Step 3: Help Your Child Prepare for Kindergarten

Read stories. Use the public library and read lots of different types of books. Talk about what you read.

• 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.

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.

• Go to the park or neighborhood playground.
• Encourage jumping, running, and marching.
• Play or dance indoors to music.

• 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

• 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.)

• 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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• Speaks in five-to-six-word sentences
• Tells and listens to stories
• Sings songs and recites rhymes
• Asks questions
• Gives responses to simple questions

• 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