I am looking for something to teach my 5 year old son to get ready for kindergarten?

All of the answers that you have been given so far are good!! I am an elementary teacher and one thing that I would ask is that you teach your child how to follow directions. You would be suprised how many children have a hard time listening and following simple directions.

same question i asked my girls teacher before K last summer . her advice was : 1) not to yell 2) remember to raise your hand to talk 3) listen to and do what the teacher says 4) if you need help ask 5) share 6) try , do your best and dont give up. she said those "rules " are so much more important then the correct way to make a B or hold a pencil. so anna went to school not knowing all her letters/numbers and now she's in the top 3 of her class.

I recently logged onto (and paid for) Disney Playhouse. They have several wonderful, interactive games for children on there. My son is 3, but I think it would be good for a 5 yr. old depending on how much learning exposure he's had. It's really not that expensive and it entertains while teaching. (www.disneyplayhouse.com)

Start with his abc's and 123's. Teach him to write his name and identify his colors. Read alot of Dr. Suess to him as well. You could also teach him how to use scissors and glue and paste. With all that he will be well prepared for kindergarten.

noggin.com has some good games for kids, as does nick jr, disney, sesamestreet.com, and there are some interactive computer games you can purchase to help with their alphabet, etc. One other thing you may want to focus on are shapes, colors, and body parts (particularly ones that aren't mentioned often, like knuckles, wrists, waist, etc.) My son did a pre-Kindergarten test and missed a few points on body parts because we didn't think they were really necessary to teach him!

Your best bet is to call the Elementary School your child will be attending and ask what they should know before they begin school.

He should know or be somewhat knowledgeable with:

alphabet

letter sounds

numbers

colors

sharing

You can also work on games that strengthen his attention span

teach him to write his name.