What kind of things can I do to prepare my son for kindergarten? He'll be starting next year and I'd like to use this year's time to get him ready for school. I know I read someplace that there are recommended sight words, they should know how to write their name perhaps, count by multiples like 5 or 10? I just don't know where to start. Thanks for your help!

By Kaye on Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 01:09 pm:

Honestly the biggest adjustment to kinder isn't the learning, but the structure. I think you could best help him transistion by starting some scheduling in your home. You can buy prek workbooks and such. Set up a workspace, and have him sit for 10-15 minutes and work. Teach him how to put away his own supplies.

Working on writing his name is a great idea also. How I taught my kids was write it and then have them "rainbow" write on top. Let them use a red crayon, trace all the letters, then a blue crayon, etc. Never let him do one letter over and over with his name. Really encourage him to do the whole name. When he is done with that step, then move on to having him follow a dotted pattern, do two lines of trace the dots, then have him do two more with only a dot for the start for each letter. Read online about correct letter formation. I promise if they are taught right from the beginning life is much easier!

Instead of reading sight words, label your house. Make tags with things like "shirts", "shorts" for his dresser, have him help you put them on. You can label anything, but he will start to clue in on those sight words.

The other big skill that is developed in kindergarten is indepence. He will have to open his own lunch, button his own pants, tie his own shoes, etc. Any of those skills are helpful if he doesn't already do so.

And last but not least, being able to sit through a story and not interupt. Work on reading him a story when you hold the book towards you, then show the pictures to him.

By Tarable on Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 03:01 pm:

I totally agree with Kaye. The biggest thing they need to get ready for K is structure and knowing how to sit for a period of time and being independent. I understand there are things that a 5/6 year old may not be able to do but the more he does for himself or at least can the better off he will be.

That is also something you might want to think about getting some. I never bought the little packages of thing that I send in my kids lunch all the time until they started school and didn't realize how much it take to teach them how to learn to open those things without making a huge mess. Especially if you are going to buy the caprisun type drinks that if you squeeze too hard juice goes everywhere. This was a big issue with my girls.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 10:51 pm:

Trust me, kindergarteners, first graders and second graders all need help opening their stuff for lunch. That's what lunch ladies are there for. Some kids do know how, but lots of them can't. Dole Fruit Bowls have a lot of juice in them, so they spill easily. Most kids, even the older ones want help. I have put plenty of straws into juice boxes, etc.

Knowing how to tie shoes would really be nice. It seemed so many kindergarteners from last year, still couldn't tie their own shoes, by the end of the school year. I end up tying MANY shoes during the course of a school year.

By Colette on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - 08:48 am:

ditto Dawn on that - also those stupid juice pouches are always a mess.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, August 9, 2008 - 02:15 pm:

All good ideas....I taught K for 7 years and it's my forte!

I buttoned most pants though, and opened most milks, so ditto Dawn on that. Has he been in preschool? Honestly if he's been in preschool and done fairly well with that structure, he'll be fine in K! He shouldn't be sitting too long if he's in a good K.

Academics...best if he can write his name already, and hopefully spell it, too. Knowing letters is helpful, but not all kids do, so if he doesn't don't stress about it. Count to 20. Don't worry about the 5's and 10's...that will be second semester and the teacher will work on that. The workbooks are fine, but don't push them. If he likes them, great, if not, pick the ones that are the most 'fun' (if that's possible!) and just do one page at a time. Don't worry about handwriting!!!!! Handwriting focus should be on confining the letter/number in a space, not on lines!!!

Drawing...circles, straight lines, curvy lines...those will all be helpful if he can do that to help the writing process during the K year. Fine motor...small pegs, small blocks...all helps develop handwriting skills. If he still has really large motions with his fine motor (like giant L's, or 2's..whatever), then confine to smaller paper (like half a page), but still give him lots of practice on big paper (like newsprint) to work that out.Several children still can't tie shoes at the end of the year, but often because parents don't buy tie shoes.

On handwriting, use the terminology to help make it correctly, but don't worry about lines! I can't tell you that enough. If he's always starting at the bottom (and he will) keep re-iterating "TOP to bottom", "start at the TOP", but don't make him frustrated about it. At the end of K, almost ALL kids are still going bottom to top on everything. It just takes lots of practice and someone drilling those words into his head all the time. I personally don't like following dotted lines until second semester of K, unless the child is just ready and willing, then go for it for sure. We work for the first few months in a confined SPACE, not on lines. We trace dots of pictures and shapes before we ever touch dots of a letter formation.

Good luck! Like I said, if he's been in a preschool and done pretty well with the routine there, he'll be fine!!!!