Non Academic Tips Your Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

Are you trying to get a handle on the kindergarten readiness checklist for September. My son is coming into the home stretch of his kindergarten year. My mom worries are calming down, and yes he is really learning without  having a long list of academic readiness skills checked off before he started. I have the pleasure of knowing several kindergarten teachers these days, so I consulted with one of them as to what skills she hopes her new kinders will bring to school with them. It might surprise you!

KINDERGARTEN READINESS CHECKLIST

Get ready. Get set. Go!

 

OUR PRESCHOOL SKILLS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN

Here’s a little bit about my son before he started kindergarten. You may have already poked around this site to see all our neat activities, so that gives you a bit of an idea. My son attended preschool for 3 years at 2.5 hours a day. He worked on social skills and practical life skills. He did have letter and number exposure. He could write his first name.  HE COULD NOT READ AND THAT’S OK! He definitely had academic exposure, but wasn’t in love with traditional learning.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, READ TO YOUR CHILD EVERY DAY
DIY POOL NOODLE ALPHABET STACKING BLOCKS

 

WHAT WAS PRESCHOOL ALL ABOUT FOR US

Preschool was a lot of play and that is what it should be! I did not use flash cards or much in the way of worksheets. He likes mazes. If he was interested, we counted or looked at letters and cut fun things with scissors. We also did do a lot of reading and playing together with sensory activities.

He did require extra fine motor help recommended by an OT, so that’s why we fit in more fine motor science activities! He also has some sensory processing issues, so we included lots of sensory  play.

No kindergarten readiness checklist in mind!

PRESCHOOL FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES

MEET THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

You are probably wondering when I am going to get to the teacher recommended part!

Here she is! Ashlee has been teaching kindergarten for over a decade now and is wonderful with young children. Keep in mind, these are non academic tips. She does not expect her new students to come in  knowing everything already. However, she would love to see children have the basic skills for self care instead.

“The transition into kindergarten can be a challenging time for all involved- children, parents, and even teachers! By teaching your child simple independence skills, such as how to manipulate fastners, how to put his or her coat on, or how to open his or her cookies at snack time, provides your child with the confidence necessary to independently navigate a kindergarten classroom.

Your child’s transition into kindergarten should be one of ease with this new found sense of self esteem and independence, . Their newly acquired academic skills can truly be the star of the show. For parents, having an independent child can easily provide oneself with a sense of comfort by knowing that your child is able to successfully care for him or herself in new situations and environments.

With today’s growing classroom sizes, an independent and confident student allows more of the teacher’s time, energy, and focus to remain on key curriculum components and less of the teacher’s time on teaching skills such as zipping. If all involved, including the child, parent, and the teacher agree to work together as a unit in creating an independent and confident learner, than the kindergarten year should be a successful one of many smiles and far less tears!”

Ashlee MacRae: M. Ed Early Childhood Education (for students with and without disabilities)

A FEW THINGS TO PRACTICE AT HOME BEFORE KINDERGARTEN

So what is really on your new kindergarten readiness checklist? I hope you don’t feel like you have to stress the academic stuff to much! It’s still such a young age to know about all the letters, numbers, and such.  There are lots of non-academic things you can practice together that will make a big difference too! Try these ideas at home instead. Remember to allow extra time for your child to practice if you are getting ready to leave the house. I know when we are rushing, it’s easier for me to do everything instead of my son!

• PUTTING ON AND ZIPPING/BUTTONING COAT
•  FASTENING PANTS {AFTER POTTY}
• TAKING SHOES ON AND OFF AS NECESSARY
• PACKING A BACKPACK
• OPENING DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD WRAPPERS AND CONTAINERS 
• BLOWING HIS/HER NOSE
• WASHING HANDS
• CLEANING UP AFTER HIM/HERSELF 

She wanted to stress that kids don’t need to come in knowing what she is there to teach them. A child with greater independent skills will also be better prepared for academic learning. Just like my son, your children will be writing and reading in no time. Every child will progress at a rate that is appropriate for him or her!

A SIMPLER KINDERGARTEN READINESS CHECK LIST!