Kindergarten Prep
My son will be entering kindergarten this fall! I am so excited for him. We will be working on kindergarten skills this summer to prepare him for school. Do you have a child entering kindergarten soon? Check out these skills to practice with them at home.
Name Recognition
Identifying first name and practice writing it using uppercase and lowercase letters.
Days of the Week and Months of the Year
Kindergartens should know the days of the week and the months of the year. Practice this skill with your child using a song. Check back for my video - coming soon!
Count to 100
Counting up to 100 is an end of the year skill for kindergarten. Support your child with this at home by counting by 1s and 10s to get to 100.
Add One More
Adding one more may seem basic to many of us who know math, but this is an important skill taught in kindergarten and first grade. Support your child by explaining that plus 1 is the same as "one more." Check back for a video of me practicing this with my son.
Letter Sounds
It is important for kids to have exposure to letter sounds prior to kindergarten. This will support them with early reading skills. There are many fun ways to practice this at home! Check out my "Phonics Games" section for ideas.
Concepts of Print
Children needs to understand basic features of print, including that words are read from left to right and from top to bottom. They also need to understand that a sequence of letters make up a word and that words are separated by spaces. Discuss these skills with your child while reading with them at bedtime!
Practice Leaving Parents
It is difficult for many kindergarten and preschool children to leave their parents for the first time. This is completely understandable and enrolling kids in an activity they enjoy (gymnastics, swimming lessons, music class) can be a great way to practice this skill.