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5 Steps to Kindergarten Readiness
In getting little ones ready for kindergarten, many parents focus on teaching kids their ABCs, colors, shapes, and how to count to 10. That knowledge is wonderful, say early childhood educators, but in order to be successful in “the big school,” kids need these five basic skills too: 1. Enthusiasm toward learning
Diane Gross, a 17-year kindergarten veteran at the CourtyardSchool, says, “If a child sees his parents excited about learning, this will feed into his natural curiosity and enthusiasm.” Learning doesn’t just take place sitting at a desk or on a blue carpet. It happens in a forest, at the beach, in the kitchen, or on a pile of dirt. Show your child that learning is a life-long process—and it can be a lot of fun!
2. Strong oral language skills
Pull your child away from computer games or the big-screen TV, and go exploring. Visit the Sacramento Zoo. Give your toddler words to describe what she sees, and listen to what she says. Have her describe a lion, a tiger, a zebra, or a giraffe. Tell her about manes, paws and stripes.
Neressa Bennett, a kindergarten teacher at Sacramento Elementary says, “The second most important thing to do [when developing strong oral language skills] is to read, read, read to your kids. Children can listen to stories that are more challenging than their reading levels, no matter what their age.” So head over to your local library and check out some books. On family trips, pop an audio book into your car’s CD player. Have your children discuss what they heard. Bonding over books and stories always encourages kids’ love of reading.
3. Listening skills
Reading to your child not only develops his oral language skills, it improves his listening skills, too. After reading a book to your toddler or listening to a disc, ask him a few questions. “What was the story about? What did you like best about the story? Who was your favorite character?” Gross says, “Make sure the questions you ask are open-ended. It is easy for a child to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and then move on.” This develops kids’ comprehension—a top priority!
4. Self-help skills
Before your child attends her first day of kindergarten, make sure she can dress herself, take off her sweater or coat, hang it up and put it back on, and that she is able to wash up on her own. Gross says it’s also important that children are familiar with the basics of “school culture” and etiquette, like getting in a line with other students and raising a hand to ask a question. Bennett adds, “Parents [should] be sure their student is able to open containers holding food. No teacher has the time to open 26 packages each day at snack and lunch.”
5. Social skills
Does your child play well with others? To practice this at home, parents can play blocks and engage in other activities with their children. Share what you have with your preschooler. When he shares back, reward him with a smile and a compliment. Gross says, “Modeling the behavior is very important.” Kids are not born knowing how to share. After you’ve played at home, take your child on a play date.
Gross suggests setting up a painting experience where two children have two brushes and one set of paints, which will force them to collaborate. “Friends of Grant Park does a variety of craft fairs geared toward young children,” she adds. “Here they learn they won’t always be first in line.” Learning patience is a good thing, and practice cooperating with others can take kids far.
Michael Thal is a freelance writer and educator. With two masters' degrees in education, he's clearly an enthusiastic learner—and he's almost mastered the art of playing well with others. Enjoy his online column (“Dear LA Teacher”) at Examiner.com.
Diane Gross, a 17-year kindergarten veteran at the CourtyardSchool, says, “If a child sees his parents excited about learning, this will feed into his natural curiosity and enthusiasm.” Learning doesn’t just take place sitting at a desk or on a blue carpet. It happens in a forest, at the beach, in the kitchen, or on a pile of dirt. Show your child that learning is a life-long process—and it can be a lot of fun!
2. Strong oral language skills
Pull your child away from computer games or the big-screen TV, and go exploring. Visit the Sacramento Zoo. Give your toddler words to describe what she sees, and listen to what she says. Have her describe a lion, a tiger, a zebra, or a giraffe. Tell her about manes, paws and stripes.
Neressa Bennett, a kindergarten teacher at Sacramento Elementary says, “The second most important thing to do [when developing strong oral language skills] is to read, read, read to your kids. Children can listen to stories that are more challenging than their reading levels, no matter what their age.” So head over to your local library and check out some books. On family trips, pop an audio book into your car’s CD player. Have your children discuss what they heard. Bonding over books and stories always encourages kids’ love of reading.
3. Listening skills
Reading to your child not only develops his oral language skills, it improves his listening skills, too. After reading a book to your toddler or listening to a disc, ask him a few questions. “What was the story about? What did you like best about the story? Who was your favorite character?” Gross says, “Make sure the questions you ask are open-ended. It is easy for a child to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and then move on.” This develops kids’ comprehension—a top priority!
4. Self-help skills
Before your child attends her first day of kindergarten, make sure she can dress herself, take off her sweater or coat, hang it up and put it back on, and that she is able to wash up on her own. Gross says it’s also important that children are familiar with the basics of “school culture” and etiquette, like getting in a line with other students and raising a hand to ask a question. Bennett adds, “Parents [should] be sure their student is able to open containers holding food. No teacher has the time to open 26 packages each day at snack and lunch.”
5. Social skills
Does your child play well with others? To practice this at home, parents can play blocks and engage in other activities with their children. Share what you have with your preschooler. When he shares back, reward him with a smile and a compliment. Gross says, “Modeling the behavior is very important.” Kids are not born knowing how to share. After you’ve played at home, take your child on a play date.
Gross suggests setting up a painting experience where two children have two brushes and one set of paints, which will force them to collaborate. “Friends of Grant Park does a variety of craft fairs geared toward young children,” she adds. “Here they learn they won’t always be first in line.” Learning patience is a good thing, and practice cooperating with others can take kids far.
Michael Thal is a freelance writer and educator. With two masters' degrees in education, he's clearly an enthusiastic learner—and he's almost mastered the art of playing well with others. Enjoy his online column (“Dear LA Teacher”) at Examiner.com.
