I plan on putting my almost 4 year old in Kindergarten next year (08-09), what should she?
know and be able to do before she starts? She is in preschool now. Thanks!!
know and be able to do before she starts? She is in preschool now. Thanks!!
Mommy of Marc
Favorite Answer
As a Kindergarten teacher there are some things she should know before starting Kinder.
how to hold a pencil correctly, color within the lines, how to write her name correctly (capital at the beginning and lowercase for the rest of the letter), how to hold a book, and tie her shoes.
She doesn't have to know the following but I strongly suggest it to help her do well in Kindergarten.
Letter Identification: Know sounds and name of each letter. I strongly suggest you purchase the dvd: The letter factory from leap frog. Numbers 1-10. Say, count and understand each number. At my school on the first day we test the kids by asking them to draw a picture for me. On the picture write her name or any other words she might know. From there I can assess where she is and where I need to start. Try teaching her how to write some words like: love, mom, dad, cat, etc. Kindergarten today is not like it used to be. It is more focused on academics and rigor. Make sure to talk to your child's teacher and keep providing her with a loving and supportive environment.
Anonymous
You don't need to start stuffing kids with knowledge right away...it's the little things like spending time reading together and explaining what new objects/smells/sounds/etc are to increase vocabulary and general understanding of the world, that build a good foundation. Let school take care of all the math, science, etc.
Paul B in Japan
I am a high school teacher, but many of my friends teach elementary ed...
Basic counting, time telling, letter recognition, oral story comprehension, shapes, colors, and as much vocabulary as you can muster are good starts.
Beyond that, the social aspect is important - plays well, understands directions, listens to leaders - should be ingrained.
Good luck in school!
Mom22
If I can remember right ( it's been a few years since my daughter was in kindergarten ), she should know how to spell her name, how to say her ABC's how to count to 10 and how to tie her shoe ( if she don't know how to tie her shoe, just buy the ones with Velcro ). I think that is about it.
arcane_armageddon
Hmm...know how to speak? That's pretty much it...it's kindergarten, it's where the learning starts anyways, right?