Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten

You will have a tremendous impact on your child's success in kindergarten if you work with him/her prior to their first day of school in the following ways:

Personal/Social Skills

• develop good bathroom skills
• develop dressing skills (zipping, buttoning and tying)
• learn to pick up toys after play
• learn to hold and correctly use a pencil, crayons and scissors
• listen to and follow directions
• limit television watching and video games to spend more time with books and creative activities
• use good social skills (sharing, taking turns, accepting responsibility for their own actions)
• learn to accept others who come from different backgrounds

Math/Reading/Writing Skills

• work on writing first and last name, telephone number
• know the ten basic colors: blue, yellow, orange, purple, brown, black, green, pink, white, & red
• be able to count to 10
• be able to recite the ABCs (or sing the Alphabet song)
• be able to identify body parts
• identify shapes (square, oval, rectangle, circle, triangle, diamond)
• sort items by size, color, shape (marbles, socks, shells, food, etc.)

Activities you can do around the house that will help build your child's skills and confidence:

• Number games - Have your child count how many plates, cups, and forks you need for dinner; count windows and doors in your home
• Find and identify shapes - What shape is the cake pan?
• Simple board games that require counting
• Listen to and sing nursery rhymes and songs
• Reading activities - read aloud, listen to books on tape, discuss the books with them

Parents and the School

Your involvement in your child's education is vital. Attend your school's "open house" (held during the first few weeks of school) to understand more about the kindergarten instructional program and how you can participate in your child's school life. Try to visit your child's classroom at least twice during the year.

Continuous parent/teacher contact is encouraged throughout the Flagstaff School District, and at least two conferences will be held during the year to discuss your child's development. Please attend any scheduled conferences with your child's teacher.