Earlyface

Have you ever wondered what exactly your
child needs to know before kindergarten? Here is a list based upon a Preschool Inventory given to
children at the very end of our local Pre-
Kindergarten program.  I was looking through my
old student-teaching notebook and came across
this list (granted, it is six years old).  It was used as
both a guiding document as well as an assessment at the end of the year.  I did not come up with this
list. Please keep in mind as you look over this list that
 kids learn best with hands-on experiences, not
memorization or drill practice! These early years with our children should be about fostering a
love to play, explore, and learn !  Also, it is important to note that our children are all
different and gifted in unique ways.  Obviously, if
your child has special needs, exceptionalities, or is
delayed in a particular area, this won’t necessarily
be relevant to your child.  This is simply a guide…
not something to stress about!  Finally, all areas of development are of equal importance to young children! Gross motor and social development tasks are just as important as cognitive and pre-
reading tasks at this age. Have fun learning together through games and
various experiences while still encouraging
your child’s natural creativity! Personal and Social Development Approach to learning Shows eagerness and curiosity as a learner Persists in task and seeks help when encountering
a problem Is generally pleasant and cooperative Self-Control Follows rules and routines Manages transitions (going from one activity to the
next) Demonstrates normal activity level Interactions with Others Interacts easily with one or more children Interacts easily with familiar adults Participates in group activities Plays well with others Takes turns and shares Cleans up after play Conflict Resolution Seeks adult help when needed to resolve conflicts Uses words to resolve conflicts Language and Literacy Listening Listens with understanding to directions and
conversations Follows one-step directions Follows two-step directions Speaking Speaks clearly enough to be understood without
contextual clues Relates experiences with some understanding of
sequences of events Literature and Reading Listens with interest to stories read aloud Shows interest in reading-related activities Retells information from a story Sequences three pictures to tell a logical story Writing Uses pictures to communicate ideas Uses scribbles, shapes, and letter-like symbols to
write words or ideas Alphabet Knowledge Recites/sings alphabet Matches upper-case letters Matches lower-case letters Identifies upper-case letters Identifies lower-case letters Mathematical Thinking Patterns and Relationships Sorts by color, shape, and size Orders or seriates several objects on the basis of
one attribute Recognizes simple patterns and duplicates them Number concept and operations Rote counts to 20 Counts objects with meaning to 10 Matches numerals Identifies by naming, numerals 0-10 Geometry and spatial relations Identifies 4 shapes- circle, square, rectangle,
triangle Demonstrates concepts of positional/directional
concepts (up/down, over/under, in/out, behind/in
front of, beside/between, top/bottom, inside/
outside, above/below, high/low, right/left, off/on,
first/last, far/near, go/stop). Measurement Shows understanding of and uses comparative
words (big/little, large/small, short/long, tall/short,
slow/fast, few/many, empty/full, less/more. Physical Development Gross-Motor Skills Pedals and steers a tricycle Jumps in place, landing on two feet Jumps consecutively- 7 jumps Balances on one foot for 5 seconds Hops on one foot 2-3 hops Hops on one foot- 6 ft. Throws a ball with direction- 5 ft. Catches a thrown ball with arms and body Climbs a playground ladder Skips smoothly for 20 feet Fine-Motor Skills Stacks 10, one-inch blocks Strings 4 1/2″ beads in two minutes Completes a seven piece interlocking puzzle Makes a pancake, snake, and ball from playdough Grasps pencil correctly Copies:  vertical line, horizontal line, circle, cross,
square, V, triangle Copies first name Prints first name without a model Grasps scissors correctly Cuts within 1/4″ of a 6″ straight line on
construction paper Cuts out a 3″ square on construction paper Cuts out a 3″ triangle on construction paper Cuts out a 3″ circle on construction paper Uses a glue stick appropriately Uses appropriate amount of glue for tasks The Arts Creative Arts Identifies 10 colors:  red, yellow, blue, green,
orange, purple, black, white, brown, pink Uses a variety of art materials for tactile experience
and exploration Music/Movement Participates in group music experiences Participates in creative movement/dance Creative Dramatics Makes believe with objects Takes on pretend roles and situations Parents, if you’re looking for some suggestions
on things you can do to prepare your child for
Kindergarten, check out 33 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten.  You can download and print a list with simple, easy activities that
will help to ensure your child is ready! Do you agree with this list?  Is there anything
that needs to be added (or taken away) based
on your experience???