Kindergarten Readiness: It's More than Just A,B,C?
By Catherine Edgar, Licensing Consultant?
A child entering kindergarten today needs to have already mastered many academic, social and motor skills in order to be successful. Early academic and literacy skills at kindergarten entry are good predictors of children?s academic abilities throughout their educational careers. Both center and home child care providers need to ask themselves: ?Does my program provide children with opportunities to develop academic, social and motor skills, as well as opportunities to follow rules and function as a part of a group??
Many of the skills children need to enter kindergarten prepared can be learned through play and day-to-day activities within your child care. This article will discuss specific skills children should be learning in child care and provide activities to help children achieve these necessary skills.
The following is a list of specific skills needed to prepare a child for kindergarten. These include fine and gross motor, academic and social skills. In addition, a child should be able to recognize authority, speak understandably and talk in complete sentences before entering kindergarten.
Fine Motor Skills
A child entering kindergarten should be able to properly use scissors and crayons, put together a 10
Some activities to increase fine motor skills include:
- Playing dress up ? buttons, zippers and fasteners all encourage fine motor dexterity.
- Cutting and tracing objects ? always make sure to use safety scissors and supervise any cutting activity closely.
- Stringing beads or Cheerios; creating artwork with dried macaroni.
- Picking up small objects with large tweezers.
- Molding, shaping and rolling play dough. ?
Gross Motor Skills??
Gross motor skills are important for kindergarten readiness as they work a child?s large muscles, provide an outlet for excess energy and help develop strong bones. Some activities that aid in the development of gross motor skills are as follows:
- Design an obstacle course for children to complete.
- Play a game of ?follow the leader.?
- Practice bouncing a ball.
- Have children imitate various animals. ?
Academic Skills?
A child entering kindergarten should be able to count to 10 and recognize colors, shapes, some letters, and common sight words such as stop. Some good activities to do with children in your care are:
- Sorting ? have children try to sort objects by color, shape and size.
- Math recipes ? simple recipes will help a child practice counting.
- Color walks ? walk around and try to find objects of a certain color.
- Practice writing both upper and lower case letters.
- Wooden or magnetic letters ? have children spell out short words that you write down on a piece of paper.
Social Skills
When thinking about kindergarten readiness, people tend to put more focus on academic skills and less on a child?s social skills. Social skills are critical for a successful transition into kindergarten. A child should be able to follow simple directions, wait his or her turn and use words instead of being physical when angry. Here are a few activities that will strengthen social skills:
- Cooperative games that involve children taking turns.
- Play the game Simon Says to help children learn to follow directions.
- Assign different jobs to children to encourage cooperation.
- Label emotions throughout the day and model appropriate behavior. ?
For some free additional kindergarten readiness activities, visit the following websites:
?? ???? ?www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten.htm
?? ???? ?www.ziggityzoom.com
?? ???? ?www.first-school.ws
Reprint with permission from?Michigan Child Care Matters
Reviews: Kindergarten Books
Reviewed by Cathy Lancaster, MLIS , Children?s Librarian, Flint Public Library, Flint, MI?
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!?by Nancy Carlson?
Henry is in a hurry for the first day of school and full of questions of how the day might go. Carlson has multiple titles for school readiness and features Henry, among other characters, in books such as?Henry?s Show and Tell?and?Henry?s 100 Days of Kindergarten.
First Day of School?by Anne F. Rockwell?
First day of school is very exciting, but it is filled with many new things and can be a bit scary. Rockwell takes you on a journey through the first day of school with new friends and old.
We Love Our School?by Judy Sierra?
A rebus read-together story that is in rhyme, following animal characters through their first day of school. A fun way to introduce your child to some social skills, like sharing and helping others, that are encouraged in the classroom.
Get Set for Kindergarten!?? Series by Rosemary Wells?
This series of books address various skills and curriculum that students will face in kindergarten. They are a good guide for parents to use in preparing their young students by reading the story and taking the time to do the activities included.? Parents will especially appreciate?The Next Step?tips offered on each page.
Seven Little Mice Go to School?by Haruo Yamashita?
Soft illustrations of these mice depict their fears for the first day of school. Mother mouse must think creatively to get past obstacles and get them to school on time.
For more Back to School reviews check out the Beacon?s September 2011 issue.
Kindergarten Readiness Resources
Articles
Websites
- ECS Online Interactive Pre-kindergarten Database
The Education Commission of the States? Online Interactive Pre-kindergarten Database provides state-by-state information and comparisons on pre-k programs, including funding, history, staff requirements and eligibility. - Education Commission of the States (ECS)
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) houses research and readings on kindergarten and an up-to-date database of kindergarten policies across the United States. - Education Week
Education Week is a vast resource on current education news, trends, and information for the K?12 teacher. - Smart Start
Smart Start is North Carolina's nationally recognized and award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed. - U.S. Department of Education: Early Childhood
The U.S. Department of Education?s early childhood resources page offers information on federal programs, initiatives, and research. Information is provided on the Good Start, Grow Smart program, the Early Reading First program, and the White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development.
Source: http://msshelbyskindercats.blogspot.com/2012/08/kindergarten-readiness-article-via.html
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