I find one of the things parents worry about most when their child is getting ready to start school is Kindergarten readiness. These are the basics they need to know and things they should be able to do to start Kindergarten and it's no different if your child is entering public school or homeschooling. So I put together a list of 50 things recommended by teachers that your child should be able to do as they enter Kindergarten.
50 Things Your Preschooler Needs to Know for Kindergarten Readiness
- They should be able to recite their first and last name when asked.
- Use the proper three-finger grasp to write or color and use scissors.
- Adjust clothing before and after going to the bathroom.
- Be able to use the bathroom on their own and remember to wash their hands.
- Know how to spell their name and possibly be able to write it (some say they SHOULD be able to write it other say they will learn in Kindergarten)
- Count to 30 or more.
- Be able to tell what number comes before or after any number up to 20.
- Be able to identify basic shapes.
- Identify basic colors.
- Identify numbers 1-10 in any order.
- Clean up after themselves.
- Take off and put on their clothing.
- Sit and listen to a story for 5-10 minutes.
- Be able to match most letters to their sounds.
- Identify upper and lower case letters.
- Share with other children.
- Can stack blocks
- can complete a nine piece puzzle
- Know the front and back of a book and that you read from left to right.
- Be able to rhyme words.
- Participates in group activities
- Uses words to resolve a conflict.
- Can put the 3 picture in sequence order
- Be able to listen and follow 2 -3 step directions
- Be able to retell simple stories.
- Can use a glue stick
- Can play make believe
- Can make a pancake, snake and ball from play dough
- Uses pictures to communicate ideas or stories
- Can match uppercase letter to their lower case partner and vice versa
- Show an eagerness to learn.
- Can throw and ball
- Can sing the alphabet
- Can participate in dance and dance on their own
- Follows rules.
- Can sort object by size, color or shape
- Can transition from one activity to the next.
- Can interact with other children
- Can Interact with adults
- Can take on pretend roles
- Understands and can demonstration position and directional concepts such as up/down, in/out, etc
- Cane understand and use comparative words such as big/small, slow/fast, tall/short, etc
- Can jump in place
- Can balance on one foot for 5 seconds
- Can hop on one foot
- Can recognize their name
- Knows their phone number
- Knows their street address
- Can use a tissue
- Knows basic hygiene (covers mouth when coughing or sneezing, knows when to wash hands, etc.)
I would add using scissors and opening and closing ziploc bags.