Step 3: Help Your Child Prepare for Kindergarten

Kindergarten Readiness
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Activities to Help Your Child Get Ready
The following activities are suggested for you to do with your child to develop kindergarten readiness. Don't worry about perfection. Let your child explore and develop new skills.
Language Development
- Read stories. Use the public library and read lots of different types of books. Talk about what you read.
Social Development
- Play with your child and arrange time for your child to play with other children.
- Try to find time to be apart from your child by leaving your child with a caregiver for short periods.
- Limit screen time.
Fine Motor Development
- Provide time for your child to use crayons and safety scissors, roll dough, help with sorting around the house, and other activities that involve using their hands.
Motor Development
- Go to the park or neighborhood playground.
- Encourage jumping, running, and marching.
- Play or dance indoors to music.
In addition, parents/caregivers, you can help your child be successful in Kindergarten by developing good sleep habits, eating healthy/nutritious foods, limiting screen time, and exposing your child to new environments, people, and places.
The Kindergarten Child
While there are no requirements for kindergarten readiness, it is helpful for your child to demonstrate the following characteristics and skills as they enter kindergarten.
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Social/Emotional/Behavioral Skills
- Shares and takes turns with peers
- Shows kindness and respect
- Shows self-control and an ability to wait
- Separates easily from family/caregiver to school
- Uses words to express emotions
- Follows directions and asks for help
- Can start and attend to a task for a sustained amount of time
- Participates in group activities
- Able to transition to new activities
- Follows school and classroom routines
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Physical/Adaptive Skills
- Manages clothing, backpack, bathroom use and outdoor gear independently
- Holds and uses pencil correctly
- Uses scissors to cut on a line
- Has an awareness of personal space by keeping hands and feet to self
- Is able to wipe and blow nose independently and coughs into elbow
- Is able to clean up after themselves (snack, toys, paper scraps, etc.)
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Literacy Skills
- Recognizes upper and lowercase letters
- Writes name with 1st letter uppercase and the rest lowercase
- Enjoys reading together and is careful handling books
- Understands that letters make sounds and can say some sounds for at least half (about 13) of the alphabet
- Identifies and labels colors
- Beginning to rhyme words
- Knows parents’ first and last name
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Communication Skills
- Speaks in five-to-six-word sentences
- Tells and listens to stories
- Sings songs and recites rhymes
- Asks questions
- Gives responses to simple questions
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Math Skills
- Sorts objects by color, shape, or size
- Names common shapes
- Identifies numbers 0-10
- Counts 1 to 20
- Counts 10 objects
- Can identify more or less