Kindergarten Readiness – Creating a Successful Student
Enrolling in kindergarten is a huge milestone in every child’s life and is typically surrounded by a variety of emotions. Although this is an exciting time, many parents often find themselves wondering “is my child ready for this?”. Kindergarten is a time full of learning and growth, and there are certain prerequisite skills that can help ensure a successful experience. The first formal year of schooling sets a solid foundation for the rest of your child’s academic career. Listed below are examples of academic, social, emotional, and physical skills beyond knowing their “abc’s and 123’s” that will help your child thrive in kindergarten!
Academic
- Sing the alphabet song
- Recognize some letters and letter sounds
- Count orally to 10 or higher
- Count a small group of objects
- Write their name
- Identify basic colors and shapes
Social & Emotional
- Share and take turns
- Follow simple directions
- Sit for short amounts of time
- Express feelings and communicate them
Physical
- Use the restroom and wash hands independently
- Correctly use scissors, glue, pencils, and crayons
- Put on coat and zips clothing
This list might seem overwhelming and unattainable. However, there are several easy, things you can do with your child at home to help them develop skills in these areas!
Literacy
To develop early literacy skills, read to your child frequently. Not only is this a time for learning, but reading with your child can be a bonding experience. Your child is likely in pre-reading phase of development and would benefit from retelling familiar stories, finding letters or words in books, looking through books to develop print concept, and practicing writing with a pencil and paper. One fun activity your child may enjoy is playing I-spy with letters on billboards, books, and stores around town!
Math
Developing math skills can be fun and painless as well! Counting how many chicken nuggets they have on their plate, how many seconds you are stopped at a red light in the car, or how many steps it takes to get around the block can provide your child with one-to-one correspondence and automaticity in counting! You can take it one step further by writing numbers together in chalk on the sidewalk, sand, or play doh to encourage number knowledge!
Social and Emotional
Social and emotional skills are developed through experience, so it is crucial for your child to have opportunities to share, take turns, lose games, and be patient! Teaching regulation strategies to work through hard emotions such as taking deep breaths, counting to five, or expressing their feelings can be beneficial as they reach this trying stage. Children will also benefit from being independent, so encourage your child to spend alone time occasionally playing, reading, or coloring.
Physical
Children develop physical skills such as motor skills on their own time, but there are several ways to strengthen these emerging skills to help prepare your child for school. Encourage your child to write on paper with pencil, practice cutting lines using scissors, and get dressed independently. Support their fine motor skills by providing pinching activities using things such as play doh, kinetic sand, and tweezers with cotton balls.
There are many children’s books about the first day of kindergarten that you can find at your local library to read with your child. “Llama, Llama, Misses Momma” by Anne Dewdney, “I’m Going to Kindergarten!” by Andrea Posner-Sanchez, “Benny the Brave in The First Day Jitters” by Julie Ann Penn and Darren Penn, and “The Berenstain Bears: Go To School” by Stan and Jan Berenstain are some first day of school books that you can read together with your child. Reading these books together can help your child understand what school will be like and get them excited for their new adventures in learning!
Erin O'Leary
Erin is a fourth-year primary teacher in Billings and a recent alum of the reading master’s degree program at Montana State University Billings. When she is not teaching, she enjoys coaching cheerleading, reading, and spending time with friends, family, and her puppy, Olive.
Kari Dahle-Huff, Ph, D.
Kari has been an educator in Montana and Minnesota for over 20 years in the field of literacy. Currently she teachers at Montana State University Billings in the Reading Master’s Degree Program. Kari specializes in adolescent literacy and rural education. She is also a mom to a 2nd grader and a 4th grader and two dogs.