Kindergarten

• recognize and/or name colors?
• match or sort items by color and shape?
• participate in art and music activities?
• understand concepts such as: in, out, under, on, off, front and back?
• know her/his body parts (head, shoulder, knees, etc.)?
• draw a picture of her/himself including head, body, arms and legs?
• demonstrate curiosity, persistence and exploratory behavior?

Here are some tips for helping young children construct their own understanding of concepts as they interact and work with materials, people, events and ideas:

• Provide age appropriate toys which require thinking. This includes puzzles, blocks, or sorting toys.
• Save scraps, bits, boxes, and other things from around the house to use for creative experiences.
• Count objects around the house, such as plates and forks for the table, crackers for snacks.
• Play games with your child using words such as: “Put the ball on the chair” and “Get the pot from under the sink.”
• Play Simon Says. For example: Simon says, “Put your hands under your feet.” Simon says, “Put your hands over your head.”

• put puzzles together?
• cut with scissors?
• zip or button?
• enjoy outdoor play such as running, jumping and climbing?
• hold a crayon or marker?
• ride a tricycle?
• bounce a ball?

Children need physical skills to be successful in school. Daily opportunities to use large and small muscles should be provided.

Here are some tips to help children in their physical development:

• Take your child to a park to play on outdoor equipment.
• Allow your child time to dress her/himself.
• Provide experiences with scissors such as cutting pictures from a magazine.
• Provide opportunities to use crayons, markers, pencils and pens.
• Provide opportunities for your child to experiment with balls, tricycles and jump ropes.

• have a set routine and schedule for: preparing for bed, personal hygiene (e.g., brushes teeth, takes a bath), and eating meals?
• use good habits (e.g., uses spoon to eat, closes mouth when chewing, covers nose and mouth to sneeze, washes hands after using toilet and before eating)?
• follow simple safety rules?
• visit the doctor and dentist regularly?
• eat healthy foods?

“Children must have their basic needs for health care and nutrition met if they are to be prepared to achieve in school.” – Marian Wright Edelman

Here are ways to help children be safe and healthy:

• Make sure your child has regular medical check ups and up-to-date shots.
• Remember trips to the dentist and regular teeth brushing.
• Remind your child to get rest and establish a set bedtime.
• Provide opportunities for your child to get exercise.
• Teach your child to swim or take him/her to swimming lessons.
• Model and encourage healthy eating, and limit junk food.
• Teach your child simple safety rules (e.g., fire, traffic, bicycle, poisons).
• Keep a watchful eye on your child and remove hazards from your home and outdoors.
• Practice emergency situations to use 911 and have home fire drills.
• Alert your child to the dangers of strangers and drugs.

• arrange items in groups according to size, shape or color?
• group items that are the same?
• arrange toys or objects in size order, big to small or small to big?
• use words like bigger, smaller or heaviest to show comparison?
• compare the size of groups of toys or items?
• correctly count four to ten objects?
• show an understanding of the passing of time?

The development of number concepts – classifying, ordering, counting, and time and space relationships – is directly related to children’s ability to perform mathematical tasks throughout their school years and the rest of their lives. It is important to help young children feel confident in dealing with number tasks.

Here are some tips for parents:

• Let your child set the table (“How many forks do we need?” “How many chairs?” etc.).
• Provide opportunities to put away groceries.
• Provide opportunities to compare objects.
• Set up a routine or sequence for personal care.
• Provide objects or toys for play.

• talk in sentences?
• follow through when you give her/him one or two directions?
• use descriptive language? (“That’s a tall building with round windows.”)
• use simple conversational sentences?
• sing and/or recite nursery rhymes?
• use sentences that include two or more separate ideas?
• pretend, create and make up songs and stories?
• talk about everyday experiences?
• ask questions about how things work in the world around her/him?
• express her/his ideas so that others can understand?
• tell or retell stories?

The development of language abilities – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – is critical to children’s success throughout their school years and the rest of their lives. It is tied to everything children learn or do in school. Parents can support the development of language abilities by talking with and listening carefully to children as they share their ideas and experiences.

Here are some tips for parents:

• Talk with your child about what interests him or her.
• Use questions which have more than one answer such as: “What do you think?” “How would you feel?”
• Play rhyming games.
• Let your child know what she/he says is important. You do this by listening to your child.
• Get down at eye level and show your interest.
• Encourage other members of the family to listen.
• Encourage your child to develop and share ideas by asking questions and offering suggestions.

• try to write, scribble or draw?
• have a collection of paper, pencils, crayons?
• like to receive notes from you and others?
• ask you to write words or notes to people?
• use chalk or magnetic letters?
• attempt to write her/his name?
• attempt to invent her/his own spelling while writing (scribbling sentences)?
• see you writing (e.g., notes, recipes, lists, letters, reminders)?

To become skilled, lifelong writers, children need encouragement and support as they begin the writing process. They’ll play at writing like they play at reading. Ask them to read what they’ve written. Children go through various stages of writing development. These stages include scribbling, drawing pictures and pretend writing.

Here are some tips for parents:

• Provide your child with materials (e.g., crayons, pencils, paper) and a space for writing.
• Focus on what your child can do.
• Have a place to display your child’s writing efforts.
• Watch your child as she/he writes.
• Answer your child’s questions about writing.
• Accept your child’s trial and error (e.g., scribbles, pictures, alphabet soup).
• Make signs to label objects in your child’s room or other rooms in the house.
• Let your child see you write.
• Encourage your child to read her/his writing to you.
• Provide magnetic letters for your child to practice forming her/his name and words she/he wants to know.
• Encourage your child to invent her/his own spelling for words (e.g., shopping lists, reminder notes, messages, signs, and stories).

Special Note:
Remember to respond to the message and content of what your child is writing about, not how it looks on the surface. Writing is not just copying. By providing opportunities to write as part of your daily family routine, you will keep your child interested and excited about writing.

• enjoy getting a book as a present?
• have age appropriate books that are kept in a special place?
• recognize her/his first name in print?
• look at books or pictures on her/his own?
• read stories or verses to you? (e.g., shares verses or stories read at school; reads or pretends to read her/his library books)
• try to read in everyday situations? (e.g., street signs, store signs, cereal boxes, newspapers, magazines, TV advertisements)
• try to talk about or retell the stories or verses heard in school?
• try to read along with you on favorite parts of the story or sentences that are repeated over and over again?
• see you reading? (books, magazines, letters, newspapers, recipes, etc.)
• know any nursery rhymes by heart?
• pretend to read books by reading the pictures?

Reading a book to children is an enjoyable and interesting experience. It should be part of the daily family routine. It is the most important way in which parents can help children learn to read.

Here are some tips for parents:

• Provide a wide variety of books for your child, including nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
• Obtain a library card for your child.
• Provide a special place for your child to keep her/his books.
• Give your child books as presents.
• Make reading a part of your daily routine.
• Provide a wide variety of reading materials (magazines, newspapers, recipes).
• Accept your child’s “pretend reading.”
• Point out print in the environment (signs, cereal boxes, restaurants).
• Read your child’s favorite stories over and over again.
• Allow your child to select the story that she/he would like to hear.
• Sing familiar songs and stories (Old MacDonald, The ltsy, Bitsy Spider, etc.)

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? By Bill Martin, Jr.
• The Listening Walk, by Paul Showers
• The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins
• Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
• Corduroy, by Don Freeman
• It Looked Like Spilt Milk, by Charles G. Shaw
• Mouse Paint, by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear, by Don and Audrey Wood
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Tips on Reading to your child:

When reading to your child, try these techniques:

BEFORE reading a story:

• Introduce the book, discussing the cover, title, author and illustrator.
• Look at the pictures to discover what the story is about.
• Discuss special or new words that are in the story.
• Talk about places, people and things in the story with which your child is familiar.

DURING the story reading:

• Allow time for your child to look at and talk about the pictures (pictures and illustrations are very important).
• Talk with your child about the characters and story events.
• Ask questions like: What do you think is happening? How would you feel if that happened? What might happen next? Would you ever do that? Did you think that would happen?
• Allow your child to ask questions as you read and answer her/his questions.
• Accept and be positive about your child’s responses to your questions.

AFTER the story reading:

• Go back to the beginning and have your child turn the pages and share comments or questions she/he might still have.
• Have your child retell the story to you.
• Compare the story situations to your child’s experiences.
• Ask questions like: Could you do that? Has that ever happened to you? What did you think about this book?

• use words to solve problems when angry or frustrated?
• use words such as “please”, “thank you” and “excuse me”?
• attempt new tasks knowing it’s okay to make mistakes?
• do things for her/himself (e.g., dress self, put away toys and belongings, take care of own toilet needs)?
• have success in taking turns and sharing?
• interact appropriately with peers and have friends?
• ask for help when necessary?
• stay with an activity to completion (e.g., finish a picture, build something with blocks/legos)?
• follow through when you give directions?
• comply with rules, limits and routines?
• interact appropriately with adults?
• respect the rights, property and feelings of others?

Children must be socially ready for school. Parents can help their children get ready for school by giving them the opportunity to be part of a group of children, whether in a playground or a preschool classroom. Children need to know how to take turns, make compromises, approach familiar children, obey those in authority (principals and teachers) and generally be nice to others.

Here are some tips for parents:

•  Remember that discipline is teaching your child how to behave rather than punishing her/him for misbehavior.
•  Remember to always love your child and let her/him know it’s the misbehavior you dislike.
• Have high, yet realistic, expectations for your child. Understand your child’s limits.
• Let your child know exactly what is expected.
• Treat your child and others with respect and being a good example.
• Be positive through the use of praise and encouragement. Accept your child’s honest efforts without criticism.
• Let your child know what she/he SHOULD do, as well as what she/he should NOT do.
• Show your love to your child frequently.
• Give hugs and smiles, and spending happy times together.
• Help your child find words to describe feelings.
• Let your child know all feelings are okay.
• Tell your child when she/he does things right.
• Involve your child in choosing daily clothing, dressing and taking care of personal needs whenever possible.
• Tell your child about the fun things you remember from school.
• Set the tone that learning is good, fun and important.
• Encourage your child to attempt new tasks and support her/him when she/he is unsuccessful.
• Provide opportunities for your child to be with other children, such as joining a play group, going to story time at the library or playing at the park.
• Describe ways your child can solve disagreements with others.
• Show your child how to be a friend.
• Model the use of words such as please, thank you and excuse me.
• Give your child small responsibilities around your home (making her/his bed, picking up toys, emptying trash, taking care of pets, helping in the yard). Let your child know you respect her/him for being responsible.