Getting Your Child Ready For Kindergarten

We encourage you to work with your child on the bolded skills first, then move on to the other skills:

• Knows their given name.
• Can write their name, using a capital letter for the first
• Knows all the letter names.
• Knows 10 or more letter sounds.
• Can identify the first sound in a word.
• Can identify the numbers 0-10.
• Can count out loud to 20.
• Can follow one- or two-step directions (for example: “Please pick up your shoes and put them in the closet.”)
• Listens attentively for 10 minutes (for example: when you are reading to them).
• Takes turns and shares toys.
• Verbally states their feelings (for example: “I feel … “).
• Can go to the bathroom by themselves.
• Is able to snap, button and/or zip pants and/or shirt.
• Knows cheers, chants or songs
• Recognizes the letters in their name.
• Can tell a story in sequence: beginning, middle and end.
• Can follow words left to right, top to bottom, page to
• Can draw a picture of themselves that includes: head, eyes, nose and mouth.
• Can break words into syllables.
• Can retell a story or event.
• Knows geometric shapes, such as circle, triangle, square rectangle
• Recognizes and says nine colors (yellow, red, blue, green, orange, purple, black, white, brown).
• Can sort items by color, shape or size (for example: separate small marbles from large marbles).
• Can point to and count 10 items out loud.
• Offers simple, age-appropriate reasons and ideas for tasks and problem solving (for example: What to do if there are two paint stations and three people who want to paint?).
• Asks and answers questions.
• Acknowledges or responds nonverbally to common words or phrases such as hello, goodbye,  snack  time  or bathroom, when accompanied by adult gestures.