My daughter will be moving up from kindergarten in a few weeks. When she was getting ready to enter kindergarten last year she was given an assessment of her skills to see where she falls in comparison to her classmates. While every child learns and develops at a different pace so the same things cannot be expected from every child schools like to see where children stand with certain skills. Below are some of the skills that my daughter was evaluated on and some of the skills that our district recommends children entering kindergarten have at least started to learn. I hope that this list helps in preparing your children for kindergarten!
Social Skills and Behavioral Skills
Is generally cooperative
Interacts easily with other children and with adults
Generally able to take turns and share
Cleans up after play
Seeks help to resolve conflicts
Follows one to two step directions
Generally understands what is being explained
Able to use the bathroom on their own
Alphabet, Writing, and Language
Knows their first and last name
Knows their address and phone number
Able to recite or sing the alphabet
Identifies upper and lower case letters
Recognizes sounds that some letters make
Grasps a pencil properly
Able to write their first name
Beginner ability to write the ABCs
Ability to listen to stories aloud
Mathematical Skills
Able to identify four shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle)
Can draw a line and basic shapes
Sorts by color, shape, and size
Recognizes simple patterns and the ability to duplicate them
Identifies numbers 1 through 10
Beginning to learn or know how to learn to write numbers 1 - 10
Able to count to 20
Understands and uses measurements such as big and little, short/long and less/more.
Understands the concept of opposites
Able to recognize positions and directions such as up and down, in and out, above and below.
Motor Skills
Walk a straight line
Jumps in place landing on two feet
Balances on one foot for 5 seconds
Able to throw a ball
Stacks blocks
Grasps scissors correctly
Able to cut a line in paper
Understands how to use a glue stick
Completes simple puzzles
Able to flatten, roll a ball, and make a snake from play doh
Able to button and zipper
Arts and Music
Able to identify colors
Willing to use a variety of art materials
Participates in music classes with singing and dance movements
Plays make believe and can pretend
There are many resources that can help to prepare your children for kindergarten such as educational apps, learning websites, and workbooks. There are also many learning games that you can find to help children with some of these skills. Incorporating skills into fun activities is also an awesome way to help children to learn some of these concepts!
I so totally agree with all the skills you have listed. It's why I like having kids go to pre-k before actually heading into kindergarten. It sure does help a bit.
ReplyDeleteI still don't have some of those motor skills and since I am almost 65 guess I never will--I think my double vision has something to do with it and the fact that I am a natural born KLUTZ!! That seems like a lot to expect out of a child that young-but I guess they know what they are doing----
ReplyDeleteThis is really a great comprehensive list for parents. Especially parents with their first child getting ready to attend kindergarten. My kids are through college now but I think they had most of these skills. They did go to pre-school part time before Kinder so that helped also.
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting this list together. I still have one more kiddo who need to go off to school in a couple years.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very helpful list! I am sure it is going to come in handy for those parents that have children starting school soon!
ReplyDelete