New Britain Discovery Collaborative - What my child should know for kindergarten

What should my child know?

Before your child enters kindergarten, your child should be able to:

Use new words daily as you play together and go about everyday activities.For example, “I am going to a mechanic to have my car fixed.”

Be a model for your child by speaking in complete sentences with five or more words per sentence. Help your child to add words to complete his or her sentences.

Say and sing nursery rhymes, rap and poetry, and play rhyme games. Help him or her to repeat the words that rhyme. Help your child to make up his or her own funny rhyming words.

Listen with interest to your child’s stories, make comments and ask questions. Share your own stories. Show your own childhood photographs and tell stories about them.

Take your child to the library to select books. Read with your child and discuss things that your child likes about the books. Read books that your child likes over and over.

Read books often with your child so he or she learns how to hold and use a book. Allow your child to pretend to “read” to you favorite stories from books.

Have your child point out and say the letters in his or her name; put magnetic letters of the alphabet on the refrigerator for your child to use. Help your child point out letters on cereal boxes, street signs and stores.

Print your child’s name whenever possible, such as on his or her drawings or below his or her photograph. Provide pencils, crayons or markers and paper for your child to scribble or write his or her first name. Help your child recognize shapes in letters that form his or her name.

Let your child see you writing for various reasons, such as making a shopping list or writing a birthday card. Provide pencils, crayons or markers and paper for your child to make marks, scribble or write in his her own way.

Turn meal times into counting fun by having your child count objects as he or she helps set the table. Count objects whenever you are driving or walking to school or on errands. Check out the local library for counting books – children love to read and re-read these books.

Play “I Spy” with numbers as you travel; find numbers in books; count, measure and estimate while making dinner. Look for number symbols in magazines, cut out and glue on paper all the 2s, 3s, etc. Put magnetic numbers on the refrigerator for your child to use.

Use a favorite story/picture book – describe objects according to color, shape and size. Play games with dancing and moving to a pattern: hop, wiggle, spin, hop, wiggle, spin. Play guessing games: “Can you find something that is red and round and looks like a triangle?” Color and draw patterns together.

Play games where your child has to find the matching sock, shoe and mitten. Set the table by matching every plate with a napkin, cup and fork. Look for picture games, playing cards and dominoes for finding matches.

Use your morning routine to practice “First we get up, second we wash our face.” Use the tune of a familiar song to create a movement song: “Put your hands on top of your head; stand on top of the box; crawl under the table.” Use these words in directions: “Put your sneakers under the bed; put the teddy bear on top of the pillow.”

Gather a variety of objects from your child’s toy box and line them up from largest to smallest. Organize boxes of cereal, rice and pasta from tallest to shortest. Put a variety of objects in a bag; sort them from heaviest to lightest.

Set a good example for your child by listening to his or her stories. Encourage your child to tell you about what he or she did during the day.

Help your child learn to stay with an activity to completion by sharing and working on the activity with him or her. Use positive words of encouragement such as, “You are doing a good job picking up your socks.”

Be clear when giving direction to your child. Have your child repeat the directions in his or her own words so you can be sure that he or she understands. Play games with your child such as; “First find the red truck and then the yellow block. Put them both under the blue box.” Children may need help in remembering, so remind them by going over the directions.

Provide lots of opportunities for your child to play and participate in groups with other children. Praise your child’s efforts and accomplishments. Help your child in solving problems by helping him or her to look at other ways to do something or by giving him or her the words to resolve a conflict.