What does my son need to know to do well in kindergarten?

Question

He's just turning 4, so it's a year + away, but I want to prepare him as much as I can. Does anyone know of a website or checklist of any kind on the net that I can go by? We are in NC, if that helps.

Answer 1

Here are the links to the curriculum put forth by North Carolina

Language Arts  http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/la...

Math

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/ma...

Science

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/sc...

Social Studies

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/so...

Answer 2

Don't pressure yourself or your son. I have found personally (as a kindergarten teacher) that a child who is very stimulated does extremely well.

Many kids I know have come to kindergarten knowing (practically) their time tables but in the long run they don't know very well. I admit its impressing the 1st day of school to see a child who has all these traits.

As a kindergarten teacher I would say your child needs to be read to, spoken too, have a plethora of experiences he can relate to, is well mannered (yet child like). If he has all these traits let the kindergarten teacher do the rest. You just work along side and support the teacher.

TRUST ME.... a teacher simply desires to have a child who is ready to learn. The ephemeral "knowledge" many of the kids come to school with now  a days is really ... wasted because often the child doesn't understand the meaning of it eg they may know how to read the word prodigious but they don't know how to use it or what to do with it.

Simply providing your child and stimulating his mind in preparation for "kindergarten" is all you need to do.

Let him/her play and explore the environment, talk to them about how things work, encourage them to share and follow instructions also, encourage them to question you about their environment. I'm telling you... if this is in place then you are almost guaranteed success.

Answer 3

He should learn how to write his name, write the alphabet and numbers, and know the alphabet and numbers 1-100.  This will help him, the teachers, and her won't be behind.  They only require them the know the alphabet and numbers 1-10, but that's not good enough.

My kids were very successful because of this.  Straight As this year, but/and they're older now.

Answer 4

abc's numbers up to 15 or 20  counting and how to get along

Answer 5

I'd say that he should know how to count to twenty, recite his ABC's, share with other kids, hold a pencil, color within the lines, climb on a playground and much more. I find that kids who are taught simple mathematics and reading in nursury school don't do as well in the long run. So let preschool be a time of more freedom.

Answer 6

so much is made of ABCs and 123s.  And although they are very very important those can also be easily taught.

- Read read read and read some more to your child - understanding that the letters have meaning and words have meaning and what words are, that counts.  

-Letter recognition AND the sounds are important.  They need to know not only what A looks like - but what it says. (Leapfrog Letter Factory products and DVD are EXCELLENT for this).  Play I spy with letters while you are out, driving, shopping.

-Sounds and rhymes.  "There is a Hat - H H H Hat - what does Hat start with? Does Hat rhyme with Cat or with Dog?"

- count count and count some more.  Make everything into a learning game - "help Mommy count the eggs I'm cooking"

- If he isn't in preschool, take him to story time or any other type of activity where he has to "follow the rules" - sit and listen quietly, etc.

-Start getting him to be independent going potty, eating his lunch, getting his coat on, etc.  I know my daughter will be in K in the fall and we are working on how to open her juice box, and pulling up tights so she can wear her dresses to school.

-cutting and other fine motor skills.  (and coloring in the lines will come with time.  purposeful/attempt at careful coloring is important instead of scribbling, but don't worry if he isn't in the lines)  Playing with playdough is a great way to work on fine motor.

Check out this great website:

http://school.familyeducation.com/kinder...

Just those should put him in GREAT standing.  And anything more you can do would be even better.

Answer 7

Try teaching him to have good manners, to throw catch and kick a ball to read the basics

Answer 8

It's the teacher's job to teach.  They do it well, it's ok if your kid is going in to school and doesn't know anything.  

As a parent it's your job to make your child teachable.  Young kids need to be respectful, be able to share, get along with and cooperate with other children, listen, and respond to directions and discipline.  And have an attention span that lasts at least 15 minutes.  If your child can do this, socially they will be beyond many of his peers.

Of course you can give him a jump start on the basics, like colors, counting, the alphabet, make a habit of reading to him, and he will pick up on letter sounds.....but being able to interact in a social environment is much more important.

Answer 9

I haven't ever worked with pre-school or kindergarten age children, but I have worked at an elementary school for 20 years and have heard comments from kindergarten teachers.

According to them, the most important thing is for your child to be ready for academics. It's the ones who have separation anxiety when mom leaves them the first day (or week), the ones who can't unbutton their clothes to go to the bathroom, the ones who can't pay attention and follow directions, the ones who can't share, the ones who don't know what "stop" or "don't " mean, that aren't ready for academics.  In addition to these things, one very important thing you should do is read to you child every single day, and talk to you child.  Encourage him to ask questions.  Make him want to learn.

He'll have an easier time when he starts school if he can hold a pencil correctly, use scissors, know colors, know his first & last name (address & phone number would be great too), print his name (not in all capital letters), count to 20, recognize at least some letters.  It's the teachers job to teach your child, but he will learn quicker if you do your job by preparing him to learn.  I know he'll do fine because you are interested in his education.  I can't tell you how very important that is and how many parents don't seem to care.

Answer 10

Call the Kindergarten teacher at the school your child will be attending and ask him/her what s/he would like to see from your child in the way of school readiness.  Often, the K teacher has a checklist of things you can do to prepare your child for school.

Answer 11

Here's an article that sums it up.

Answer 12

you are so wise, soliciting advice from others.  

TEACH HIM TO READ.  That is the very best thing you can do for him.  There is something about teaching a child of age 4 to read that just gets them so ready for school.  And if there is a problem, it can be identified and addressed early so that it will not interfere with his subsequent education.  

I would buy the Bob books (from a bookstore) and use those (heavily phonics).   Go to coreknowledge.org and get their new preschool book, also you need info on how to teach reading.  I put a sheet of red paper on the front door, wrote 'red' on it, and put my finger under each letter as I spelled 'red' each time we left the house, and said 'red' as I ran my finger under all the letters, and then we left.  It takes 30-40 times, then your child will know the word anywhere.  Do the same for green,etc, and also write 'one' and '1" on an index card and put on your door, and say 'one' as your child notices the '1', which he probably already knows.  Do 30 times.  Repeat for all the numerals to 9.

Find the Dolch sight word list and use some of the words to label your house.  For isntance, for 'in', put a bucket on the floor, put 'in' inside, get a small ball, put the word 'out' outside the bucket on the floor and have your child toss the ball.  Wherever it goes, point to the word and say, oh, look, the ball went 'in' ('out').  Do 30 times, or whatever (different amount of time for different kids) and your child just learned 'in'.  You want to maintain this memory of the word 'in', however, so play the game occasionally after he learns it for reinforcement.

Stress the reading, and limit or completely stop tv viewing.  Who has time for it anyway?  I haven't had a tv in 20 years and my kids are all readers as a consequence.  (you wanted a good time in my house, you have to read to get it)  Books make a fantastic babysitter, and you are giving your child a quality life when you give him/her books instead of a tv.  And books have the added benefit of improving reading comprehension, which of course is a job skill.

Just put signs up around your house, label 'wall', door, 'table, chair, etc.  Your child will see those words esp  if you call attention to them and spell them.  Over time he will gradually learn them.  Also read to him.  Nothing makes a child want to learn to read as much as finding out how much fun books can be.  

Good luck.  Buy What your Kindergartener Needs to Know and start teaching your child at home.  Fun and so beneficial for him.  

Also, those is it Zome toys?  Sound like fantastic builder toys, far better than Legos.

Just read the other entries.  I'm shocked by the first or second, by ella,  Is she kidding, kids don't do as well if they are taught to read at age 4?  Maria Montessori routinely taught kids to read at 3 1/2.  What is wrong with America that we discourage early reading?  I have to shake my head.  It is all in how you do it.  If you are excited and have enough personality to convey that excitement to a child, they will love learning to read.  Adore it.

And math?  What on earth is wrong with manipulatives and pop beads?  Ignore the bad advice of naysayers who say, "let your child just enjoy his early years".  Yeah, well, your child can also enjoy learning to read if you take a playful attitude toward it.  What greater gift can you give your young child that a love of books and the means (by learning to read) to go exploring in books for himself?

Just read the rest of the responses.  You have gotten some wonderful advice from some knowing people.  I just got certified to teach Pre-K to 3rd grade and I student-taught in a K classroom.  Everyone who wrote in about taking turns and being quiet and listening is right on.  Still, I have to put in my 2 cents about your teaching your son to read.  We taught 5 of my 7 kids to read (my ex did the first 3, 2 in middle were ignored due to time constraints, last 2 I taught to read before K) and they loved to read and were enthusiastic about it and did it lots.  I'm now reaping the rewards.  The truth is that you have to invest time from age 3 or 4 to age 7, and then the child takes over and you just keep providing the books.  Once that reading habit is established, you can relax.

Answer 13

If I had to name one thing, it would be for him to be able to socialize with other children.

Answer 14

I work as an occupational therapist in a public school system.  the best thing you can do is to prepare his hands for the job of writing.  google "fine motor activities"  he needs to develop the small muscles in his hands (intrinsic muscles).  have him play on his stomach, this builds strength in his upper body (as weird as it sounds you need to build strength in his shoulders first, then down to the small muscles of his hands.

Answer 15

he needs to know his ABC's,123's,how to spell short word like green, yellow, am, to all the color words.

Answer 16

table manners

Wait time( to wait turn & wait for the teachers attention)

Clean up after self (bathroom & snack & spills)

To zip coat

Write name

Sit down for a period of time (10-15-mins)

Get stuff(luch, teacher notes etc) out of bag and give them to teacher

Bus number

Express needs to teacher

Wait in LINE

Seperate from parent

To share supplies toys

Know some letters and numbers

Understands routines and can adapt

Can understand stories  & answear  questions

Holds a pencil  correctly

Make a self portrait

Knows colors & shapes