Skills Children Should Have
Before They Enter Kindergarten
1. Physical preparation
v Immunizations
v Personal needs
§ Toilet needs – flush, sufficient time, zipper, use paper
§ Dressing – shoes tied, zipper, boots, buttons, snaps
§ Identification – name, age, phone, address, parents’ names
§ Table manners – try new foods, uses fork & spoon properly, napkin, carry plate
2. Reading readiness
v Remembers pictures from a printed page
v Repeats a
v Pretends to read
v Identifies own first name in writing
v Prints own first name
v Answers questions about a short story
v Understands that one reads from left to right
v Recognizes at least 10 letters in the alphabet
v Knows some beginning sounds of letters
v Knows the meaning of simple words
v Recognizes rhyming words
v Recognizes some common sight words like “stop”
3. Time
v Understands day and night
v Knows age and birthday
4. Listening and sequencing
v Follows simple directions and rules
v Pays attention
v Listens to stories without interrupting
v Recognizes common sounds
v Retells a simple story in sequence
v Repeats a sequence of sounds
v Repeats a sequence of orally given numbers
5. Size, position and direction
v Understands opposites (big/little, long/short …)
6. Colors and shapes
v Recognizes primary colors
v Recognizes basic shapes
v Sorts similar objects by color, size and shape
7. Numbers
v Counts to 10
v Can count objects
v Recognizes groups of one, two, three, four and five objects
8. Motor skills
v Coordination
§ Throw, catch, kick a ball
§ Walk, run, balance, walk backwards, jump, hop, skip, tip toes
§ Build with blocks, large, small, Lego
§ Play dough … creativity
v Handedness
§ Right versus left
§ Pencil grip, crayons, markers
§ Scissors, tearing paper
§ Stringing beads, peg boards
§ Draw a person, house, tree
§ Color beyond a simple scribble
9. Social and emotional preparation
v Separation
§ Can be away from parents for 2 to 3 hours
§ Looks forward to going to school
§ Meets visitors without shyness
v
§ Expresses self verbally
§ Cares for own belongings
§ Maintains self-control
§ Talks easily
§ Works independently
v Cooperation
§ Identifies other children by name
§ Joins in conversation
§ Gets along with other children
§ Recognizes authority
§ Shares with others
§ Puts away toys
§ Helps with chores