If your child seems to be meeting these skills, then he or she is likely ready for kindergarten.
Literacy & Numeracy Development
- Recognizes shapes: square, circle, triangle, rectangle
- Can sort items by color, shape, size
- Can identify six parts of his/her body
- Recognizes numbers 1- 10
- Counts from 1 to 10
- Counts objects to 10
- Recognizes eight basic colors
- Recognizes his/her written name
- Recognizes letters of alphabet (upper case and lower case)
- Writes own name with first letter capitalized and others lower case
- Puts objects in order of smallest to largest
- Demonstrates concepts of:
- Up/down
- In/out
- Left/right
- Backward/forward
- Same/different
Independence & Self-Care
Personal Information
- Knows his/her full name
- Knows how old he/she is
- Knows his/her address
- Knows his/her mother and father’s first names
Personal Hygiene
- Washes hands without help
- Blows nose
- Goes to the bathroom by him/herself, including being able to wipe him/herself and flush the commode.
Social & Emotional Maturity
- Uses words instead of being physical when angry
- Speaks clearly so an adult can understand him/her
- Plays with other children
- Follows simple directions
- Expresses feelings and needs
- Waits his/her turn and shares
- Talks in sentences
- Asks questions about things around him/ her
- Enjoys having books read to him/her
- Can tell a story about a past event
- Says “please” and “thank you”
- Can spend extended periods away from parents and grandparents
Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills
- Runs, jumps and skips
- Walks backward
- Walks up and down stairs
Fine Motor Skills
- Puts a 10- to 12-piece puzzle together
- Holds scissors correctly
- Cuts objects without help
- Holds a pencil or crayon properly
- Colors within lines
- Buttons shirts, pants, coats and zips up zippers