My child is ready to start Kindergarten...now what?

Here is a summer "to do" list to ready your child for their first day of Kindergarten:

Self Help Skills

• Can use bathroom independently and complete accompanying hygiene tasks
• Able to dress self (puts on coat, fastens snaps, buttons, and zippers)
• Ties own shoes- if not please wear Velcro or slip on shoes
• States full name and age

Social/Emotional Skills

• Separates from caregivers without excessive upset
• Plays/shares with other children
• Waits his/her turn
• Attends to an adult-directed task for at least 5 minutes
• Recognizes and responds to other people's feelings
• Uses "please" and "thank you"
• Be able to sit on carpet for short periods of time

Language Skills (Expressive and Receptive) " Expresses needs and wants verbally

• Uses words, not physical action, to express emotions such as anger or disappointment
• Understands and follows two-step directions
• Understands positional vocabulary (i.e. on top of, below, next to)
• Fine Motor Skills
• Holds pencil/crayon in a non-fisted grip
• Able to control scissors to complete an intentional task
• Traces lines and basic shapes
• Copies basic figures such as circle, square, and a straight line
• Open containers/ snack packages
• Be familiar with using a glue stick

Math Skills

• Counts from 1 to 10
• Recognizes/points to/identifies basic shapes (square, circle, triangle, rectangle)
• Beginning to count with one-to-one correspondence
• Can sort items by one or more attributes
• Identifies, either verbally or by pointing to, colors of crayons in the 8-count box (black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, purple, yellow)

Literacy/Phonemic Awareness Skills

• Enjoys being read to/listening to stories
• Recognizes environmental print (familiar logos, signs, and words)
• Knows how to handle a book (i.e. holds book right side up, knows where it starts and ends)
• Recites the alphabet
• Knows some upper and lower case letters and the sounds they make
• Recognizes own name in print
• Able to discern whether or not two words rhyme, may be able to provide a third rhyme for the words
• Can write own name or other ideas by using symbols or letters
• Can draw a picture to express an idea