August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month and with the summer almost over and school quickly sneaking up on us many parents are thinking, “Is my youngster ready for kindergarten?”
There’s no exact formula for determining when your child is ready, but there are certain signs that parents should look for to know when they should at least begin to think about kindergarten:
Self Help Skills:
- Uses the bathroom
- Uses a tissue
- Snaps, zips and buttons clothing
- Puts away toys and helps with cleaning up
- Asks for help when needed
Gross Motor Skills:
- Climbs easily on playground equipment
- Runs
- Jumps with both feet
- Skips
- Catches, throws and bounces a ball
Language Skills:
- Listens to and follows simple directions
- Tells a story or retells experiences in proper sequence
- Adults can easily understand what the child says
- Participates in discussions
- Enjoys listening to stories and rhymes
Fine Motor Skills:
- Holds and uses a pencil
- Can copy letters from a sample
- Cuts on simple lines
- Draws a human figure with torso, limbs and features
- Ties a knot
Cognitive Skills:
- Recognizes likenesses and differences of pictures or objects
- Matches letters and simple words
- Shares ideas
- Asks questions and tries new things
- Understands and follows the rules to simple games
- Orally counts to 10
Social/Emotional Skills:
- Adjusts to new situations
- Uses words to resolve conflicts
- Can sit for 5-10 minutes working on a task
- Completes tasks
- Cooperates with others and takes turns
- Uses control when frustrated
- Takes pride in achievements
If your child has acquired most of these skills then chances are they’re ready! Next step, getting parents ready for kindergarten. Much is expected of your child when school begins in September so use this month to make sure your child can handle the basics for kindergarten.
