5 Signs Your Child is Ready for Kindergarten

By Sara Sykes, Kindergarten Teacher at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child,
a Catholic independent pre-K to grade 12 school in Summit, NJ

“Is my child ready for kindergarten?” is one of the top questions I receive from parents as an elementary school teacher. And while there are many factors that go into determining whether a child is academically, physically and emotionally prepared to start school, we at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child have maintained that there are really five main pillars used to prepare a child for the next step:  social skills, reading, language, motor skills and number concepts.

If you are a parent of a child preparing to enter school, use the below guide to help you determine whether your child is ready for kindergarten.

Social Skills
My child can:

  • Independently manage his or her personal care
  • Separate from parents and caregivers easily
  • Interact with peers positively
  • Wait for his or her turn
  • Understand boundaries and personal space
  • Ask an adult for help when needed

Reading
My child can:

  • Write and recognize their own name
  • Identify letters of the alphabet
  • Identify upper and lowercase letter pairs
  • Listen to a story without distraction or interruption

Language
My child can:

  • Respond appropriately to questions
  • Follow multi step directions
  • Pay attention to stories
  • Speak in complete sentences
  • Communicate clearly
  • Retell a story

Motor Skills
My child can:

  • Understand how to hold scissors
  • Use scissors with control
  • Securely hold a pencil or a crayon
  • Trace lines and basic shapes
  • Copy basic shapes and lines
  • Write the letters in their name

Number Concepts
My child can:

  • Recognize patterns in colors, shapes or numbers
  • Securely identify colors
  • Count to 10 orally
  • Identify numbers 1-10 at random
  • Understand the concept of:
    on/off, in/out, in front of/behind, up/down, big/little, above/below, first/last

Is your child ready for kindergarten? Join us for our free Kindergarten Skills Parent Workshop on January 22, 2020 to learn how to prepare your child for school with simple daily activities you can do at home. Click here to learn more about Oak KnollSchool of the Holy Child.


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Author: Heather Zachariah

Former Art Director for Home Magazine, Heather Leahy Zachariah, left her career in publishing after baby number number one. She now works from home as a freelance graphic designer and a chauffeur to her 3 busy kids. "Working on TipsFromTown has been a wonderful outlet for me. It renewed my love of publishing where I can design colorful, enticing pages online and allows me to share the things I love about being a mom." Heather grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a place that still is near and dear to her. " After living in Brooklyn for 18 years and studying Graphic Design at Pratt Institute, she now lives in the Jersey burbs. "I love living so close to NYC, but in my heart, I'm an Ohio girl."

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