Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten

"School readiness," "ready to learn," "ready for school," or "readiness skills" are all expressions that you will hear as your child gets closer to starting kindergarten. But what does it mean to be "ready?"

It is important to remember that ALL children are always "ready to learn." From birth, children learn things every day through their experiences and interactions with adults, other children and things in their environment. When schools talk about children being ready, they're talking about whether children have specific skills and information that will help them succeed in school, such as counting, knowing letters and the sounds they make, and being able to work in small groups.

As your child gets closer to kindergarten age, around four years old: Contact your local elementary school or school district and request information on kindergarten enrollment. They will have information on what is needed to enroll your child in the local school system, as well as information on the kinds of skills and abilities they would like for all children coming into kindergarten.

Ready for Kindergarten Activities

Read, Read, and Read Some More 
You know your child likes to hear the same story again and again -- so have fun picking out a new picture or letter to talk about each time or ask your child to "read" a favorite story to you -- even if he doesn’t really know how to read words yet.

Practice the Alphabet 
Sing the ABC song, sometimes skipping letters to see if your child know the right order; or say the ABC's and stop to see if your child can continue. Sound out letters, and talk about words that begin with a letter.  When you are running errands with your child, play games in the car, having your child pick out letters on signs and items in the grocery store.

Name That Thing 
Help your child learn how to describe how things look and what they do by playing the "Name That Thing" game. Example: Ask your child, "What's round and you bounce it?" or "What has four legs, a long nose, and floppy ears?"

Counting in Every Day Activities 
At the grocery store, have your child count how many items you put in the cart, and ask how many there would be if you add one or take two away. Count the number of red cars you see on a short trip. Read books about numbers and counting.

The Kindergarten Survival Handbook
This booklet explains all the necessary skills and gives suggestions for activities that you can do to get your child ready for kindergarten.