Kindergarten Readiness

 
Skills to Help you Prepare your Child!

Dropout Prevention starts before the child enters school. The following list is a good place to start! Thank you to the Decatur-Morgan County, Alabama Chamber of Commerce for sharing!

Suggested K5 Readiness Skills

 

Personal Information:

° Knows full name

° Knows age

° Knows mother’s and father’s first name

° Begins to learn address and telephone number

° Begins to learn birth date

 

Reading/Language Skills:

° Holds a book and turns pages one at a time

° Identifies parts of a book (ex. front, back, title, pictures)

° Pays attention to a short story when it is read and can answer simple questions about it

° Retells parts of a story after listening to it

° Recognizes letters in name

° Identifies rhyming words

° Identifies beginning sounds in words (ex. b says “buh”)

 

Writing Skills:

° Recognizes name

° Writes first name

° Begins to draw pictures that are recognizable

° Works left to right

 

Math Skills:

° Recognizes shapes (ex. square, circle, triangle, rectangle, oval)

° Understands positional words (ex. up, down, behind, beside, in-front, first, middle, last)

° Sorts items by color, shape, size

° Understands words related to size (ex. more, less, big, small, long, short)

° Recognizes colors

° Counts 10 objects

° Counts from 1 to 10

° Begins to recognize numbers 1 to 10

° Extends a simple pattern (ex. red, yellow, red, yellow, red…)

 

Fine Motor Skills:

° Holds scissors correctly

° Holds a pencil or crayon correctly

° Cuts with scissors

° Begins to zip, button and snap

 

Gross Motor Skills:

° Runs, jumps, skips, climbs, hops and claps

° Walks backward

° Walks up and down stairs unassisted

° Begins to bounce, catch, throw, and kick a ball

 

Social and Behavioral Development:

° Solves problems while interacting with peers

° Speaks so an adult can understand

° Plays appropriately with other children

° Follows simple directions

° Waits turns and shares

° Speaks in simple sentences

° Asks questions about things around him/her

° Works for short periods of time without disturbing  others

° Cleans up after activities

° Participates in groups activities

° Practices self-control

° Exhibits respect for others

° Goes to restroom by himself/herself

° Practices good health habits (ex. washes hands)

° Practices good manners (ex. says “please”, “thank you”)

° Spends supervised time away from parents or guardians without anxiety

° Obeys rules

° Uses appropriate voice level

° Works independently

° Names body parts (ex. head, arms, legs)

° Begins to make healthy food choices

° Begins to practice personal safety

° Begins to manage time

° Uses fork or spoon at meal time