Your child will need to have a strong foundation of basic skills in place before they start kindergarten. Austin's Imagination Station Learning Academy will help you and your child be ready for the upcoming school years. I have enclosed a checklist of things your child should know or be able to do before kindergarten. Lets work together starting today.
Basic Skills
Identifies colors
Carries on a conversation with peers and adults using complete sentences
Shows an interest in books and reading
Holds book and turns pages correctly
Is willing to complete tasks and try things that are difficult
Writes own name using a capital letter for first letter only
Social
Will listen to adults and follow directions
Cooperate with other children
Plays with other children and resolves conflicts without aggression
Sits for short periods of time (15 min.)
Follows rules
Understands and follows a 2-3 step, verbal direction
Personal Needs
Blows nose, covers sneeze, covers cough
Independently uses the toilet
Washes own hands
Snaps, buttons, zips own clothing
Takes off or puts on own outerwear independently
Ties shoes
Uses silverware correctly
Communicates personal needs in a complete sentence
Language
Identifies all the letters in their name (in random order)
Knows that letters have sounds
Is beginning to associate some sounds with the letters they know
Recites nursery rhymes from memory
Knows songs and rhymes
Participates in rhyming games and is able to discriminate words that rhyme
Identifies some letters in random order
Tells about an experience using complete sentences
Names many common things
Has a good vocabulary
Math
Identifies numbers 0-5 (most children know numbers to 10 coming into kindergarten)
Counts to 10 or higher (some children can count to 100)
Counts a small group of objects (5-10) with accuracy
Identifies basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
Understands the concepts of more/less
Uses and names coins
Fine Motor
Holds pencil, marker, crayon correctly
Colors carefully (selects appropriate colors and tries to stay in the lines)
Holds scissors correctly and has had experience cutting straight and curved lines with some accuracy
Successfully opens, closes, uses a glue bottle/glue stick
Correctly holds and uses fork, knife, and spoon
Practices zipping, buttoning, snapping, and tying
Parents
Limit T.V. watching and electronic toys
Establish a bedtime that gives your child 9-10 or more hours of sleep each night
See that your child has opportunities for rigorous physical activity outside daily
Take your child to the public library, park, etc.
Help your child develop independence in dressing, eating and personal hygiene
Interact frequently with your child each day by talking, listening
Provide toys, games and household objects that encourage exploration, manipulation and dramatic play
Provide many opportunities to play with other children
Encourage social values such as helpfulness, cooperation, sharing, and concern for others
Establish reasonable limits for behavior
Encourage work values such as effort, persistence, initiative and always doing their best
Read to your child. Talk together about the pictures and story. (Reading to your child is the most important thing parents can do to help their child become good readers.)
Read poems, nursery rhymes and sing songs together
Provide opportunities to play alphabet games, read alphabet books, and talk about letter names and sounds.
Provide pencils, markers, glue, scissors, crayons, paper and encourage drawing, scribbling and writing
Encourage responsibility by having your child pick up toys, care for belongings, and assist with simple chores
Practice his/her birthday, phone number and address
Play games, especially those that have educational value such as: number games, guessing games, card games, etc.
