Kindergarten Readiness

As your child grows, you’ll want to watch for signs that he or she is growing and getting ready to step into the new world of school and kindergarten.

We asked some local teachers for the skills and behaviors they like to see on the first day of kindergarten and they gave us tons of ideas! Some you might expect, liking knowing the ABC’s, and some you may not have thought of yet, like having the patience to stand in line without bumping their neighbor.

There’s no reason to expect your child will have mastered all these traits, but you can use this list to get an idea of where they are, and possibly start working on some areas where they are not quite up to speed.

Your child will be ready to step into kindergarten if he or she:

• Is able to sit and listen to stories read aloud
• Puts on outside clothes all by themselves
• Counts to ten
• Plays and shares with others
• Able to say their first name AND last name
• Is able to write their first name (or is at least trying to)
• Tells an adult if something is wrong
• Tells an adult when they need help
• Takes care of basic needs on own (restroom, tissues, etc)
• Reads – or pretends to read
• Can sing or recite nursery rhymes
• Uses scissors and glue
• Can follow two step directions
• Can sing the alphabet
• Ties shoes on their own
• Take turns and shares
• Knows their phone number
• Has the ability to regulate their emotions
• Interacts with other children while playing
• Can make it through the day without a nap or melting down
• Can sit in a group