Simple KindergartenReadiness Checklist and the At Home Pre-School Boot camp

One day, I was talking with a friend of mine.   She told me that she was thinking of buying a pre-school curriculum to use with her son.  I quickly pointed her to a few of my favorite free on-line resources, and followed up by sending the links.  When we talked again, I was slightly horrified to hear that she had not found my suggestions helpful, and in fact, had bought a curriculum. "You are a teacher.  I am not." was her explanation.  We talked about it some more, and she convinced me that although I don't have any special training in early child hood, my background as a teacher does make accessing on-line resources written by the professionals easier.  The result of that conversation was an At Home, Pre-school Boot Camp.

Here are the six areas of growth that I try to promote in my own pre-schoolers.

Independence

Can he take care of himself?  At the kindergarten level this is about things like using the bathroom and eating lunch out of a lunch box without help.

Social interaction

Can he play well with his peers? Kindergartners are expected to be able to communicate verbally with one another and resolve minor altercations.

Function within my culture's social structure

Can she behave well in a formal situation? If she is a  North American, can she to sit and listen, raise her hand, and line up?

Language

Can she understand, be understood?  Kindergartners are expected to enjoy listening to stories of some length, follow instructions and know their alphabet.

Math

Is he organizing his world by patterns?  A well prepared kindergartner can count to ten and name shapes and colors, and work puzzles.

Writing

Can she use a pencil? At the beginning of kindergarten, the teacher will expect her to be able to write her name and copy letters.


This is a highly simplified list.  If you want a more detailed list of what children should know at the beginning of kindergarten, check out School Sparks by Renee Abronowitz or this list from the Measured Mom.

If you are working on these areas and your child is not making progress, I recommend consulting with your local school district or another trusted expert.  Some times children need special help, and getting it early is best.

 If you would like to work on these areas with your child,  and could use some hints to get started, my upcoming At Home, Pre-school Bootcamp series is for you!  

Pre-school should be a dynamic learning experience.  Whether your child attends a formal program, or spends all day with you, the At Home Pre-school Bootcamp will help you set up the activities needed to help help your child develop at home.  Each week, I will post a summary of activities that help you begin to cover the major areas that should be addressed with every child, with links to easy to follow instructions, and introductions to some of my favorite on-line experts. It's free, you'll only have to pay for your materials.  I have written your shopping list, which you can directly order from Amazon (Click here to Sign up for Amazon Prime and get free shipping), or use to find great deals around town.  Best of all, you will have fun connecting with your child while preparing him not only for kindergarten, but for life. 

If you have a resource that I should check out, leave it in the comments. I am always looking for great ideas for my own littles, and may share it as well.  Double check that you have some plain old paper and a pencil on hand and make sure that you are following this blog either by e-mail or in your reader. The first set of posts is coming Monday!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  Click here for more information.   Thanks for your support!  The post,  At Home Pre-school Bootcamp originally appeared on WisdomKnowledgeJoy@blogspot.com.