Is my Child ready for kindergarten

This is a question that is asked by almost all parents. I will be giving you my opinion as a mother and a teacher.

I think it is very important to look for the critical factors that show that my child is ready for kindergarten. I understand that it is very frustrating! You will be wondering, how will my child fit in? Will he make friends? Will he know where to put his belongings? Will he be too afraid or shy to ask permission to go to the bathroom? Is he going to eat his food? What if he is hungry? Will the food be enough? Is he going to play with others? Will he be left out? ohhh the list is endless. There are some questions here that can be solved.

The first thing you have to look for is independence.

• Can he go to the toilet by himself?
• Can he wear his backpack?
• Can he open his lunchbox and eat by himself?
• Can he put on his jacket? etc…

The second thing you have to look for is social skills.

•  Does he work well with others?
• Can he follow directions and instructions
• Does he understand the diiference between right and wrong
• Can he use words to express his needs and feelings
• Does he share, take turns and use nice words?

If you don’t tick all these skills, that is ok! It can take several years for children to do them consistently.

Moreover, another really important skill you should for is the academic skills. Skills to practice before kindergarten are:

• Name writing
• Cutting skills
• fine motor skills
• Gross motor skills (physical movement)
• Identifying letter sounds
• Identifying numbers to 20
• Counting
• Counting using fingers
• Reading consonant vowel consonant words (is not important but a huge plus) because when a child is exposed to three letter words and constant reading then sight words will be a piece of cake.
• Shapes and colours

In my opinion and throughout my experience with school readiness children, I think these are the most important factors to make a smooth transition to kindergarten. If you feel that your child is missing a lot of these skills it is never too late. Early learning years are very essential in a child’s life. Please remember that. If you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to message me.