Getting Your Preschool Child Kindergarten Ready
There are many ways to help your child be kindergarten ready. They don’t need to be reading by themselves, or capable of sitting for 8 hours, to be ready for the classroom environment! However, there are some key ideas that your little one needs to understand. Working at home or letting them develop skills in a curriculum-based preschool are both viable options for helping them grasp these concepts.
Social and Language Development
A child ready for kindergarten should have some awareness that they belong to a larger community. Their sense of citizenship, and their willingness to pitch in for the good of those around them, will help them have a better transition to a classroom setting. Encourage this concept by giving your child simple household chores, like making their bed or cleaning up after themselves. Preschool can also be a perfect way to help your child socialize and learn how to behave in a structured environment.
Language skills can be developed by identifying and writing letters and sounds. Read to them every day, and try to instill a love of reading. Ask them questions about what happened in the story so they can hone their comprehension skills.
A kindergarten ready child should be able to:
- take turns
- ask for help with a difficult task
- follow two-step directions
- listen during reading time
- identify and draw most upper and lowercase letters
Cognitive Development
Talking about nutrition (fruits/vegetables), directions (up/down, over/under), and numbers (we walked 10 steps), will help your child be cognitively ready for their next stage of learning. The grocery store or garden is a wonderful place to teach your child about fresh food and healthy eating, and counting things you see throughout the day is excellent practice.
Preschool can also be a wonderful way to get past these more challenging cognitive hurdles. Preschoolers enrolled in curriculum based preschool, such as FCS, enjoy the benefits of a program that teaches reading, writing, math and motor development in fun and purposeful ways.
A kindergarten ready child should be able to:
- write the numbers 1 – 10
- sort things by color or shape
- understand opposites, like big/little or short/tall
- make patterns with color
Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Time spent in front of a computer screen detracts from a child’s ability to develop fine and gross motor skills. While interacting with an iPad can be highly educational, make sure your child is spending plenty of time with crayons and paper. Let them draw, write, and color! To work on gross motor skills, like jumping and running, give them daily outdoor play. Learning to hold a pencil correctly, or balance on a beam, are more important than you may think.
A kindergarten ready child should be able to:
- stack blocks
- cut shapes with scissors
- write their name, starting each letter from the top
- run, jump, and skip
Creative Arts
Get creative with your child, letting them paint or do crafts. Also, imaginary play should be encouraged! Let them make believe, and occasionally join them in the world they’ve created.
A kindergarten ready child should be able to:
- recognize the colors of the rainbow, or a basic crayon box
- be inventive during craft time
How do you know if your child is kindergarten ready?
As a parent, you will likely see signs of your child’s readiness for kindergarten. If they can follow simple directions, sit still, use the bathroom by themselves, recognize some letters and numbers, and get along with other children, there is a good chance kindergarten is their next step. At Fredericksburg Christian School, we take time to assess each child to make sure they are placed in an environment where they can succeed. Learn about our admissions process, or call 540-373-5355 for more information.
Resources:
Preschool at Fredericksburg Christian
http://www.icanteachmychild.com/71-things-your-child-needs-to-know-before-kindergarten/
http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/starting-preschool/curriculum/why-preschool-matters/
https://www.care.com/a/8-signs-that-your-child-is-ready-to-start-kindergarten-1207130719