Countdown to Kindergarten How do I know if my child is ready?

Children don’t need to know how to read before they get to kindergarten – they will learn that when they get there. But there are many skills which they need to practice in order to get ready for kindergarten.

Here are some signs that your child is ready for kindergarten :

Social, Emotional and Self-Help Readiness

• Speaks understandably and talks in complete sentences of 5 to 6 words
• Separates easily from parents/caregivers without getting upset
• Asks for help when needed
• Plays cooperatively with others
• Follows simple instructions with 2 to 3 step directions
• Knows personal information (name, age, gender)

Physically

• Puts on and takes off outer clothing (jackets, hats mittens, boots)
• Fine motor skills (holds a pencil, buttons a shirt, zips a zipper, uses a fork, draws a person with head, body, arms and legs, draws a circle and a square without help)
• Large motor skills (hops, skips at least a little, pedals a 3-wheeler, pumps a swing, throws a ball, climbs a jungle gym)

General Knowledge

• Understands that actions have both a cause and an effect
• Sorts similar objects by color, size
• Counts to ten
• Identifies some labels and signs (like MacDonald’s and a stop sign)
• Shows understanding of general times of day

Language and Reading Readiness

• Knows that print has meaning
• Knows that letters are different from each other and have different names and are related to sounds
• Can retell a simple story in sequence Is interested in books and reading
• Expresses ideas and feelings
• Knows the names of things and uses appropriate vocabulary
• Matches rhyming sounds

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May 5, 2008