Kindergarten

Explore the resources below as you prepare your student for the assessment and to begin kindergarten.

Activities Calendar

• Monthly activities for children in pre-kindergarten

Physical Development & Motor Skills

• Gross motor skills activities for little kids
• Motor skills for preschoolers
• Improve kids' fine motor skills with 30 materials & activities
• Kindergarten hand exercises

Language Development & Letter Recognition

• 10 letter recognition activities
• Letter recognition: Creative and hands-on ways to teach the alphabet
• Practice name writing in 12 fun ways for preschoolers
• Creative and fun name activities

Academic Skills/Cognitive Development

• 8 ways to teach children their address and phone number
• Safety Skills: How to teach your child to memorize his phone number
• Book and print awareness: Getting ready to read

Reading and Language

Students will:

• conclude that print provides information
• use print to read
• name and match all uppercase and lowercase letter forms
• construct meaning from text, illustrations, graphics and charts
• say the sounds of letters
• match, identify, distinguish and segment sounds in initial/final/medial position in single-syllable spoken words
• blend sounds to make words or syllables
• read common, irregular sight words
• listen to and discuss text read aloud
• classify and categorize
• read independently
• ask and answer questions
• draw conclusions
• identify the main idea and supporting details in a story
• make predictions
• retell stories by stating the beginning, middle and ending
• identify the story characters
• identify and describe the setting
• follow oral directions (one-, two-, three- and multi-step)
• distinguish between fantasy and realistic text
• write sentences with assistance
• use punctuation marks and capital letters
• use spelling approximations and some conventional spelling
• listen to actively participate in class discussions
• listen for specific information
• speak clearly and audibly and use appropriate volume and pace in different settings
• borrow books from the school library for independent reading

Mathematics

Students will:

• identify and explore similarities, differences and attributes of numbers to 5
• count, number and compare numbers to 100
• order and compare objects by size, length and weight
• use positional words and describe order of events
• explore solid and flat shapes (2-dim.); develop and extend shape patterns
• compare and combine sets of up to 20 to find the difference
• use a calendar to identify days of the week and months of the year
• count on to 10; use fingers to find differences and count back
• identify a pattern unit and create repeating patterns
• compose and decompose numbers to 20
• compare lengths, weights and heights using nonstandard units
• classify and sort objects by up to 2 attributes
• write addition and subtraction sentences; represent addition and subtraction stories
• develop addition and subtraction facts to 5
• compare capacities and events in time
• identify coin values and count coins

Science

Students will:

• observe and describe properties of trees and leaves
• compare similarities and differences among trees and leaves
• observe trees throughout the year for changes
• compare the structures and behaviors of different animals
• investigate the concept of habitat and the relationship between an animal species and its environment
• communicate their scientific observations and comparisons
• acquire and use a science vocabulary
• communicates a concept of threatened, endangered, and extinct animals
• explore places in a town
• explore places on a farm
• identify land and water on maps and globes
• identify a variety of animals from around the world
• identify the similarities among children
• observe interactions of animals with their surroundings

Social Studies

Students will:

• understand that rules exist in all aspects of life
• investigate differences in our way of life through time
• recognize the role of community helpers in their community
• identify seasons, months and holidays
• understand reasons for celebrating various holidays
• explain the importance of various American symbols
• use and create a map of a familiar location
• use appropriate geographic terms to describe their surroundings
• recognize the difference between needs and wants

Technology

Students will:

• control the mouse and its left click functions
• demonstrate a functional knowledge of the keyboard
• access a word processing program
• use basic menus
• learn to print
• use drawing tools
• insert graphics
• insert and use a CD-ROM disc
• use a laser disc/DVD
• open an internet browser
• learn why the school’s computers are restricted and filtered
• notify the teacher if inappropriate items appear on the monitor
• learn how to care for the computer and its accessories
• be assessed on the ability to type a letter, insert a picture that begins with that letter from clip art, and print it

Health

Students will:

• understand the role of eating proper foods
• understand the importance of dental health practices
• understand the importance of body care
• define a drug as any substance that affects the functioning of mind or body and identify common drugs

Library

Students will:

• exhibit library citizenship
• recall main idea of a story
• explore parts of a book
• demonstrate an appreciation of literature through book selection
• become familiar with the location of appropriate reading materials
• recognize the need for information
• state the question of the information problem presented
• share knowledge and information with others and develop active listening skills
• distinguish between fact-filled and fiction books
• identify important facts of informational books read

Physical Education

Students will:

• participate in physical activities that encourage creative and rhythmic movement
• develop perceptual and gross motor skills
• be introduced to games of low organization
• participate in physical education once a week