“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world!”-Nelson Mandela

KINDERGARTEN IS THE NEW 1ST GRADE

My husband and I have been bemused, alarmed, and agitated by all the information that 5 year olds need to know before entering into kindergarten.   The information that we recollected we did not have to know until we were in the 1st and 2nd grade is now a requirement for kindergarten in the U.S.  And knowing that our 4-year-old daughter has already been assessed for kindergarten readiness, and she hasn’t even been at her preschool for 90 days is baffling.  Per an article, published in the Washington Post,  kindergarten is in crisis and it has become the new 1st grade.’  Kindergarteners are now under great pressure to meet inappropriate expectations, including academic standards due to No Child Left Behind that were reserved for first grade.”  

Accordingly, this has caused us, as parents, to question, what exactly do you need to know for kindergarten?  What my husband and I have found out is enlightening and hopefully it will help other parents as you prepare your child to enter kindergarten in 2018.   This list is one that we have compiled from our child’s assessment and a bit of additional research too.  Hence, here are 10 things your child should know before heading to kindergarten.

10 THINGS YOUR CHILD SHOULD KNOW BEFORE HEADING TO KINDERGARTEN

1.) All the letters of the alphabet. Lower case and upper case. In addition to, the sound each letter makes.

2.) How to read 2-3 word sentences.  Per the National Education Association, kindergarteners are expected to not only read, but to write sentences, too. 

3.) How to write a short paragraph. Here is a great resource for teachers and parents on how to turn kindergarten writing into kindergarten essays.

4.) How to read/follow text with their eyes only.  Be able to read both fiction and non-fiction; read text with fewer lines of repeated words; read compound words; self-correct mistakes; and read high-frequency words: an, am, do, go, he, like, me, my, no, see, we. 

5.) How to count from 1-30.

6.) They must know where they live. And be able to state your family’s street address.

7.) They must know their parents names.

8.)  How to write their own name legibly with uppercase and lower case letters.

9.) They must be able to do and understand sequencing and patterns.

10.) They should have exposure to coding because many schools  do not know what the jobs of the future will be.

Bonus: They should know the days of the week and the months of the year.

Want to know even more of how to get your child ready for school?  Check out, Ms. Shauna’s link.  Here!   She is a former preschool teacher, blogger, bilingual, and multicultural you-tube teacher/guru.

As a parent what has surprised you about kindergarten or what your child should know?  Write us at [email protected]! Share this article!

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