kindergarten parent resource guide

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Smart Beginnings Shenandoah Valley www.valleysmartbeginnings.org (540) 568-8968 It’s Time for Kindergarten: A Resource for Parents

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Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

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Page 1: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Smart Beginnings Shenandoah Valley

www.valleysmartbeginnings.org

(540) 568-8968

It’s Time for

Kindergarten:

A Resource for

Parents

Page 2: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Dear Families,

Beginning Kindergarten! These two words paint a

vivid picture of children heading off to school for the

first time. Feelings of excitement and anticipation for

what the future holds! New experiences, new learning,

and new friends are on the horizon.

This transition is an important milestone in a child’s

and family’s life. It is a time filled with wonder and

excitement about what is to come. Along with this

wonder and excitement, questions may arise that can

lead to anxiety or worry by children and parents. The

purpose of this book is to help answer some of those

questions before sending your child off to school on that

first day. It was designed with parents, grandparents,

and caregivers in mind. Throughout this book, you will

find helpful information about kindergarten registration,

community resources, simple family activities to

prepare for the first day of school, and frequently asked

questions. Remember, you are always encouraged to call

your local school system for more assistance. Phone

numbers are located in the Resource Section of this

book.

Sincerely,

Smart Beginnings Shenandoah Valley

Transition to Kindergarten Team

Page 3: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Smart Beginnings Shenandoah Valley would like to thank all the partners

who provided feedback and suggestions for material included in this book.

Most especially, we’d like to thank the following people for their

collaboration, dedication, and contributions to this project. Without them,

this project would not have been possible. Their commitment to families

across the Shenandoah Valley region as they prepare their children for the

exciting transition to kindergarten was tremendous!

Dr. Susan Barnes Ms. Cathy Cook

Assistant Professor Education Services Coordinator

James Madison University Shenandoah Valley

Regional Preschool Network

Ms. Kelley Davis, Teacher Ms. Sharon Dove, Teacher

Page County Schools Ren’s House Family Child Care

Preschool Program

Ms. Ronda Heatwole, Teacher Ms. Stacie Jackson, Coordinator

Rockingham County Public Schools Smart Beginnings Shenandoah

Valley

Ms. Delores Jameson, Director Ms. Nancy Lantz

Harrisonburg Rockingham Child Director of Preschool & Title I

Day Care Center Rockingham County Schools

Ms. Vicki Lucas, Teacher Ms. Gladys Remnant, Teacher

Building Bridges Family Child Care Rockingham County Schools

Preschool Program

Ms. Maryann Sherry, Teacher

Shenandoah County Schools

Augusta County Public Schools

Page County Public Schools

Shenandoah County Public Schools

Waynesboro City Public Schools

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

Rockingham County Public Schools

Staunton City Public Schools

We would also like to thank the school systems who participated in this

collaborative process:

Table of Contents

Section #1 Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Section #2 Asking About Kindergarten

Section #3 Practicing for Kindergarten

Section #4 Going to Kindergarten

Section #5 Being Healthy in Kindergarten

Section #6 Resources & Contacts

Section #7 Acknowledgements

Page 4: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Section #1

Getting Ready for

Kindergarten

Section #6

Acknowledgements

Page 5: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Agencies:

2-1-1 is an easy to remember phone number that connects callers to a trained

professional who provides free information about health and human services

anywhere in Virginia. It’s available 24/7. www.211virginia.org

ChildCare Connection is a child care resource and referral service

providing parents with referrals to child care providers and offers training

and support to caregivers throughout the Shenandoah Valley. 540-433-4531

Department of Social Services provides individuals and families with

support, services, and training to help deal with issues such as poverty,

abuse, and neglect as well as helping them to be self-sufficient and

productive in their family and community.

www.dss.virginia.gov

540-574-5100 (Harrisonburg and Rockingham)

540-245-5800 (Augusta/Staunton)

540-942-6646 (Waynesboro/Staunton)

540-778-1053 (Page)

540-459-6226 (Shenandoah)

Family Resource and Referral Center is located in Staunton, Virginia. It

houses one of six regional 2-1-1 call centers; Project STAR serves families

with children ages 0-3 through home visits, developmental screenings, and

group meetings; Quality Child Care Initiative provides local listings of child

care settings, offers suggestions to parents on how to find quality care, and

coordinates training for early childhood professionals including center-based

and family day home providers. 540-245-5899

Virginia Department of Health helps individuals and families lead a

healthy life by offering programs, services, and clinics that educate the

community in areas such as family planning, medical/nursing services,

nutrition, overall health education, dental health, and disease control.

www.vdh.state.va.us

540-574-5100 (Harrisonburg and Rockingham)

540-332-7830 (Staunton and Augusta))

540-949-0137 (Waynesboro)

540-743-6528 (Page)

540-459-3733 (Shenandoah)

Virginia Relay Service assists those people that are deaf or speech disabled

in communicating by phone. www.varelay.org

Children develop in their own unique way.

Kindergarten teachers are ready to welcome all

children and their families to ensure each child

achieves their fullest potential. Regardless of the

special talents or challenges your child brings on

that first day of school, there are some basic

skills that will make the transition easier. The

following skills are general expectations for

typically developing children:

Follow rules, routines, and 2 step directions

Adjust to new situations

Interact positively with adults and peers

Use words to express ideas and needs

(including asking for help)

Cooperate, share, and help others

Resolve simple conflicts

Focus for a short period of time (5-10 minutes)

Listen to a story in a group setting

Take care of their things

Clean up after themselves

Attend to and finish tasks

Social Skills

Follow rules, routines, and 2 step directions

Adjust to new situations

Interact positively with adults and peers

Use words to express ideas and needs

(including asking for help)

Cooperate, share, and help others

Resolve simple conflicts

Focus for a short period of time (5-10 minutes)

Listen to a story in a group setting

Take care of their things

Clean up after themselves

Attend to and finish tasks

Page 6: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Hold a pencil or crayon correctly

Walk, run, jump, climb, and other large muscle skills

Take care of their own needs:

*Wash their hands

*Use the restroom by themselves

*Zip, snap, and button their clothes

*Put on their coat and shoes

*Carry & unpack their backpack

Know the names and sounds of some letters

Know the names and quantities of some numbers

Sort objects by color, shape, and size

Count to 20

State their first and last name

Identify their first name or letters in their name

Write their given first name (not a nickname)

Identify basic colors and shapes

Hold & look through a book correctly

Cognitive Skills

Motor Skills

Surrounding School Systems: Augusta County Schools Harrisonburg City Schools

www.augusta.k12.va.us www.harrisonburg.k12.va.us

540-245-5100 540-433-3644

Page County Schools Rockingham County Schools

http://eclipse.pagecounty.k12.va.us www.rockingham.k12.va.us

540-743-6533 540-564-3200

Shenandoah County Schools Staunton City Schools

www.shenandoah.k12.va.us http://staunton.k12.va.us

540-459-6222 540-332-3920

Waynesboro City Schools

www.waynesboro.k12.va.us

540-946-4600

In this section, you will find a list of schools and

agencies in your area:

Get ready to “jump in” to kindergarten! Contact your

local school system to find your child’s home school,

kindergarten registration date, and other important

information before school starts.

Page 7: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Birth Certificate Application

www.vdh.state.va.us/Vital_Records/vtlapp.htm

Section #2

Asking About

Kindergarten

Page 8: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

On that first day of school, your house may be full of

excitement and nervousness. Knowing the answers

to questions such as those below may ease

nervousness. Consider taking this checklist with you

to kindergarten registration or to visit the school

during the summer. Use the additional space to add

any questions you may have.

What time does school start & end?

How do I find out what bus my child will ride?

Where is the bus stop?

What time will the bus pick-up & drop off my child?

Who do I call if I have concerns about my child’s

development?

What do I do if my child has a medical condition such as food

allergies, asthma, diabetes, bee allergies, etc.?

When should I keep my child home from school?

(common medical problems, fever, etc.)

Is my child eligible for free or reduced lunch?

May I eat lunch with my child?

How do I volunteer in my child’s classroom?

Do I need to send a snack to school for my child?

How do I find out my child’s home school?

How do I register for kindergarten?

How old does my child need to be to enter school?

Co

me

on i

n!

Kin

der

gar

ten r

egis

trat

ion w

ill

begin

the

wee

k o

f______

________

_. F

or

spec

ific

regis

trat

ion d

ays

duri

ng t

hat

wee

k o

r an

y q

uest

ions

you

may h

ave,

ple

ase

conta

ct y

our

loca

l sc

hool

or

school

syst

em

lis

ted b

elo

w. R

ou

nd ‘

em

up a

nd h

ead ‘

em

in!

August

a C

ounty

Sch

oo

ls

540-2

45-5

100

Pag

e C

oun

ty S

chools

540-7

43-4

252

Rock

ingham

Cou

nty

Sch

ools

540-5

64-3

254

Shen

andoah C

oun

ty S

chools

540-4

59-6

222

Sta

unto

n C

ity S

chools

540-3

32-3

920

Wayn

esboro

Cit

y S

cho

ols

540-9

46-4

600

Reg

istr

atio

n f

or

all

Har

riso

nburg

Cit

y

Sch

ools

occu

rs a

t th

e H

arri

sonburg

Cit

y

Wel

com

e C

ente

r. P

leas

e ca

ll 5

40-4

33-3

64

4

for

more

info

rmat

ion.

How

dy p

artn

ers!

If

you h

ave

a ch

ild w

ho w

ill

be

5 y

ears

old

on o

r b

efore

Sep

tem

ber

30th

, it

’s t

ime

to r

egis

ter

them

for

Kin

der

gar

ten. R

egis

trat

ion f

or

all

schoo

ls i

n A

ugust

a, P

age,

Rock

ingham

, an

d S

hen

andoah

Counti

es,

as w

ell

as a

ll s

chools

in

Har

riso

nburg

, S

taunto

n,

and W

ayn

esboro

Cit

ies,

wil

l beg

in t

he

wee

k o

f __

_________.

Ple

ase

rem

emb

er t

o b

rin

g t

he

foll

ow

ing d

ocu

men

ts w

ith y

ou t

o r

egis

ter

yo

ur

chil

d. S

ee y

a’ll

ther

e!

Wh

at

you

wil

l n

eed

to b

rin

g:

1.

Bir

th c

erti

fica

te

2.

Pro

of

of

resi

den

cy

3.

Imm

uniz

atio

ns

and p

hysi

cal

form

s

Page 9: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

This is how I write my name and draw a picture of myself:

Additional notes from the PreK teacher:

Section #3

Practicing for

Kindergarten

Page 10: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

�Read to your child or let them read to you (children

reciting favorite stories from memory is a first step in

reading)

�Point out simple words seen every day on clothing,

signs, in stores and on menus

�Visit the local library for a free library card and great

books to read

�Create a grocery list together and let your child help

you find the items

�Use “waiting time” at doctors’ offices, in store lines,

or other trips to read or point out words

�Keep magnetic letters on the fridge to play with or to

leave messages for your child

�Teach your child to write their name with a capital

letter in the beginning followed by lowercase letters

Children love to learn! Building reading and

writing skills through play and every day

activities will help your child in school. Reading

and writing are foundation skills in school. These

skills are used in everyday life, all the time. Here

are a few simple activities you can do at home to

give your child a jump start in learning these

skills:

Reading and Writing

PreK Assessment for _____________________________________________

Completed by: __________________________________________________

Date:

Setting:

April

May

Private PreK ___________________

Social & Emotional

Development

Most often during free choice,

I play:

circle one:

by myself with friends

My favorite thing to do during free

choice is:

I can adjust to new situations:

circle one:

usually rarely

I can follow rules and routines:

circle one:

usually rarely

I can ask for help when I need it:

circle one:

usually rarely

Cognitive Development:

I can name _____ out of 26 uppercase letters

I can name _____ out of 26 lowercase letters

I can name _____ out of 8 basic colors:

(red, blue, yellow, purple, orange, green, black, brown)

I can name _____ out of 4 basic shapes:

(circle, square, triangle, rectangle)

I can name _____ out of 10 numbers in random order: (0 to 9)

I can count to _____

These are some of my favorites:

story or book

person

toy or game

animal or pet

TV show/movie

food

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

___

By signing above, I give the staff permission to share this

report with my child’s K teacher at the school listed below:

_____________________________________________

Center _______________________

Family Day Home ________________

Public PreK ____________________

Page 11: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Physical and M

otor Development

Locomotor Activites

A. sh

ow p

rogre

ss in

walking, ru

nning,

gallo

ping, jum

ping, etc

.)

B. walk a

nd run p

roperly

Non-Locomotor Activites

A. bala

nce w

ithout fa

lling o

r m

oving a

gre

at deal

B. bala

nce w

hile

spinning

C. bala

nce w

hile

walking a

line

D. bala

nce w

hile

clim

bing sta

irs or

horizo

nta

l ladder on the flo

or

E. perform

criss-c

ross p

attern

activities

Movement Concepts

A. change d

irections (R

,L, up, down,

forw

ard

, back), levels (hig

h, m

edium

,

low

), p

ath

ways (straig

ht, c

urved, zig-

zag), a

nd e

ffort (fa

st, slow

, hard

, so

ft)

B. know fundam

enta

l movem

ent pat-

tern

s

C. use

movem

ent vocabula

ry

D. perform

movem

ents fro

m le

tter “a”

above w

hile

listening to m

usic o

r ver-

bal instru

ction

Personal Fitness

A. perform

activitie

s to

raise h

eart rate

and b

reath

ing

B. know w

hen h

is/h

er heart is beating

faster (w

hat it feels like)

C. perform

activitie

s to

strength

en

musc

les

D. perform

activities to

incre

ase

flexibility

Resp

onsible Behaviors

A. be safe

when follo

wing rule

s

B. sh

are

equip

ment and take turn

s

C. liste

n a

nd follo

w d

irections

Physically

Active Lifestyle

A. id

entify a

ctivities he/she likes or

dislik

es

B. desc

ribe h

ow to b

e fit a

nd d

o

activities he/she likes

C. perform

structu

red a

nd

unstru

ctu

red a

ctivities daily

D. perform

activities at diffe

rent

pro

ficiency le

vels

E. id

entify p

laces in h

om

e,

neig

hborh

ood, and c

om

munity to

pla

y safe

and b

e a

ctive

Manipulative Skills

A. m

anip

ula

te o

bje

cts

B. use

one h

and, th

en the o

ther, then

both

to

manip

ula

te

created by Kelley Davis M

arch 2009

Children are naturally curious explorers who

want to learn about the world around them.

Scientific concepts such as observing, predicting,

comparing, and drawing conclusions help

children make sense of how thing work. Asking

questions and talking to adults teaches them

about the world around them. Consider one of

these science activities:

�Plant and tend a small garden

�Take a nature walk around the neighborhood and

talk about what you see-collect and sort objects from

your walk such as leaves or rocks to build

vocabulary and provide practice in classifying

objects

�Talk about the weather each day and make a graph

or chart together to record observations

�Care for a pet, such as a fish or earthworm, and talk

with your child about what the pet does, what care it

needs, etc.

Science

Page 12: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Math concepts including counting, sorting,

recognizing shapes, and measuring can occur

naturally in children’s play. For instance, they

learn that a parent is big and a child is small. By

the time they enter kindergarten, many children

understand math concepts without having the

words to describe them. To build math concepts,

invite your child to:

�Count aloud with you when setting the table, i.e.

count each plate or glass as it is placed on the table

�Sort the laundry by color, size, and shape

�Sort the plates, cups, and silverware when

unloading the dishwasher

�Help you cook by measuring, mixing, or serving

the finished product

�Help you at the grocery store and point out math

symbols such as numbers, dollar signs and the cent

signs

�Talk with you at the grocery store using math

language by asking questions such as:

Which jar has more or less?

How many bananas are in this bunch?

Math

Personal and Social Development

Self-C

oncept

A. know first n

am

e, la

st n

am

e, gender,

age, and b

irth

day

B. exp

ress e

motions/fe

elin

gs in w

ord

s not

actions

C. know h

e/she is

uniq

ue a

nd resp

ect

oth

ers d

iffe

rences

D. develop p

ersonal pre

fere

nces in c

lass

E. sh

ow self-d

irection w

hen u

sing

mate

rials

F. show in

cre

ase

d in

dependence

Self-C

ontrol

A. contrib

ute

ideas fo

r ru

les and routines

B. fo

llow rules and routines

C. use

mate

rials c

orrectly a

nd

resp

ectfully

D. adapt to

change a

nd tra

nsitions

E. sh

ow p

ositive resp

onse

s to

challe

nges

Approaches to Learning

A. sh

ow in

tere

st in le

arn

ing n

ew things

B. learn

fro

m e

xperiences

C. sh

ow in

cre

ase

d a

ttention span

D. se

ek a

nd a

ccept help

fro

m o

thers

Interaction w

ith O

thers

A. initia

te in

tera

ctions with p

eers

B. m

ake n

ew friends

C. coopera

te, help

, and share

D. particip

ate

E. use

resp

ectful a

nd p

olite vocabula

ry

F. identify o

thers n

eeds, rig

hts, and

em

otions

Social Problem-Solving

A. exp

ress feelin

gs appro

priate

ly

B. id

entify c

onflic

t and try to solve

C. ta

ke turn

s

D. sh

are

E. include o

thers

Page 13: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

History and Social Science

Sim

ilarities and Differences

A. desc

ribe h

ow p

eople a

re a

like a

nd

diffe

rent

B. desc

ribe h

ow h

e/she/o

thers a

re u

niq

ue

C. know h

e/she is

a fam

ily m

em

ber AND

a c

lassro

om

mem

ber

D. pre

tend p

lay to u

ndersta

nd self/o

thers

E. le

arn

about oth

er traditio

ns/culture

s

Changes Over Time

A. desc

ribe h

ow b

abies change in

to a

dults

B. use

the w

ord

s befo

re, after, n

ow

, and

then to d

esc

ribe p

ast a

nd p

rese

nt

C. put events a

nd o

bje

cts in

ord

er

D. ask

questio

ns about com

mon o

bjects

from

the p

ast

E. re

tell stories/episodes from

the p

ast

F. a

ct out a role fro

m the p

ast

G. desc

ribe the p

ast b

ase

d o

n sto

ries, p

ic-

ture

s, visits, a

nd songs

Location

Desc

ribe featu

res in the c

lassro

om

,

school, neig

hborh

ood, and

com

munity

B. pla

y u

sing m

inia

ture

vehicle

s,

people

, and b

locks

C. m

ake a

nd w

alk o

n p

ath

s from

one

pla

ce to a

noth

er

D. re

pre

sent obje

cts in

ord

er lik

e in

environm

ent

E. lo

ok fro

m d

iffe

rent elevations

Desc

riptive W

ords

A. use

word

s to

desc

ribe lo

cation

B. use

word

s to

desc

ribe featu

res of

locations

C. use

the w

ord

s on, under, o

ver,

behind, near, far, a

bove, below,

toward

, and a

way

D. use

the w

ord

s clo

ser, farther away,

talle

r, shorter, h

igher, lo

wer, a

like,

diffe

rent, inside, and o

utsid

e

E. use

the w

ord

s hard

, so

ft, ro

ugh, and

smooth

fluently

F. u

se la

bels a

nd sym

bols for what th

e

child

has se

en

World of Work

A. id

entify n

am

e jo

bs people d

o

B. desc

ribe w

hat people

do a

t work

C. m

atc

h tool to

job

D. m

atc

h job site to w

ork d

one

E. ro

le-p

lay jo

bs

Making C

hoices

A. Id

entify c

hoices

B. know e

veryone h

as wants

C. choose

daily

task

s

D. ro

le-p

lay h

aving to m

ake c

hoices

when p

urc

hasing

Citizenship

A. work togeth

er

B. ru

les are

needed to g

et alo

ng

C. help

cre

ate

cla

ssro

om

rules

D. have a

pla

n a

t learn

ing c

ente

r

E. help

solve c

lass p

roble

ms

F. share

thoughts/o

pinio

ns in g

roup

G. help

care

for cla

ss m

ate

rials

H. know o

thers n

eeds and h

elp

�Talk about feelings and use words rather than their

hands to solve problems or get help

�Use good manners and polite words like ‘please’

and ‘thank you’

�Clean up their own toys or room, pick out their own

clothes, and help with other chores around the house

�Spend time with other children in the

neighborhood, at the park, at daycare, or in a play

group

Talking and interacting with others helps

children learn to express themselves. These

interactions also help them develop self-control

and problem solving skills. Their self images

are developed as social skills are learned. Below

are some ways to build your child’s social skills:

Social Skills

Page 14: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Opportunities for children to practice movement,

balance, and coordination result in better physical

and academic growth. Both small muscle (holding

an object with your fingers) and large muscle

(running and jumping) practice is necessary to

develop strength and coordination. Brain

development is connected to the physical

development of children. Consider any of the

following to support muscle development:

�Do simple puzzles together

�Teach your child to use the mouse to play computer

games or visit children’s websites

�Create an “art” center at home and let your child make a

picture with paper scraps, practice cutting with scissors,

and use a “little bit” of glue when designing their art-

work

�Spend time outside exercising— playing tag, learning

hopscotch, riding a bike, swimming, or climbing a jungle

gym

Physical Development

Science

Scientific Investigation, Reaso

ning,

and Logic

A. desc

ribe a

n o

bje

ct by o

bse

rving

B. use

pictu

res and w

ord

s to

desc

ribe a

n o

bject

C. put item

s in o

rder by size

D. m

ake two g

roups using o

ne

chara

cte

ristic

(colo

r, e

tc.)

E. com

pare

length

/weig

ht of objects

F. identify five sense

s and m

atc

hing

body p

arts

Force, Motion, and Energy

A. use

word

s “attra

cte

d to” and “not

attra

cte

d to” to

desc

ribe h

ow

magnets e

ffect obje

cts (stic

k o

r don’t

stick)

B. know that m

agnets stick

togeth

er or push

apart

Matter

A. id

entify 8 b

asic c

olo

rs (re

d, yello

w,

blue, gre

en, purp

le, ora

nge, bla

ck,

and w

hite)

B. te

ll th

e shape o

f an o

bject (c

ircle

,

square

, tria

ngle

, and recta

ngle)

C. use

the w

ord

s ro

ugh, sm

ooth

, hard

,

and soft to d

esc

ribe texture

s and feel

D. use

the w

ord

s big

, little, la

rge, sm

all,

heavy, lig

ht, w

ide, th

in, long, and short

to d

esc

ribe size/w

eig

ht

E. use

the w

ord

s over, u

nder, in

, out,

above, below

, fa

st, and slow to de-

scribe p

osition a

nd speed

F. know that wate

r can b

e a

solid

,

liquid

, or gas

Life Processes

A. know that liv

ing things need food,

wate

r, a

nd a

ir

B. know that baby p

lants/a

nim

als a

re

sim

ilar but not id

entical to

pare

nts a

nd e

ach o

ther

Earth/Space Systems

A. m

ake a

shadow a

nd tell how it w

as

made

Earth Patterns, C

ycles, and C

hange

A. m

ake d

aily

weath

er obse

rvations

B. so

rt a

nd d

esc

ribe n

atu

ral ite

ms lik

e

seeds, c

ones, a

nd le

aves

C. be fam

iliar with the sta

ges of

anim

al a

nd p

lant gro

wth

Reso

urces

A. know that so

me ite

ms can b

e

recycle

d

B. know that so

me ite

ms can b

e

reuse

d

C. le

arn

how to c

onse

rve e

nerg

y

Page 15: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Mathematics

Number and Number Sense

A. count to

20 (using o

bje

cts)

B. one-to-o

ne c

ounting (to

uch

and c

ount each o

bje

ct)

C. count 1-5

obje

cts a

nd know the

last n

um

ber is “how m

any”

D. com

pare

2 g

roups using the

word

s: m

ore

, fe

wer, a

nd sam

e

Computation

A. know that when you c

om

bine 2

gro

ups, you h

ave “added ”

B. know that when you separa

te

gro

ups, you h

ave “ta

ken a

way”

Measurement

A. use

the w

ord

s longer and

shorter to

d

esc

ribe le

ngth

B. know the n

am

es fo

r to

ols: clo

ck,

cale

ndar, therm

om

ete

r, rule

r,

measu

ring c

up, and scale

C. use

the w

ord

s hot and c

old

to

desc

ribe tem

pera

ture

D. use

the w

ord

s hour, d

ay, week,

month

, m

orn

ing, aftern

oon, nig

ht,

and d

ay to d

esc

ribe tim

e

Geometry

A. m

atc

h a

nd sort shapes (c

ircle,

square

, tria

ngle

, and recta

ngle)

B. te

ll how shapes are

sim

ilar and

diffe

rent

C. point to

a shape w

hen the

teacher sa

ys its nam

e

D. use

the w

ord

s next to, beside,

above, below

, under, o

ver, top,

and b

ottom

to d

esc

ribe p

osition

Data C

olle

ction and Statistics

A. colle

ct info

rmation to a

nsw

er

child

ren’s q

uestio

ns

B. use

more

, fe

wer, a

nd sam

e

when d

esc

ribing d

ata

in o

bject

and p

ictu

re g

raphs

Patterns and Relationships

A. so

rt a

nd c

lassify ite

ms using o

ne

or m

ore

tra

its (c

olo

r, size, sh

ape,

and texture

)

B. lo

ok a

t sim

ple p

attern

s

C. use

pattern

s to

help

you p

redic

t

Section #4

Going to Kindergarten

Page 16: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

Children will begin their journey to “the big

school” filled with a huge range of emotions…

happy, sad, excited, worried, anxious, curious, and

scared. They will look to you for encouragement.

By modeling excitement about kindergarten, you

can reassure your child that school is fun! Any of

the following ideas can help make those first few

days easier for both of you:

�Establish routines such as going to bed at the same

time every night, even on weekends

�Eat a healthy breakfast every morning

�Read together at the same time each day

�Ask your child how they feel about going to school

�Visit the classroom, school, and teacher before the

first day

�Tour the school to find the office, cafeteria, gym,

library, and clinic

�Visit the school’s playground on the weekend

�Eat lunch at the school with a sibling or neighbor

who already attends the school

�Attend the school’s family orientation evening

Literacy

Oral Expression

A. liste

n w

ith g

rowing a

ttention

B. id

entify c

hara

cte

rs, objects, and

actions in b

ooks and spoken sto

ries

C. m

ake p

redictions

D. use

2 w

ord

s to

ask

/answ

er

E. use

appro

priate

language

F. take turn

s/polite c

onversations

G. liste

n d

uring g

roup

Vocabulary

A. la

bel o

bje

ct with w

ord

B. liste

n w

ith g

rowing

understa

nding

C. fo

llow o

ne-ste

p d

irections

D. ta

ke turn

s while

talking

E. use

new vocabula

ry a

nd

desc

ribe feelin

gs and id

eas

F. b

e e

xpose

d to n

ew e

xperiences

to h

elp

build

vocabula

ry

Phonological Awareness

A. id

entify sim

ilar and d

iffe

rent

sounds

B. id

entify a

nd m

ake rhym

ing w

ord

s

C. dete

ct beginning sounds

D. liste

n to w

ord

s with m

ore

than

one sylla

ble

Letter Knowledge and Early W

ord

Recognition

A. id

entify 10-1

8 u

pperc

ase

letters

(random

ord

er)

B. choose

a le

tter to

repre

sent a

sound (8

-10 le

tters)

C. pro

vid

e m

ost c

om

mon sound for

5-8

letters

D. re

ad sim

ple

, fa

miliar, c

om

mon

word

s (n

am

e too!)

E. notice le

tters in

environm

ent and

ask

how to spell word

s

Print and Book Awareness

A. find the fro

nt of a b

ook

B. find the title

of a b

ook

C. sh

ow w

here

to b

egin reading o

n

a p

age

D. sh

ow the c

orrect direction to read

E. know the d

iffe

rence b

etw

een

pic

ture

s and w

ord

s

F. turn

one p

age a

t a tim

e fro

m fro

nt

to b

ack o

f a b

ook

Written Expression

A. sh

ow the d

iffe

rence b

etw

een

print and p

ictu

res

B. copy &

write

using d

iffe

rent writing

mate

rials

C. w

rite

first n

am

e

D. write

5-8

letters w

ith a

writing tool

E. copy 3 to 5 sim

ple w

ord

s

F. u

se in

ventive spelling (th

e w

ay it

sounds to

them

)

Pre

K Foundation B

locks

Page 17: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

In this section, you will find a few resources that

child care providers and preschool teachers may use

to prepare your child for kindergarten as well as a

birth certificate application in case you need it before

registering your child for kindergarten.

PreK Foundation Blocks: This document shows skills

preschoolers should be working on before entering

kindergarten. There are six different sections, one for each

content area. As you play and interact with your child, note

what skills your child can do by themselves.

Pre-K Assessment: This document is available for all

preschool teachers and child care providers. It is a short, one

page form that provides parents and receiving

kindergarten teachers with a quick snapshot of what each

child knows upon entering kindergarten.

Kindergarten Registration Process: Kindergarten

registration takes place each spring and is for any child who

will be 5 years old by September 30. Families are asked to

register children in the spring and need to bring the child’s

birth certificate and proof of residency. A school physical

and immunizations can occur after registration but must

happen before school starts.

Birth Certificate Application: All school systems require a

copy of your child’s birth certificate. In case you may have

misplaced it or need a copy, you may complete this form and

mail it to the address listed on the bottom of the application.

Resources

Section #5

Being Healthy in

Kindergarten

Page 18: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

All children benefit from healthy habits. Established

while they are young, healthy habits help children:

build strong hearts & brains, muscles & bones

grow

have energy

maintain a healthy weight so they can avoid obesity-

related diseases like type 2 diabetes

feel good about themselves

be ready to learn in school

Talk with your child about why you and your family

are making healthy choices.

How can I help my child eat better?

shop, cook, and plan for healthy meals with your

children

offer your child a wide variety of fruits, vegetables,

and whole grains

give children over age 2, fat-free or 1 milk

encourage water instead of soft drinks

limit the amount of sugar, salt, and fat

let your child decide whether and how much to eat

keep serving new foods even if your child does not

eat them at first

have family meals & serve everyone the same thing;

turn off the television

make sure they eat a healthy breakfast

know how much food to serve your child

do not use food as a reward or withhold food as a

punishment

Section #6

Resources & Contacts

Page 19: Kindergarten Parent Resource Guide

How can I help my child be active?

play as a family

focus on fun

include children in household activities like walking

the dog

limit TV & other screen time to less than 2 hours a day

be a role model, let them see you be active

aim for a total of 60 minutes a day

keep TVs out of children’s rooms

don’t make exercise a punishment or withhold exercise

as a punishment

Quick child’s health reminder:

10, 5, 2, 1, 0

at least 10 hours of sleep each night

at least 5 servings of fruits & vegetables each day

no more than 2 hours of TV & screen time each day

at least 1 hour of physical activity each day

0 sweetened beverages such as soda or fruit punch

Adapted from the American Academy of Pediatrics

“Parents are often their children’s most important

role model. Children who see parents enjoying

healthy food and being physically active are more

likely to do the same.”

-Office of the Surgeon General

Simple Snack Ideas:

dried fruit and nut mix

fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit served

plain or with low-fat yogurt

low sugar cereals served plain or with low-fat milk

pretzels or air-popped popcorn

whole grain crackers or bread with low-fat cheese,

fruit spread, or peanut butter

***young children can easily choke on foods that are hard to chew,

small & round, or sticky; carefully select snacks for children in this age

group

How Much Is Enough? Most children, ages 2 to 5, need between 1,000 and 1,600

calories a day. The amount your child needs depends on his/

her age, gender, body size, and physical activity level.

To find your child’s pyramid, go to MyPyramid.gov. Do not

use the pyramid to force more food or stop your hungry

child from eating. Appetites change from day to day and

each child’s needs are different. Your child may not eat

much at one time. That is okay. Small amounts may be

enough for a small stomach.

� Serve small amounts

� Start with 1 tablespoon of each food for each year of his or her

age

� Plan for second helpings

� Let your child’s appetite guide you

Provided by: NIBBLES FOR HEALTH 2 Nutrition Newsletters for

Parents of Young Children, USDA, Food and Nutrition Services