Starting Kindergarden

My son started kindergarten this year. The first month they were tested on certain things. Does she know her address? her phone number? Colors includiing gray? Numbers 0-30 and must say zero. Write and recognize her name? Name must be writtenn in upper and lower case letters correctly. How many letters of the alphabet does she recognize? By Christmas of kindergarten they must be able to tie their shoes and zip their own coats.

Hope that helps,
D.

Yearly there is a conference called the I Care Conference and it is held in Excelsior Springs. I think it is in February. The past couple of years one of the workshops is called, Its not the Kindergarten you remember. I took the workshop before my oldest went to school. It is done by a Kindergarten teacher,and she gives you a ton of hand outs. I have gone to this conference the past 4 years and have always found it to be a wealth of information. You can email if you like and when it gets closer I will send you the information on it.

Well there are always the good basics: first and last name, parents names, telephone number, address, birthday, counting to 30, shapes, alphabet, and colors (11 including white and grey). Now, having said that, I was FLABBERGASTED that at Parent Teacher conferences 4 weeks after school started my kid was already expected to be able to phonetically say 1/2 the alphabet, recognize letters, match shapes (both by size and then by color). By the end of the year they are expected to know all their sight words, count to 100 (yes 100 and RECOGNIZE the written number), be able to do simple adding & subtracting math, phonetically know their ABCs AND be able to sound out words, write all their letters (upper and lowercase), handle scissors & glue, draw and color. Phew! Yep, that's about it in a nutshell. We just went to a phonics class at school to see where the kids were...and they were saying it is actually better if you can teach the kids to phonetically say the letters of the alphabet rather than get them to say the letters...for example, it's better that the kids learn that the letter y sounds like "ya" instead of y because then they confuse it with w.

If you want a good jump on Kindergarten just work on counting games (get her to count EVERYTHING). Stick post it notes all over your house identifying stuff. Read to her like crazy and get her to repeat stuff (i.e. basic sentences). And if you are really ambitious work on something like Hooked on Phonics with her. Another thing my kids ADORE is the PBS program Between the Lions because they show the kids how to phonetically say the words, they sing and make it fun, AND They read stories to them...in my ever so humble opinion, it has TOTALLY superceded the old Sesame Street.

Personally, I have seen a decrease in the exposure of art and music from Preschool to Kindergarten which was really sad...so anything you can do to creatively keep her interested is also a huge plus in my book.

Well A., get ready to be surprised...it's not what we were expected to learn. My daughter started Pre-K this year and by the end of the semester she should know her ABCs, recognize letters, recognize her name, spell her name ( she is 4) count to 10 and recognize numbers, put puzzles together, that is all I can think of off the top of my head. Oh, and colors, she needs to know and recognize colors. That is all I can think of.

A., You might try contacting your school district. They will be having a kindergarten round-up in the spring and you can get information then. Most school districts know that they will have children with vast differences in what they've learned so far before they start Kindergarten. They spend that K year trying to get the students on the same level. Here are a few ideas: ABC's, Count to 20, Address and Phone Number (make a little song, it's much easier to teach!), Write 1st Name.

Good Luck, M.

Is she going to preschool? If so, alot of them actually work with the school districts and get the info from them on what they need to know.

My daughter is pre-3 (birthday may 2005). All the kids in her class are at different levels. At her preschool/catholic school), they test at the beginning of the year so they know where the children are lacking. I was floored when the teacher said they were working on counting to 10 as some kids are behind. So they work seperately with some children. My daughter can count to 30 and sometimes 40. They work on writing their names, etc... Some kids dont know there abcs, shapes, colors etc.... I do know that in kindergarten they will be writing 3-4 letter words, counting to 100, be able to do upper & lower cas letters etc...
I would just spen some time going over these things and you should be aok. The teacher/school can help you out with more info. I feel lucky our teacher came to our house and spent an hour with our daughter & us before school staryted so we would all know what to expect.

Good luck with everything, I'm sure she will be fine.

A. I read through most of the posts but not all of them. My daughter is in Kindergarten right now. She needed to know how to write her name with the first letter being a capital and the rest lower case. I say this because my friend started her daughter writing her name using all upper case letters and now she is complaining because her daughter can write her name so much better in upper case then the way her name should be writen. Do not have your daughter write in just upper case. Also my daughter had to know all her colors (pink, orange, yellow, brown, black, white, blue, green, red, and purple), as welll as count to 10 be able to recoginize letters, and know her shapes. I live in a rual part of St. Louis and I am greatful that I put her in a preschool program that was only 2 days a week just because she was able to learn all of this stuff. They have sight words (we get 3 each week that we have to work on spelling, writing, and recoginzing them, as time goes on they will be giving spelling tests). They did go over colors they had a color each week the first few weeks of school. They are learning how to read as well as add and subtract. They are doing so much more than I ever did in Kindergarten. My daughter is in an all day program (that is all that is offered where I am at) they are supposed to get a nap time but the teacher told me before school even started that she did not know how to work that in their schedule because they have so much that they must get done each day. Some of the classes that they go to is art, music, gym, computers, and social studies. However I know that my daughter's teacher is working on a Science corciculm (sp?) that is for the kindergarteners to follow next year. It is based on what the state of MO wants kindergarteners to learn. She has about 15 minutes of homework each night.
Oh, one other thing is to color in the lines. I hope that this helps some. I know that not all the kids in her class know their letters.

I taught preschool, they would like for them to know thier ABC's. Not just saying them but, being able to read them. When you are teaching your child make sure you mix up the letters. They learn what letter goes next if you show them in order. Numbers too, Counting to 20,(touching an object with their finger and moving it as they count), Colors,cutting on a staight and curved line, Thier Name(First and Last),parents name, Address,(house number, city, state), Phone number with area code, postional words, They ask them what things do and what do you do with it,(?) questions, Body parts,they have them write their name, they have them hop, jump and skip. I wish I had gone to school before I had my children. They would have been more ready for school. One thing I would like to suggest is have some social time with other groups of children. That way they will have social skills. I have seen the children that have never been exposed to socialazations and it is very tramatizing for them. Not knowing if their parents are coming back. They have lots of programs out there to help you. Wed sites to make file folder games and projects to help teach your child. If I can be any more help fell free to e-mail me.

My second child is in Pre-K right now three days a week. He will be starting kindergarten next year. With my daughter, who is now in first grade, I was floored with just how much they wanted them to know before they started kindergarten and it seems like they are wanted my second child to know even more and it has only been two years! Every school is different, but some of the basics are knowing their colors and shapes, being able to recite their ABCs, knowing what sound each letter makes and being able to recognize the letters, being able to count to at least 10 and being able to recognize those numbers. They like them to be able to use a pencil and write and draw things, like numbers, letters, pictures of themselves. They will also ask them to locate body parts, some of them the more unusual ones like knuckles, elbows, ankle, chin, etc. They also want them to be able to write their first name at least and some like them to know how to write their last name and the other letters too. They sometimes have them sing nursery rhymes and know some rhyming words and concepts like more and less too. I'm sure there are some other little things too, but it is so much! I don't know if your child has a Parents as Teachers educator, but this is a free program offered to children under school age in the state of Missouri. Our parent educator was able to go over some of the things that they check for when your child goes to their kindergarten screening. Hope this helps! And don't feel overwhelmed, it is amazing what kids already know and how quickly they can grasp things.

Hi A., My Daughter is 4 and is special needs. She has speech and language delay. Coming along nicely I might add. We live in Webb City, MO and they require the counting to 100 (by the end). Phonics. basically everything Linda B, I think, said. But even with Jules problems she can identify 18 letters. she can count to 23. knows all shapes and colors, except for gray. thats a hard one. She can spell her name, but doesnot know address and phone. yet. she can write the letters J, H, T. so shes got a good start. I wouldnt worry. But if you can even get her in a preschool now that would really help her. Ive worked in the preschools a lot and Have had 2 other kids go through kindergarten so if you need anything else let me know.

For my son's school district they tested the kids to see where their skills were and placed them in the class with other kids at his level. He wasn't required to know anything besides the basics, his name, taking himself to the bathroom, dressing himself, how to hold a pencil, scissors, etc.

Here's another website with free pre-school activities that will help prepare your little one (and keep her occupied in the mean time!)...there are some printable activities, so it'll also help her get used to doing "homework"...I use this site to entertain my "step"-grandson, who just turned 4...he is also autistic so he likes to be kept busy. He's in a school for autism now, but when he's at Meemaw and Papaw's house, he likes to have activities. He's a very bright child who loves to learn, and he really has enjoyed the activities I've found for him on this site..and the free part is what Meemaw likes best. LOL Enjoy your little ones!

http://www.preschoolactivitybox.com/

Here's a website that will give you activities to do with your child to help get them ready to write. It'll give you some ideas on what to do with them at home. You can check with your local district to see if they have a list of expectations for kindergarten.

www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/schools/Beal/readiness/finemotoract...

If you daughter is not in a preschool and you seem over whelmed by what has been written, I would try to get her enrolled in a preschool. They need to know so much more than when we were kids. In kindergarten now they are adding and subtracting and reading 3 and 4 letter words. What was already written is true. Shapes, colors, numbers, letters, how to use scissors, hold a pencil, write their name, and the list goes on. Good luck and God Bless.

Hi there, just call the school that your daughter will be going to and they will be glad to tell you or send you something I am sure, usually in the spring they will have a kindergarten roundup at the school and give you that information then as well. It has been a while since mine were there, but they would like your child to know their ABC's, 1-10 I think and be able to tie their shoes are the ones that I can remember!

Good Luck!

colors, shapes, recognize all the letters both Capital and lower case, count to 10, recognize numbers to 10, write their name, throw and catch a ball, some schools want them to be able to write the letters as well. zip and button, and other things I can't remember. Call your local parents as teachers group and make an appointment to have her evaluated and they will let you know what she needs to work on.
most school districts have a pre-k program that is free the year before Kindergarten. You may want to call your school district and ask. All the schools around us have the program.

I would check with the school district and the school that she will be attending - they should have a list of items that they are expected to know.

My son is also 4 and will go to kindergarten next year. In the spring, his preschool teacher had told me he would need to know his colors, shapes, recognize letters and numbers, count to 30 (I am pretty sure it was 30, be able to use basic pronouns and grammar.

A.,
As a former kindergarten teacher (2 years ago) I can tell you that the things most people have said the kids need to know by the end of kindergarten is true. The standards have been raised.
The students are usually each given a test (oral for the most part) before the year begins - don't worry it is not meant to keep them out of kindergarten it is simply to give the teacher an idea of what they already know and what she needs to teach them.
There is also a wide range of students coming in. Some are coming from preschools that have taught them their address, phone, numbers, shapes and alphabet. Some are coming from preschool that was just play time and some are coming from home having never been in a school environment before. The teachers are used to this. I would just recommend talking to the school and maybe working on a few things with your daughter (address and phone are a great one since it will be good for her to know anyway being away from home) but don't freak out or bombard her with things to learn so that she can enjoy her kindergarten experience. Best wishes.