Self-Care Skills:

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• Uses the bathroom without help.

• Dresses himself/herself.

• Can snap, button, and/or zip.

• Knows how to wash his/her hands.

Language and Communication Skills:

Communication is a big part of kindergarten.  It is at the heart of being about to make needs knows, interact with friends and teachers, and asking and answering questions.

• Knows and says first and last name.

• Speaks in a way that is fairly understandable by unfamiliar adults.

• Uses complete sentences (5-6 words)

• Expresses frustration/anger with words.

• Can follow 2-to 3-step directions.

• Understands positional words (i.e., below, behind, on top of, next to)

• Understands questions and responds to them.

Social and Emotional Skills:

Getting along with others, sharing, being socially appropriate and independent is a huge part of being a part of a learning community

• Separates from caregiver easily or without undue distress.

• Explores new things and is willing to take some risks.

• Is beginning to play and share with other children without the need for constant supervision.

• Is able to ‘wait for his/her turn’ within a reasonable time.

• Focuses on an adult-directed activity for 5 minutes or longer.

• Recognizes other people having feelings.

• Responds appropriately to other people’s feelings.

Fine Motor Skills:

Small muscle coordination, or fine motor skills, helps to make children more independent in their classroom work and activities.

• Traces lines and basic shapes (circle, square, etc)

• Is able to copy basic shapes, including a circle, straight line and a square.

• Holds a writing utensil with a non-fisted grip.

• Can use scissors for an intentional task, though may not have mastered the task (i.e., cutting on a line)

Gross Motor Skills:

Strong gross motor control is important in helping students have the stamina to learn.  It gives them the ability and balance they need to sit through a lesson and enables them to interact physically (play!) with peers. 

• Is able to run and skip.

• Can do a two-footed jump and a one-legged hop.

• Alternates feet when climbing stairs.

• Can walk backwards.

• Is able to bounce a kickball.

• Attempts a two-handed catch of large ball.

Math Readiness:

Math concepts are important when your child begins to work with numbers, the ideas of “more” and “less,” and learning about fact families.

• Count from 1 to 10 without skipping numbers.

• Is able to identify basic shapes, either verbally or by pointing to them.

• Can or is beginning to count using one-to-one correspondence (pointing at each item in a pile as he/she counts)

• Can sort items by at least one way they are alike (by common attribute).

• Can identify the colors in an 8-count crayon box (black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, purple, yellow) either verbally or by pointing to the correct color.

Pre-reading and Literacy Skills:

Pre-reading skills are a precursor to knowing how to sequence a story, tell a story, understand that letters and words work together to make stories, and eventually begin to read sight words.

• Recites or sings the alphabet.

• Visually identifies some of the letters.

• Can match some letters to sounds or sounds to letters.

• Likes listening to stories/books.

• Recognizes own name when it is written or typed.

• Can tell if two words rhyme.

• Tries to write his/her own name, with the same letters or symbols each time.

• Can draw a picture to illustrate an idea.

• Recognizes some environmental print (i.e., the logo of favorite restaurant, food or other signs)

• Knows how to hold a book correctly (i.e., right side up, where the front cover is )