Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten

Connecticut State Department of Education/Bureau of Early Childhood Education and Social Services

Families are their children's first teachers. Parents can help their children enter kindergarten feeling happy, confident and safe. Share what you see and ask your child questions. Note what you child finds interesting and then join him or her in his or her interests. Children love to explore new places, ideas and things. Spending time with your child is more valuable than any toy. Enjoy this time with your child; it passes by quickly. The suggestions below can help your child develop key thinking and learning skills for kindergarten.

SPEAK AND LISTEN SPEAK AND LISTEN

Before your child enters school, he or she should be able to: To help your child be ready for Kindergarten, you can:

Use and understand many words. Use new words daily as you play together and go about everyday activities. For example, "I am going to a mechanic to have my car fixed."

Speak in complete sentences. Be a model for your child by speaking in complete sentences with five or more words per sentence. Help your child to add words to complete his or her sentences.

Ask lots of questions. Listen carefully to your child's questions, and together spend time to find out the answers.

Say and notice words that rhyme in stories. Say and sing nursery rhymes, rap and poetry, and play rhyme games. Help him or her to repear the words that rhyme. Help your child to make up his or her own funny rhyming words.

Make up and share personal stories about his or her interests. Listen with interest to your child's stories, make comments and ask questions. Share your own stories. Show your own childhood photographs and tell stories about them.

READ AND WRITE READ AND WRITE

Select familiar books and tell why he or she likes them. Retell favorite stories from books. Take your child to the library to select books. Read with your child and discuss things that your child likes about the books. Read books that your child likes over and over.

Hold a book upright. Read books often with your child so he or she learns how to hold and use a book. Allow your child to pretend to "read" to you favorite stories from books.

Identify letters of the alphabet. Have your child point out and say the letters in his or her name; put magnetic letters of the alphabet on the refrigerator for your child to use. Help your child to point out letters on cereal boxes, street signs and stores.

Recognize letter sounds. Introduce your child to the sounds of letters by helping your child to say the sound of the first letter of his or her name. Have your child find or say things that begin with the same letter sound of his or her name. Have your child say the sounds of the first letters of the names of his or her brothers and sisters, and sounds of letters that your child is interested in.

Recognize, copy and print his or her first name. Print your child's name whenever possible, such as on his or her drawings or below his or her photograph. Provide pencils, crayons or markers and paper for your child to scribble or write his or her first name. Help you child recognize shapes in letters that form his or her name.

Hold a pencil and write with it. Let your child see you writing for various reasons, such as making a shopping list or writing a birthday card. Provide pencils, crayons or markers and paper for your child to make marks, scribble or write in his or her own way.

Last updated: May 22, 2003

SPEAK AND LISTEN	SPEAK AND LISTEN
Before your child enters school, he or she should be able to:	To help your child be ready for Kindergarten, you can:
Use and understand many words.	Use new words daily as you play together and go about everyday activities. For example, "I am going to a mechanic to have my car fixed."
Speak in complete sentences.	Be a model for your child by speaking in complete sentences with five or more words per sentence. Help your child to add words to complete his or her sentences.
Ask lots of questions.	Listen carefully to your child's questions, and together spend time to find out the answers.
Say and notice words that rhyme in stories.	Say and sing nursery rhymes, rap and poetry, and play rhyme games. Help him or her to repear the words that rhyme. Help your child to make up his or her own funny rhyming words.
Make up and share personal stories about his or her interests.	Listen with interest to your child's stories, make comments and ask questions. Share your own stories. Show your own childhood photographs and tell stories about them.
READ AND WRITE	READ AND WRITE
Select familiar books and tell why he or she likes them. Retell favorite stories from books.	Take your child to the library to select books. Read with your child and discuss things that your child likes about the books. Read books that your child likes over and over.
Hold a book upright.	Read books often with your child so he or she learns how to hold and use a book. Allow your child to pretend to "read" to you favorite stories from books.
Identify letters of the alphabet.	Have your child point out and say the letters in his or her name; put magnetic letters of the alphabet on the refrigerator for your child to use. Help your child to point out letters on cereal boxes, street signs and stores.
Recognize letter sounds.	Introduce your child to the sounds of letters by helping your child to say the sound of the first letter of his or her name. Have your child find or say things that begin with the same letter sound of his or her name. Have your child say the sounds of the first letters of the names of his or her brothers and sisters, and sounds of letters that your child is interested in.
Recognize, copy and print his or her first name.	Print your child's name whenever possible, such as on his or her drawings or below his or her photograph. Provide pencils, crayons or markers and paper for your child to scribble or write his or her first name. Help you child recognize shapes in letters that form his or her name.
Hold a pencil and write with it.	Let your child see you writing for various reasons, such as making a shopping list or writing a birthday card. Provide pencils, crayons or markers and paper for your child to make marks, scribble or write in his or her own way.