Your child doesn’t have to learn 5 different languages, do trigonometry, or read a thesaurus to go to kindergarten, despite what you heard in that mom group you’ve been following. However, there are some basic skills your preschooler should have before going to kindergarten. If your preschooler is doing the following, there’s a good chance they’re ready to go to kindergarten.
MOTOR AND SENSORY SKILLS
1. Puts Puzzles Together
Grabbing puzzle pieces and putting them together correctly is important in improving spatial awareness and hand eye coordination.
2. Plays With Blocks
Building with blocks helps to develop muscles in the fingers, hands, arms, shoulders, and back.
3. Uses Scissors
Cutting with scissors helps develop the small muscles in the hand, and also helps with coordination.
4. Holds Crayons and Markers Correctly
Holding drawing tools is another important step in developing fine motor skills
5. Is Potty Trained
Have a child with a sensory disorder? Your Kids Table has some great potty training tips for you.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS
6. Uses Manners
Saying “Yes ma’am,” “Please,” and “Thank you” are important skills to have, even if you’re not in kindergarten!
7. Shares With Others
Sharing is caring. Children need to be able to share in order to learn how to negotiate, compromise, and make successful friendships.
8. Expresses Themselves Using Words
It’s important that a kindergartener is able to express themselves with words. This can be through writing, speaking, and even singing.
9. Can Dress Themselves
Learning to dress themselves builds confidence and creates a sense of accomplishment.
10. Respects Others
Kindergarteners need to be able to respect their teachers, and classmates while in school. Learning respect starts at home, by teaching your child to respect their family, friends, and their environment.
LANGUAGE AND LITERACY SKILLS
11. Speaks In Full Sentences
Kindergartners should speak in full sentences, even if they talk so fast you can’t understand them anyways.
12. Expresses Curiosity
Kindergarten is the time to ask questions, and lots of them. You should be hearing “but why?” on repeat.
13. Recognizes Rhyming Words
Being able to recognize rhyming words is extremely important in developing language skills and word recognition.
14. Shows Interest In Reading
By kindergarten, children should show interest in books by holding them, turning the pages, and looking at the pictures. Children may even make up their own stories or words to go along with the pictures.
15. Recognizes Many Letters
Kindergartners should be able to recognize most letters by sight, as well as by sound.
MATH, LOGIC, AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS
16. Recognizes Some Numbers
By kindergarten, children should be able to recognize the numbers 1-10, and count at least five objects.
17. Arranges Objects By Size
Arranging objects smallest to largest, or largest to smallest, is a big part of understanding logic.
18. Knows The Difference Between Numbers And Letters
Kindergarteners should know that letters make up words, and numbers describe an amount or quantity of something. Help them understand with this Jack Hartmann video, Is it a number or a letter?
19. Knows Some Shapes
Kindergarteners should be able to recognize basic shapes such as, circle, square, and triangle.
20. Uses Comparison Words
Check out this great lesson to teach your kindergartener all about comparative words.
ART AND MUSIC SKILLS
21. Knows Basic Colors
Children should recognize primary colors by kindergarten.
22. Dances To Music
Dancing suggests recognizing a beat, and helps to develop rhythm, and creativity.
23. Can Draw Basic Shapes
Kindergarteners should be able to draw some shapes. They don’t have to be perfect, but they should be recognizable.
24. Makes Up Stories
Making up stories helps develop imagination, creativity, and also language skills.
25. Plays With Basic Instruments
Playing an instrument is beneficial for developing self expression, improving listening skills, and is great for social skills.
SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS
26. Knows Basic Information About Family
Kindergarteners should know their guardians first and last name, and phone number in case of emergency. Knowing their address is also very beneficial.
27. Knows Some Animal Facts
Children should be able to recognize some animals, the sounds they make, and some other basic information about them. Such as…Horses like carrots, or penguins can’t fly.
28. Recognizes Things In The Sky
By kindergarten, a child should be able to point out the sun, moon, and stars.
29. Notices Similarities
Children need to be able to notice similarities in items, to then be able to recognize differences in other objects.
30. Knows We Live In a Huge World
It’s important for a kindergartner to know about people all over the world. They should know that skin color is not always the same, and people speak in all different languages, and come from different countries all over the world. It’s important that they know that we should love each other no matter what our differences are, because they make us unique.
5 Signs Your Child is Ready to Go to Preschool
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Mary Weiss
What I love is that although it’s always great to have a list of resources, this section gives me & my families a better understanding of each skill so that I can support my families by knowing what to watch for in my students, so that my preschool families and I can help each other with assisting the children in reaching their learning goals.
Christine Marte
I enjoyed going through this list and seeing that my daughter who is in my preschool is ready for kindergarten.
seeta khan
Having a comprehensive, yet simple understanding of the school setting at an early age is a great advantage for child development and I love this so much.
Rhonda McCarthy
Great checklist for parents to ensure their child is on the right track for Kindergarten.
Rehanna Allen
This is certainly good to know. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have this list. Parents are always wanting to know what their kids will need to know for kindergarten. Welp, I can just read straight from this list. Of course, it is extremely important for me to know as well.
Allisen Brownell
Thank you for making this so easy to understand and a great resource to share with families nearing this transition. It’s a great reminder for teachers and parents to assess and plan instruction for further development 👍 👏 😀
Brittany Klop
What a great way to see where your child is in their process. Also a great resource for parents and Teachers.
Cathy Terrell
This list is a great tool for me as well as parents of the preschoolers that I serve. It is very helpful in tracking the progress and Kindergarten readiness of preschoolers. I especially love the included lesson on making comparisons, that’s a hidden gem in my opinion!
Acea
I love that this list covers so many domain areas and isn’t just focused on academics!
Dana Burton
This could be used as a milestone checklist for you to share with parents. This is awesome.
Jameisha
No way this is all available in one place. This is fantastic information!!! It’s golden for me!!
Heather Austin
I will definitely be sharing with my parents. I wish it was a poster.
Brenda
Very detailed and informative resource. Thank you so much Joy!!
Elizabeth Wright
I love how these skills are broken down into categories like fine motor, social emotional etc. I love the clickable links within the skill that give ideas on ways to teach them. I especially liked the Jack Hartman song to help kiddos recognize the difference between letters and numbers!
Anabel
Very helpful, especially when talking to parents! Clear expectations are important! Academics will come easier when most of these skills are addressed first!
Darlene Williamson
I enjoyed seeing the activities to engage children.
Geni Ainge Morse
What a fantastic resource. I have often found lists of things that they need to do before going to kindergarden but nothing has actually explained what each one of those concepts actually are. I love that this article gives a definition of each one.
Tina
Be sure to check with your local school on what they specifically test for when it comes to pre-k and kindergarten registration. I get a list from those teachers and also aim for those goals for my preschoolers who will be aging out next year.
Lisa Wigdor
Very helpful, detailed and extensive list of skills to assist teachers in preparing preschoolers for kindergarten.
Naomi W
I would say this is a very complete list. Love it!
Saimah Hameeduddin
Ok, this is going to all of our preschool parents! This is extremely helpful for teachers and parents alike. With so many children missing preschool due to the pandemic, this resource is so valuable to give parents to prepare them for kindergarten.
Chrissy
5 Star resource ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This Article needs to be put on a poster or a magnet !
Even a PDF file , so we can refer to it often , It can be so easy to get distracted with so many things you can do , and options offered but honestly this helps you rotate through all the many skills needed , so you can plan your curriculum , and I love that parents can use it at home to work on skills endless opportunity ♥️👍 very cool …..
Bryonna Harrington
As a teacher and as a parent I’ve always wanted to make sure my daughter was on track for kindergarten and this really relieves me and gives me a great guide. I know she may not check off every single thing on the list but it helps me to know where she is and now I know what academic goals to set.
Felicia
I love the information you’re sharing! I totally agree kids need that special learning and to have those important skills met before they start Kindergarten, it’s very helpful as they grow from 1 grade to the next.😊.
Lisa Lucas
So much value and readiness! I love the way that I’ll ensure that my own children and the children I teach are more than ready for all of their endeavors! Thanks so much!
LisaRenee Fogarty
I teaching kindergarten readiness skills to my preschoolers in my playbased program but manners, respect and sharing at appropriate times are high on my list….Being able to dress and undress is a close 2nd. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!!
Mya Phillips
I am so glad to see fine motor as well as social and emotional skills made the list! Being well-balanced is key not just now but also later on. All this will be useful during the course of their lives.
Shana Weldon
Kindergarten readiness is a current hot topic. This covers all of the critical developmental domains. Great resource!
Letice Noble
This is a great list for teachers and parents. This list will allow the teacher and parent to work together to prepare child for kindergarten!
Lori Sekol
Wow! This list covers it all! Preschool is not just time to play. They are learning so much more! Academics are important, but so are social and emotional skills, manners, etc. Thank you for this exhaustive list.
Y D
This is great to share with teachers and parents! I especially agree with the social/emotional skills. Many parents focus on academics
Jamie Brucker
This is a great list to give out to parents. So many focus on workbooks but there is so much more to kinder readiness.
Becky Hellebust
I very much agree with preschoolers learning that we live on a big planet and the different cultures we encounter, even in our own towns. One thing I struggle with is the word sharing. There are times for sharing, if there’s an abundance of materials and one child is trying to keep them all. There are times for a list so they can take turns. I do a lot of problem-solving with preschoolers. A big thing we use are visual timers so they can see when it will be their turn.
Yuneisy
This information is very useful. I specially like the resource for kids with sensory processing disorder. So many preschools don’t take children unless they are potty trained and that’s just not realistic for many kiddos.
Valerie W.
This is awesome! Most parents want to know what milestones their child should meet in order to move to the next phase, but most just do not know. Thank you for providing this resource in such a simplified way. This is going to be so helpful moving forward.
Tiffanie Watts
Love this site so far, you have thought of everything! I have it bookmarked for future use.
Darlene Shank
I think this list is awesome. As someone said there is so much the children can learn from playing. I will be sharing this list with parents.
Kerry P
I love this article. I use it on my preschool Face Book page.
Cyndi Baker
I love having this list handy to reference when planning activities. So many of these are just pointing things out to the kids or building on what I am already doing.
Kari
Thank you for providing a general list of goals that children should be showing by Kindergarten!
Jessica Brown
Love this!!! #6 & 10 are not on most preK lists but those are so important!!
Christina
Good things to prepare for at an early age!
Christy
Wonderful! Thank you for providing a visual list for us to look at and evaluate where we are succeeding and where we might need to work a little more! I ESPECIALLY love that manners are included in this list!
Krista
I am definitely bookmarking this post as a benchmark. Thank you!
YummYee’ Cary-Boyd
Perfection!!! Not only is this information informative, but it is in depth and detailed. This is my assessments and evaluations right here!!! Thank You for taking a difficult task and making it very simple. I absolutely love this!!!
Lena
As a mom of a pre-schooler, soon to be a kindergartener, I’m so grateful for this list! I will be checking on it more and more in the next few months! I’ve been looking for such clear guidance and clarity in this!
April B
Having a guide for yourself and for the parents is so beneficial! Even though we know every child is different having this information will identify areas that need more opportunities for children to improve in. Thank you!
Molly Campbell
This list is so important. Thank you!
Jessica Coon
Having the preparation skills for the next year is so important thanks!
Cordelia Nkembo
This article is filled with both knowledge and information, for both parents and teachers.
It alerts parents to the importance of preschool education and home training in a young child’s life before entering kindergarten. All in all the article gives educators a guide to follow as to what skills children need in order to enter into Kindergarten!
Janae
Great list I love how the list includes being respectful as well as the academics
Meena S (Meena A on FB)
Beyond 21st century learning is where we are at and these preschool skills hit the nail on the head as an all-encompassing list what our children need as they start their educational path. Happy to see science and social studies incorporated as many programs omit them. In addition, we want our children to be mindful about their emotions, practice empath – so including SEL is where it is at!
Linda Morin
These skills are all so important,
not just for being kindergarten ready, but for all of life.
We are never too old to put together a puzzle, or any of these activities,
anything skipped as a child can still be learned, like manners….
The earlier we learn something and make it a good habit, the longer we carry and use the skill through life. 🙂
Kathlene Burton
This is a great way to assess if your kiddo is ready but I always keep in mind that they do not need to hit every item. Each child develops at their own pace and if they have exposure to it, they can master it in their own time!
Nancy
This is a great check list I can go by to
Get my kiddos ready for kindergarten!
Debbie Serrano
This is a great checkoff list
Jenni Smith
As a current toddler, I am so glad to see how many “non-academic” skills are listed. It is SO important to just be a kind human! Be polite, respectful and caring! I’ve always said, “it’s great if you know your ABCs and 123s, but please and thank you are just as important!”
Lana
I appreciate this list a lot. There’s a couple of things I could definitely improve on/incorporate so that my preschooler is ready for the next step!
Jamie Lyn
This is a great list, many times many of these things are overlooked or kids don’t know by kindergarten but they are all very important.
Kimberley Ann Hoodie
I remember kindergarten like it was just yesterday! That is such a year of eye openings! Having a standard of tests to show how much those tiny little brains withold over the year!
Courtney Priest
Nice list. It’s helpful for families to use when thinking ahead & for teachers to guide their practices.
Jayla
I’m blown away by this list and it goes to show when Daycares say kids will be kindergarten ready it’s not true. This list shows why and how Preschools (not Preschool rooms in Daycares) are needed and significant in a child’s life. Whether it’s online or local, there is so much that a child can benefit from.
Steph Gonzalez
I am loving this list! I honestly didn’t even know these were the things that small children should know before they can go to kindergarten. See? It’s true, we continue learning new things all the time. Good list. A gem really.
Cyra Gish
Learned from this list for sure. Thanks!
Denyse Martinez
I love that this checklist can be shared, as a communication piece, throughout the year. We use an app, called classtag, at school for our Kindergarten Pilot Program. I would like to continue sharing what skill we are working on & how they can support their child learning, at home.
I love that it outlines what they should know, before Kindergarten & it also focuses on the social emotional component too.
We also need to remember as teachers, that before academics can be learned, developing relationships with our students is fundamental. The more our students feel accepted, safe & loved the more their willing to do for us. We can help children grow & flourish, by developing positive relationships with our classroom families
Charon Davis
I’ve been waiting on a list like this. I never knew it was so much for them to know! I need to use this for myself with my preschooler and the preschool!
Alice Harrell
There are things on this list that I never thought about as far as getting my class ready for Kindergarten. Thank you so very much for this list. It is now book marked and I will be sharing this with my other Pre-K teacher.
Alejandra
This is a great wide assess and plan. Very helpful to see what we have already accomplished and what we still need to work on.
Ashley Gilbreath
As a kindergarten teacher, I couldn’t agree more!
Karen James-Wilson
It’s refreshing to actually see what my preschoolers need, besides only academics! I was under the impression that they are prepared, because of how intelligent they are with basics, such as shapes, colors, etc, but they apparently have a few more things we have to check off. This has actually built my confidence that I’ll have them ready before my almost 4yo begins school in August! Thank you for this list!
Jen
So helpful to have this in one place!
Brittany Hutt
I am so glad to see social emotional skills on this list. They are so important! In my opinion, when children have the social emotional skills it makes teaching the academic skills easier.
Jennifer Brooks
This is a very comprehensive list. While I agree that these skills will make for a wonderful experience, some are definitely more important than others. I would say that it could be pared down a bit for children who have not spent time in a ‘preschool’ setting.
Jill Dahm
I appreciate this. I was a kindergarten teacher for years and have switched to preschool. I have to constantly remind myself of developmental differences. This list is very helpful!
Mireddy Benet
Good list if goals to work on!
Angel
Respect is so important and I feel is so overlooked these days.
Sue Koxlien
Thanks for this list! I am teaching Pre-K this year and this list is definitely helpful!
I love #30 on your list the most! Knowing that we live in a big world and loving each other. ❤️🙂👍
Brittany Klabunde
This gives me with a lot of reassurance and provides practical goals to continue working on, as my girls are four years old,
Eugina Fails
Oh my gosh, this is a fantastic list! I will be sharing this with my families so they can see that getting ready for kindergarten is a lot more that just ‘school/academic’
Heather
Thanks for this! Some great tips on what areas to work on 😃
Anita Biechler
Very informative and good resource to hand out to parents who are interested in having an idea of types of skills their child would benefit from learning before heading off to kindergarten.
Katie Soldan
Great resource to consider while coming up with your preschool plan!
Latoya
This is great! It serves as a great reminder and tool that we as teachers/parents are to teach the “whole child “.
Kendra
It is so refreshing to see a “kindergarten readiness” list that doesn’t just focus on the academics, but also on the more practical life skills that they need before going to school- love it!
Michelle Gunderman
Having two or more kids and not comparing them is hard – it is nice to see a baseline instead of just having each other to compare them to. This is great!
Theresa
This is a breakdown of the milestones, that shows you how observation if day to day play and learning is building. It’s great to show folks that it’s not about a standard testing, instead the basic daily progress made in learning and doing. A great reminder to keep it simple.
Susan Pelofske
This is so great to know what is expected before kindergarten – so that you can actually get your child prepared!
Eilleen de Guzman
#18 I will use it soon. This is helpful for my assessment. This is very useful to anyone, not just preschool teachers, especially parents out there that are homeschooling. Definitely will share on my FB.
Kia Gray
This is everything a preschool teacher and parent needs to know to prepare themselves for kindergarten!
Jessica Hunt
Such a great list of everything a child needs to know and I love it can help mamas sending kiddos to school or teaching them from home.
John, Achele Victoria
I wish I could have this at a book, it gives focus and direction on what preschool should do before KG, thanks very much.
Karisa Day
I think the best part of this resource is being able to share with parents about what is expected from their child when they leave our preschool! It is a helpful reminder for us teachers as well to ensure we focus on the whole child (social/emotional skills), not just the academics.
Nikida Norman
Very helpful in assessing my child and students’ progress and areas that may need more development.
Karen Perkins
This is a great list. Lots of doable every day activities. Thanks for sharing this!
Beki
This is the perfect list to share with parents or as a base line for new preschool teachers! Of course there are many many skills within these skills, but these are the strong base skills.
Richae
Not only will this site be good for me as an director/teacher but there are so many gems right here for the parents of my students. East to read and the information is specific to the needs of the preschooler.
Nur Billur Tosun
Right on point , simple but meaningful developmental milestones ! What else do I want …
Madiha Siddiqui
I love how simplified you have made this from the DRDPs that we have to fill out as teachers to assess children’s skills. It’s all here!
Kia Gray
As a mother, preschool teacher and daycare owner this is very important to have and remember!
Judith Bical Morano
Thank you so much for this site..all in one ..everything teachers, parents and preschoolers need for exciting and fun ways of learning..no need to try another site just this one is enough..everything is here..
Marilyn S. Galicia
Noted! Such a comprehensive list… Thanks a lot for enumerating these… It would be so very convenient on our part to just follow and check which are already mastered and which are to be given attention and emphasis!
Amanda Lindsay
As a preschooler teacher or parent of a little one, you’re always wondering if my child/student is where they suppose to be. The site is a resource to help bring clarification and a sense of relief.
Jennifer Satterwhite
Wow, this site is everything for teachers and parents that has issues of what children need before entering kindergarten. I have been teaching 3 and 4 year old children for over 6 years now. Parents have these questions all year round about their child. Here it is all on one. Mark this site there is no reason for anyone to wonder any more about what their child need to learn.
Monique Reycasa
As a parent, I wish I had come across a site like this! WOW! I am blown away with such rich and useful information to send the parents I serve at my preschool. As an early childhood educator and preschool owner the wealth of knowledge is immense! Thank you s much this information will be passed out to my parents in my program!
LaShonda
Having this knowledge for teacher, parents, business owner new and old is such a positive step in ensuring great success for students at the foundational stage of learning. These resources can also be helpful in establishing goals, completing assessments, and following up to see if skills were mastered. Excited to share this information with everyone I know,
Jessica
This list helps teachers and parents be confident in what they need to teach their children so they can take the next step to kindergarten.
Paula Farris
YES! Finally a simple, easy to understand, comprehensive list on this topic. Well done!
Lisa
This is what your child needs to know explained in simplest terms. Great site!
Vivian
Great helpful advice for parents and also a great help in preparing a preschool program.
Tawnya
As a mother of a 3 year old this is SO helpful!
Jen
How I wish I had something like this at my fingertips when my kids were this age to help me gauge where they were at and what I should work on. Great resource!
Monique Moreno
I often wonder if I’m preparing my now 3-year-old for kindergarten. I love this list and while he has a lot of these skills down I see that I still have some work to do. Thank you for this checklist!
Angel Sarmiento
I need this for my preschool parents. Thank you! You made my life so much easier!
April
Awesome I now know what to work on with my kid. Right now potty training is key
Catrina Mathews
Very helpful knowing what preschoolers should know before kindergarten!!
Earline M. SAWICKI
I have a master’s in Early Childhood Special Education. So, of course, I am delighted to see several explanations as well as possible solutions recommended for kiddos who have sensory issues and are challenged by potty training.
Thanks!
Eboni Griffith
I’ve been searching for this information everywhere! Thank you. This has helped me so much!
Sammy Bohannon
As a mom of a preschooler, I am bookmarking this list so I can come back to it frequently and make sure my soon-to-be-kindergartener is on track. I worry about his development so much and I have asked so many people what he needs to know before going to kindergarten and only gotten mixed answers. This is a perfect list for me to work with to make sure he is ready to go next year!
Catherine Parks
This is so awesome and amazing everything you could ask for is right here under your finger tips love it ❤️
Samico Chilton
All these resources just blow my mind. It is wonderful to have someone who cares so much about helping others succeed just as she has is a blessing. Joy Anderson and team thank you for all you do!
Ashley Gallien
Tears of experience or not teacher or parent sometimes you are uncertain if you are teaching all the required milestones needed for our preschoolers. Well worry no more! This site has it all!!
Bertha Rivero
Wow! Great simple easy to understand the main point of step by step milestones. I love the extra links inserts for more support on a typical topic! This is very explanatory for parents and home providers that have no child developmental growth knowledge.
Oloniluyi Opeyemi Abosede
Highly informative.
This is very useful.
Thanks for sharing.
Zena
This is the perfect checklist. Everyone needs this resource; parents and teachers alike.
Carrie Cook
Seems like kids are expected to know so much more these days. Where kindergarten use to be more of a preschool now we have expectations for our kids to be reading and writing independently. This is such a great resource for real expectant and milestones. We can let kids be kids a little longer
Angela
Now parents can get a comprehensive understanding of what their child needs in order to be successful all in one spot so they can get back to doing the things they truly love! This is a resource I wish was available years ago!
Jalissa Michelle
I love this! This is extremely helpful for parents like myself who are always researching to make sure their children are meeting their developmental milestones.
Brenda Morgan
Many of these things seem like common sense but lots of parents ask me what their child needs to know before they go to Kindergarten and this list is spot on. Together, parents and teachers can work on these areas during their time in preschool. Encourage independence, start letting children make choices and do things (with supervision) that you would never let them do before, like cutting. Think about the benefit, not the risk. It takes a village and together we can get them where they need to be.
Joy
This is the resource that teachers and parents alike can use. Everyone always wants to know the answer what do they need to know for Kindergarten! Well here it is! Yes!
Pamela
We’ve come along way from just knowing our name, ABC and 123…. 😉 😉 lol. But studies show early learning best for future success.
#giveawayentry
Nicky Cook
Everyone of these skills is needed for an easy kindergarten start. Kindergarten is a huge change and expectations just keep getting higher for the kids. There are so many fun ways to teach all of these skills so it is fun for your child.
Opeyemi
This is so helpful for both teachers and students. Kindergarten is know to be the bedrock of all the grades.
Heather
Kindergarten has changed a lot in the last 10 years! Great comprehensive list of items that are on Kindergarten intake evaluations/assessments!
Valerie David
There are so many articles written about what skills your child needs to know and this narrows it down for me. I have more time to focus on these things rather than the 100’s of other sites that say a variety of other things. Thank you for the simplicity of this site. You are helping our school more than you know.
Sharonda Gray
I’m truly blown away by how much information is available to anyone who needs resources on how to get started in preschool all on one site.
Susan Drexel
This is a great resource for both teachers and parents! Sometimes even speaking with other parents or teachers we tend to not be sure where our children are in their development and goal achievement. Really great to see this written out for everyone to see!
Morgan Carlson
Everything a preschool teacher or parent needs to know! Laid out in an easy to read set up.