What do teachers
really want your child to know on the first day of kindergarten? Kindergarten
is changing and parents are feeling pressure to prepare their children for
their first school experience. But while some may fret that reading and doing
addition are prerequisites for kindergarten these days, your child likely
possesses many of the skills they needs to be successful as they begins school.
“Some of the
things I would like my kids to know coming into kindergarten are alphabet and
some sounds, recognition of numbers 1-10, be able to write and recognize their
name” says kindergarten teacher. “It is also important for them to be able to follow
directions and to have the ability to express their feelings.”
Here are the 10
kindergarten readiness skills to focus on as you work with your child. Don't be
concerned if they does not have them all down before the first day of
kindergarten, as they will continue to work on them throughout the year. Try a
few activities listed for the skills your child might need to work on a bit
more before they starts school.
1. Writing
· Help your child
practice writing letters, especially the letters in their name.
· Teach your child how
to write their name with an uppercase first letter and the remaining letters in
lowercase.
· Write in finger paint or sand writing when go to beach side to make
practicing more fun and multisensory.
2. Letter Recognition
· Play games to help
your child recognize some letters of the alphabet.
· Play hide and seek
with refrigerator magnets.
· Rather than drilling
your child with flashcards, use them to play a game of alphabet go fish.
3. Recognice Sounds
· Make your child aware
of the sound.
· Play guessing sound
game with them; make them guess the sound of animals, vehicles or musical
instrument.
4. Number Recognition and Counting
· Count throughout the
day (for example, the crackers they are eating for snack)
· Point out numbers you
see in your environment and have your child name them (for example, the numbers
found on menu or street signs).
5. Colour
· If your child is
having trouble recognizing certain colors, you might add a little food coloring
to cookie dough, milk or vanilla pudding to emphasize those colors.
· Play games in which
your child finds objects of particular colors around the house or in the
neighborhood as you drive.
6. Shape
· Help your child
recognize basic shapes such as square and triangle by showing them how to draw on paper.
· Play with play dough
and cut out shapes, let your kids sort the shape into group.
7. Fine Motor Skills
· Give your child
several different writing options (colored pencils, crayons or markers) to help
keep her interested in writing and drawing.
· Playing with play
dough is a fun way to strengthen the muscles of the hand that will be used for
writing.
8. Reading Readiness
· Run your finger under
the words as you read to your child to help her learn that words go from left
to right and top to bottom.
· Read their favorite storybook
9. Attention and Following Directions
· Read lots of stories
with your child and work up to reading longer chapter books, one chapter each
night or as long as she remains interested and focused.
· Give your child two
and three step directions. For example: "put on your pajamas, brush your
teeth and pick a book to read."
· Play Simon Says with
two or three step directions. For example: "Simon Says jump up and down
and shout hooray."
10. Social Skills
· Give your children
opportunities to interact with other children in preschool, social groups or
play dates.
· Teach your child how
to express their feelings if they do not like something.
· Role-play different
situations their might experience on the playground or at school. Help them
find solutions for typical problems they might encounter.
Chances are you're
already practicing many of these skills your child will need for kindergarten.
Remember to keep it fun and don’t make it stressful for you or your child. With
just a little fun practice, your child will be prepared for her elementary
school debut!
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