESS, I was reading your post and when I saw the picture you posted for "counting objects" I couldn't help but laugh! Not because the picture was funny, but because E. (my 3 1/2 year old daughter)and I had made a counting chart using dry noodles together and then put it up on the wall awhile back now, and I couldn't help but laugh when I thought of it because E. kept sneaking over to our chart and snitching the dry noodles (thnakfully secured with tape, not glue) off of the chart to have as a strange and crunchy secret snack under the dining table (at least SHE thought it was a secret!). Great post!
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