Kindergarten is supposed to be fun and educational, and allow children an opportunity to blossom because it is usually the first time the tykes are away from their parents for any significant amount of time.
And while most kindergartens don’t exactly have GPA requirements, for a child to succeed there are a few milestones that should be reached before they toddle through the door, says Alise McGregor, founder of Little Newtons (www.littlenewtons.com), an early education center with locations in Minnesota and Illinois.
“New parents especially can have a hard time understanding that there are actually things their child should know prior to kindergarten,” McGregor says. “But if they take time to make sure their child knows some basics, it will make kindergarten a better experience.”
In addition to teaching their child themselves, many parents opt to send their children to pre-k, where they can learn social skills and get the foundations of learning in place, ready for kindergarten. A quick search using keywords such as “pre k charter schools near me” should help you find a suitable school in your area.
- Basic shapes. The child should have learned basic shapes like the square, circle, rectangle and triangle in preschool. If not, parents should teach them. In kindergarten, they will probably be introduced to the hexagon, star, heart and octagon.
- The letters of the child’s name. They should at least be able to recognize the letters of their name. In kindergarten, they will learn their uppercase letters and begin lowercase letters. They will also begin to learn how to write freehand without tracing.
- Numbers 1 to 10. Although some children will be able to count to 100 by the time they reach kindergarten, all should be able to at least be able to count to 10. Numbers will be used starting on the first day of kindergarten so the children need to at least understand and recognize numbers.
- Social skills – The child should be able to follow directions, be able to be separated from the caregiver and use the restroom independently. Children who scream and cry when they are separated from caregivers disrupt the rest of the class. Teachers simply do not have the time to supervise individual students who cannot independently use the restroom.
McGregor says that it is important for children to get off on the right foot early in school. By teaching children these skills prior to attending kindergarten it should make it easier for them to succeed. What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments below. I really would love to know.
Until next time, shine amongst the stars!
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About Alise McGregor
Alise McGregor is the founder of Little Newton’s (www.littlenewtons.com), an exceptional child care center focused on early childhood education in four locations in Minnesota and one in Illinois. She is the author of an upcoming book Creating Brilliance. Also a nurse, she has a B.S. in Exercise Physiology with a cardiac rehabilitation emphasis.
That’s a very informative and helpful post for new parents. Thanks for sharing this information
❤ Thank you for reading & sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate your support, comfort, and love. I read every single comment and it helps to shape LavandaMichelle.com into the best blog possible.❤ Lavanda Michelle North Carolina Lifestyle Blogger
Social skills for sure is a must. Unfortunately you we still see a lot of children lacking it and it does affect their lives later on.
I couldn’t agree more ❤ Thank you for reading & sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate your support, comfort, and love. I read every single comment and it helps to shape LavandaMichelle.com into the best blog possible.❤ Lavanda Michelle North Carolina Lifestyle Blogger
As a kindergarten teacher for 3 years, I totally agree that social skills is very important before the kids enter kindergarten. I’ve experienced many kids crying on their first day of school and don’t want to be separated from their mom/caregiver. Some even still crying of their second week in school. And all I can do is let the mom/caregiver stay in the classroom first until these kids will have friends. Those basic skills, like learning numbers, colors, letters of their names, yes it can be learned at home first. Thanks for sharing Alise
When my girls started kindergarten, that was a huge issue, one mom had to stay for nearly 2 months before her son would stop crying ❤ Thank you for reading & sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate your support, comfort, and love. I read every single comment and it helps to shape LavandaMichelle.com into the best blog possible.❤ Lavanda Michelle North Carolina Lifestyle Blogger
These are great tips! So many kids start kindergarten without these basic skills and it makes a huge difference for their development and their self esteem.
True indeed❤ Thank you for reading & sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate your support, comfort, and love. I read every single comment and it helps to shape LavandaMichelle.com into the best blog possible.❤ Lavanda Michelle North Carolina Lifestyle Blogger
I agree – social skills are particularly important as this comes inline with learning about boundaries and doing things not socially acceptable. But, even with this, I think there are children who are still learning all 4 in kindergarten, and it is through the nurturing process of the teacher – student – classroom relationship that creates success. Xo Evelyn
I love it when that is the case ❤ Thank you for reading & sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate your support, comfort, and love. I read every single comment and it helps to shape LavandaMichelle.com into the best blog possible.❤ Lavanda Michelle North Carolina Lifestyle Blogger