Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten in the Fall?
It’s an understatement to say that the Coronavirus has turned our world upside down in just a few short months. Normally at this time, your preschooler would be readying for end-of-school parties and looking forward to summer. Instead, most likely they are at home with you missing their beloved teachers and friends.
All of Georgia’s Pre-K programs, both private and public, closed in mid-March as did the state’s K-12 schools and 49 percent of the child care programs. With Pre-K and early childhood education programs closed for the last two months, many parents are wondering if their children will still be ready for Kindergarten when August comes.
If you are wondering if your child is ready to move ahead into kindergarten, be assured that you are not alone. Teachers, probably better than anyone else, understand that the loss of learning this spring due to COVID-19 means that they will have catching up to do in August. However, there are things you can do now and through the summer to help your child prepare. We’ve created a checklist below that includes expectations for kindergarten readiness.
Some guidelines for determining kindergarten readiness:
Can count in sequence from 1 – 10
Recognizes some letters of the alphabet
Will follow instructions
Is able to identify shapes and colors
Knows how to correctly hold several different writing options (pencils, markers, crayons)
Is more independent and able to demonstrate self-help skills
Cuts with scissors
Pays attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks
Shares with others
Dresses their self – buttons pants, shirts and etc.
Sorts objects by color, size, and shape
Identifies words that rhyme
Can write their first name
Manages their bathroom needs
If your child has not mastered all of the suggested skills above, you have all summer to practice them. Most of all, don’t stress yourself or your child and make learning fun.
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