Kindergarten preparation checklist

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist - All About Kids

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

By aakids
Feb 16, 2021
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Many parents are preparing to sign their children up for Kindergarten this time of year. Some parents find themselves asking if their child is ready for Kindergarten or would another year of Pre-K suit them better. Learn about the type of skills that are expected of a Kindergarten student.

Language skills

Speak in complete sentences and be understood by others most of the time
Use words to express needs and wants
Understand two-step directions
Make comparisons and describe relationships between objects like big/little, under/over, and first/last

Reading readiness skills

Enjoy listening to stories
Know how to find the first page of a book and which way to flip the pages
Recognize familiar logos and signs, like stop signs
Recite the alphabet and identify most of the letters
Recognize and try to write their own name
Recognize when two words rhyme (like cat and bat)
Start to connect letter sounds to letters (like the sound of the first letter in their name)
Draw a picture to help express an idea

Math skills

Count from 1 to 10 without skipping numbers
Match a number to a group of five or fewer items (“I see three cats”)
Recognize and name basic shapes (square, circle, triangle, rectangle)
Understand more than and less than
Arrange three objects in the right order (like from smallest to biggest)
Name or point to the colors in a box of eight crayons

Self-care skills

Use the bathroom and wash up on their own
Get dressed on their own (but may still need help with buttons, zippers, and shoelaces)
Know and can say their first and last name and age

Social and emotional skills

Separate from a parent or caregiver without getting overly upset
Interact with other kids
Pay attention for at least five minutes to a task an adult is leading, like listening to directions for an activity or discussing the day’s weather during circle time

Fine motor skills

Use a pencil or crayon with some control
Use scissors
Copy basic shapes
Make distinct marks that look like letters and write some actual letters, especially the ones in their name
Put together a simple puzzle

Gross motor skills

Run
Jump with feet together
Hop on one foot
Climb stairs
Bounce a ball and try to catch it

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Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Checklist • Kids Activities Blog

ByMonica S Updated onMay 21, 2022

Is my child ready for kindergarten? It is a question that I asked three times. One with each kid!

Today we have made that much easier for you with a Kindergarten readiness checklist that you can print and check off skills that your child already has or needs to work on. Every kid deserves to BE READY for kindergarten!

Kindergarten-readiness can look different for each child, but we have some guidelines to help!

What should Kindergarteners Know?

Kindergarten is an exciting time for kids. There is a lot of learning, play and growth during the ages of 4-6. Going to school – kindergarten – plays a big role in preparing academic skills necessary for kids to be successful in elementary school. But…you don’t want to push them into a stressful situation they aren’t ready for!

We have a massive resource of kindergarten activities that will keep your 4-6 year old busy and learning.

Kindergarten Readiness – How to Know if Your Child is Read to Start Kindergarten

Although children develop at different rates, there are some skills that they need to have before entering kindergarten – which is why we made a printable list of tasks that children should be able to complete before taking this big step!

If you are wondering how to make this transition easier for your little one, first you need to make sure your little one is prepared for kindergarten.

Kindergarten Prep

As your toddler grows up and gets closer to entering kindergarten, you may be wondering these big questions:

How can I know if my child is ready for this step?
What does school readiness mean and how can I measure it?
Which skills are required for Kindergarten’s first day of school?

We know these questions, among many others, are constantly roaming around your mind.

Deciding if your child is ready for kindergarten is a huge task. If you are looking for tips for getting ready for kindergarten, our kindergarten readiness checklist is just what you need.

When to Do the Kindergarten Checklist

I love using the kindergarten checklist as a loose guide of what types of activities and things my child needs to practice during the preschool years especially if you are doing preschool at home. There are so many ways to play with the needed skills and adds a little structure to activity time!

Playing together develops a lot of the skills children need to be ready for first day of Kindergarten!

Kindergarten Assessment Checklist

A printable version of the Kindergarten Readiness Skills Checklist is below…

How much do you know about the different types of skills children are expected to have when they start kindergarten? Did you know that there are preschool skills that every preschool curriculum includes so that kids are “ready for Kindergarten”?

Kindergarten-Ready Language Skills

Can name & recognize 5 colors
Can name & recognize 10+ letters
Can recognize own name in print
Matches letters to letter sounds they make
Recognizes words rhyme
Can write all or most of the letters of the alphabet in own first name
Recognizes common words and signs
Understands descriptive words like big, little, etc.
Can draw pictures to tell a story
Uses words to clearly verbalizes a story or own experiences
Follows two-step directions
Can answer who, what, when, where questions in complete sentences
Asks questions about how things work
Stars and joins in conversations
Recites common nursery rhymes
Shows interest in reading and being able to read
Holds and looks at a book correctly
Makes inferences about the plot of a story from the cover
Can retell a simple story
Speaks clearly and listens appropriately

Kindergarten Readiness Math Skills

Can order 3 things in a sequence
Can repeat a simple pattern
Matches 2 like things
Sorts objects by shape, color and size
Matches items that go together
Counts objects from 1-10
Orders numbers from 1-10
Identifies numbers from 1-10
Uses objects to demonstrate greater than and less than
Understands the amount a number represents
Adds and subtracts simple objects
Can draw a line, circle, rectangle, triangle and plus sign

Starts positive interactions with others
Takes turns, shares, plays with others
Resolves conflicts with peers appropriately
Expresses feelings appropriately
Responds appropriately to own and others’ feelings
Says “please”, “thank you” and expresses feelings in words
Tries to complete tasks
Holds writing instruments with control – See how to hold a pencil for help!
Uses scissors to cut with control
Can recite name – first and last name, address and phone number
Knows how old he/she is
Can use the bathroom, wash hands, get dressed including button shirts and put on shoes without assistance
Is able to adapt to new situations
Can run, jump, hop, throw, catch and bounce a ball

Download & print our Kindergarten Readiness Checklist to help identify your child’s readiness…

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist PDF – How to Download

Can your kid name and recognize five colors? Are they able to draw pictures to tell a story? Do they know how to take turns, share, and play with other kids? Can they express their feelings positively? Do they know how to count to 10?

Download Kindergarten Readiness Checklist PDF Here:

Remember that it’s completely normal for kids to have strong skills in one area while others are a bit weaker. And that’s fine!

Don’t put too much pressure on your child based on the Kindergarten Checklists, remember we all learn and develop at different speeds; and at the end of the day, this printable list is just a way to get an idea of where to offer your kids some extra help.

All ready for the first day of Kindergarten!

Free Resources for Kindergarten Prep

Check out over 1K preschool activities and craft ideas from Kids Activities Blog that can be a playful learning experience! Fun practice for things like writing, use scissors, basic shapes, gluing and more!
While you may never feel like a “homeschooler”, we have a massive resource of how to homeschool preschool that can help you fill in the gaps of any skills your child needs to expand.
Looking for some simple solutions to preschool learning? Our expansive list of best-selling preschool workbooks can assist.
It is not all about the education and facts that kids know. In fact, much of the preschool and Kindergarten learning process is through observation, play and learning. Check out this smart advice on teaching life skills to kids.
We have over 75 free Kindergarten worksheets that you can download and print as part of your Kindergarten readiness plan.

One of my favorite activities for igniting curiosity and enhancing fine motor skills are crafts! Here you will find 21 handpicked crafts for 3 year olds for everyday fun.

Even the littlest ones can start getting ready for kindergarten, no matter how young! These activities for 1 year olds are a sure way to encourage their development with super fun activities.

Language skills, reading readiness skills, math skills, social and emotional skills, fine motor skills, are just some of them. Help your little one develop these skills with hands on activities for kids which are both fun and engaging.

The transition to Kindergarten will be easier if kids are ready.

Making the Decision for Kindergarten

Bottom line here is every kid is different and you need to get as much data as you can to make this decision, but above all, trust your gut.

I mentioned that I had this question three times. My boys are now all teenagers, but I can still feel the stress of this question on me and my husband like it was yesterday!

And I felt like I made the wrong decision for one of my boys. I felt like that for YEARS…I was pushed into placing him in first grade when my heart said he would be better off in Kindergarten. It was a struggle at first for him as he tried to catch up in first grade. He was slow to pick up reading which only intensified my regret.

This month he was offered a very significant college scholarship and admittance to the honors college. I say that because as parents we are often very hard on ourselves when in reality we are doing the best we can. This decision is important, but so are the million other tiny decisions that follow.

Kids mature and learn at different paces and the best thing for us to do is try and support that in whatever way is possible.

You got this!

Monica S

how to prepare for school and kindergarten using the Shkola.

Moscow portal / City news / Moscow website

Education

August 11 at 09:20 adapt to a new stage in a child's life.

August is the time of active gathering and preparation for the new academic year. Two new thematic sections dedicated to preparing for school and kindergarten have been published on the School.Moscow portal: Let's Go to School! and "To kindergarten with joy!"

Specialists of the Moscow Department of Education and Science have collected all the useful information for parents of future first graders and kindergarten students: how to help children adapt to new stages in their lives, what they need to buy, how to equip a child’s workplace, and much more.

“Preparing for school and kindergarten is a responsible and exciting process for both children and parents. Especially if the kids go to first grade. Parents have a lot of questions and worries in their heads. Psychologists, teachers, pediatricians tried to answer the most important questions in our special projects. The most important thing remains for parents - to support children at this exciting moment and together create a real holiday for them on Knowledge Day, ”said Natalya Tsymbalenko , head of the PR service of the Moscow Department of Education and Science.

To remove unnecessary fuss, parents are invited to get acquainted with the special project "Let's go to school!" It contains all the most relevant and useful information. For example, the checklist "How to get your child ready for school" will save you from unnecessary expenses and will allow you not to forget anything. The advice of psychologists for a positive attitude to study will help you overcome anxiety and gain confidence. And in the "Doing homework" section, you can find out how to properly equip a student's workplace.

For those parents whose kids will go to kindergarten, a useful educational special project "Going to kindergarten with joy!" What skills and abilities will be useful for preschoolers in the first months of adaptation? How can moms and dads deal with anxiety? What to do if the baby cries or does not want to eat in a group? The longread provides answers to exciting questions. Psychologists, pediatricians, educators gave simple and effective advice so that the baby and his parents enter a new life stage of growing up with joy. In the special project, parents will also find detailed instructions on how to enroll a child in kindergarten, a checklist of necessary things, and much more. Winners of the Moscow Teachers of the Year 2022 competition in the Educator of the Year nomination Anna Gaidukova from Kindergarten School No. 1347 and Teacher-Psychologist of the Year Olga Antonova from School No. 305 share their experience of working with children.0003

You can find out more about how the school education system in the capital is changing and how it is changing on the Shkola.Moscow portal.

What is it important to teach a child to kindergarten: a detailed checklist

To send child to kindergarten, the desire of the parents alone is not enough. It is important that the baby can psychologically do without a mother. There are other skills that it is desirable to instill in a child by the time they enter kindergarten. Together with Nestogen® 4 baby milk, we have compiled a detailed checklist.

For advice, we went to the mother of three children, the owner of the family center and Master of Psychology Katerina Kovrova . The Belarusian graduated from the special faculty of social pedagogy and practical psychology in Minsk, trained in the USA, Sweden, Germany and other countries. But the main life experience has received thanks to the children. The older ones are already schoolchildren (16 and 11 years old), and the younger Bogdan is 1.9.

Just now, the mother is gradually preparing her child for kindergarten, taking into account the mistakes of the past years. With the eldest daughter, the parents put the child to bed at a time when it was convenient for adults. Because of this, the child did not live exactly according to the regime adopted in kindergarten, it took time to readjust.

The middle son went to kindergarten after he had the flu and Katerina was worried that he would get sick again. This anxiety played against the family - as a result, the child began to fully go to the garden closer to 4 years. But in general, the older children in the Kovrov family loved the kindergarten very much, they had excellent relations with the teachers.

Katerina plans to send Bogdan's youngest son to kindergarten closer to 3 years.

From her own experience, Katerina was convinced that such a social group as in kindergarten is difficult to find in the sandbox or in circles. In the garden, the child gets stressful for himself, learns to interact with a variety of children and adults - and this is a wonderful experience. But before you approach a new stage, here's what you want to teach your son or daughter.

Follow the daily routine

In the garden, children live according to a clear schedule, and if your child is not used to eating-sleeping-playing according to a certain schedule, it will be difficult for him. This is exactly what happened to Katerina with her eldest daughter.

- At that time we worked and studied a lot, went to bed late and followed the principle that it is the child who should adapt to adults, and not we to him. As a result, we had problems with sleep: late bedtime entailed other problems. When everyone sat down to have breakfast, we only came when we went to bed in the afternoon - she began to play with interest. It was difficult to readjust.

Katerina really wants to avoid such an experience with Bogdan, so she is already trying to live with her child according to the kindergarten schedule.

Follow the rules

If absolutely everything is allowed in the family, there are no clear rules, the kindergarten will seem like a real prison to him, because there “strict aunts” constantly “require something”.

— To avoid such an attitude, it is important to establish boundaries and rules in the family. For example, Bogdan eats only at the table (although he tried to climb onto the table more than once, but we insistently explain that this is not allowed). Before going to bed, he already puts his clothes on the chair, that is, he gets used to the fact that there is a certain order in the house that is important to follow.

Eat with a spoon, drink from a cup

When a child feels confident at the table, he will be happy to wait for breakfast and lunch in the garden. And it will be easier for caregivers when the child can fully eat on his own.

Katerina emphasizes that a baby is unlikely to learn to eat neatly in a week. You need to put him at the most simple table that is easy to clean, give a spoon and be patient. Do not be afraid that everything around will be dirty. Only in this way will the child learn to do without your help while eating.

— Another important point: teachers from kindergartens tell me that nowadays children often cannot chew. This is due to the fact that mothers use a blender for a very long time and do not give solid food. Here you need to fight your fears and accustom the child to the pieces in time.

Teaching to drink from a cup is also an important task. With Bogdan, for example, my mother avoided bottles and drinkers and immediately gave him a plastic cup.

Eat a variety of foods, try new things

Interest in different tastes also needs to be taught. Why is it important? The kindergarten menu is quite varied, Katerina explains. Moreover, in the diet of children there are such dishes that many families today forget about: beetroot salads, casseroles, stewed cabbage, squash caviar. If the child is not familiar with this food, it will be difficult for him.

— It happened to me with my middle son. We did not accustom him to garden food, and he could sit over a plate for 30 minutes. It’s good if the teacher says: “If you don’t want to eat, get up.” But some require that the child eat everything to the end. Therefore, Bogdan, for example, now eats everything with me: raw cabbage, and herring with potatoes, and drinks jelly. In general, I recommend that mothers find out in advance the menu in kindergarten and try to cook something similar.

Learn hygiene skills

By the age of 3, the child should already be able to go to the toilet by himself, take off his panties and put them on, and then be sure to wash his hands. All these skills are trained gradually - first you help the child, explain what soap is, why microbes are bad, and then you simply control the process, bringing it to automaticity. It is important that the child remembers hygiene without your prompts and reminders.

With potty training, it's also important to make sure it's a smooth process. It will be easier if the child has a well-established digestion process and the tummy works like a clock.

— My Bogdan still doesn't have all the signs of potty readiness, we plan to thoroughly address this issue in the summer, when it will be warm and there will be less clothes to wash. But now we have a pot, and it always stands in its place. I think that this issue should not be delayed. Although when I was an intern in America, I saw that some children go in diapers almost to school.

Know how to dress and undress independently

By the age of 3, a child is unlikely to be able to button up all his clothes with buttons or pull on tights, but to put on a simple blouse, T-shirt, put on sandals with a simple fastener - all this child is desirable to learn.

- It often happens that a mother is in a hurry and dresses the child herself, thereby taking away from him the coolest school of early development that can be. I usually reassure myself like this: now, when the child himself puts on this blouse, I spend time as efficiently as possible. This is equivalent to the fact that I will go to classes with the coolest early development teacher. After all, kids develop best in simple everyday things - this is learning for them.

Fall asleep without mother

Daytime naps must be scheduled, and it is desirable to adjust them to the time when the children sleep in the garden.

— Of course, it is better if the child knows how to fall asleep on his own, because the mother will not be around in the garden. Now there are many methods on how to do this, even marathons on the Internet on this topic are held. I can say that breaking habits is always more difficult, so it is advisable to accustom the child to independent sleep as early as possible. Just now we started to teach Bogdan: he falls asleep on his own, but then he can come to us, we shift several times to his bed, and then give up. But in the near future we will proceed to plan B, and I will not give up.

Clean up toys and books

When the child starts kindergarten, he will be required to keep order in the group. It is better to teach this to the baby in the family. If the child cannot collect all the toys at once, let him collect a part, and his mother will help him with the rest, Katerina advises.

Over time, you need to give the child more and more independence in this matter and learn to keep order. "Is everything clean?" Ask your child this question at the end of the game.

Communicate with other children, share toys

It is better if the child begins to develop communication skills even before he finds himself in a full-fledged children's team.

- We have a playground and a sandbox on the site, but we still go to the park with other children (due to the epidemiological situation, doctors recommend temporarily avoiding public places - ed. note). It is important that the child learns to interact with other children. And the mother should stop herself and not try to solve all the problems for the child, otherwise he will always wait for help from the parents. Let in small things, using the example of a conflict with someone else's shoulder blade, the child learns to look for solutions to complex issues.

Make up your own games and entertain yourself

Play is the most important activity for a preschool child. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to buy a lot of toys for a child, otherwise it will be more difficult for him to show his imagination, Katerina believes. In kindergarten, the ability to come up with different games with the same toys will be very useful for a child.

- Our toys fit in one box, and I am convinced that the child does not need more. The child plays with sticks, with home-made dough, with a mop, a bucket, can unscrew the lids from shampoo jars for a long time (do not throw them away!). I am convinced that the home is the ideal developmental environment for a child.

Of the developmental activities that should be offered to children under 3 years old, Katerina lists everything related to physical development. Horseback riding, sensory track walking, ball games, curb walks (this is a great balance exercise). Do not forget about fine motor skills, because in the garden the child will hold a pencil and draw with paints. But if the child has no interest in drawing, Katerina advises not to force. Let him sculpt from the dough, pick up garbage from the floor (and thereby train the pinch grip), wring out rags - in general, help in everyday life.

Can do at least a few hours without a mother

And, of course, it is important to gradually accustom the child to be without a mother, Katerina advises. It is better not to leave immediately for several hours, but to start with 10 minutes.

— One must be prepared for the fact that the child will cry, but the absence of mother for 10 minutes is the stress that he can withstand. Do not be afraid of tears, as the child's emotions are normally manifested. At the same time, it is very important that the mother does not disappear in an unknown direction, but says goodbye to the child, saying when she returns.

If even before kindergarten you separated from your child from time to time for a short period of time, it will be easier for both mother and child to survive the separation in the future.

And a few more life hacks from Katerina Kovrova

— Tell your child what kindergarten is. During walks, show where it is, and be sure to go to the garden in the evening when no one is there. It is important to explain to the baby that all the children go home in the evening, and when he goes to the garden, his mother will always pick him up too, he will never stay in the garden.

- Read books about kindergarten and good behavior to your child.