By April Lisbon-Butler, Ed.S. � Henrico County Public Schools Your child has now reached an age when he/she is ready to begin school. However, how do you know if your child is ready to start kindergarten? Listed below are a few helpful hints to let you know if your child is developmentally ready. COGNITIVE SKILLS � Child is able to use five to eight words in a sentence � Knows basic colors like green, yellow, red, blue, orange � Child is able to memorize address and phone number � Identifies some letters of the alphabet and a few numbers (if taught) � Child is able to count up to 10 objects LANGUAGE SKILLS � Child is able to say both first and last names � Child is able to follow a two-step simple direction � Child is able to ask and answer questions correctly � Child is able to take turns when talking with others � Speaks fluently and correctly using plurals, pronouns and tenses GROSS MOTOR SKILLS � Child runs in a controlled manner, able to start, stop and turn � Is able to walk on tiptoe � Has experience with jumping, skipping, hopping, and swinging � Uses a fork and knife well � Can throw and catch a bounced ball FINE MOTOR SKILLS � May be able to copy simple shapes and designs � Able to cut with scissors � Child has hand preference established � Child is able to dress self with little assistance SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL SKILLS � Child organizes other children and toys for pretend play, but may confuse fantasy and reality at times � Is able to distinguish right from wrong � Can take turns and share, but doesn�t always want to � Child may want to do things on their own, but still have fears of things like loud noises, the dark, animals, and some people � Child is starting to name feelings, but may still act them out It is important to note that each child grows at his/her own pace. Therefore, the information in this section is based on what the average kindergarten child is able to do. You know your child best. If you feel that your child may have some delays in his/her development, it is important to speak to your child�s pediatrician or school psychologist about your concerns. Ease the Kindergarten Jitters By Theresa D. Sisson, Ed.S., NCSP � Chesterfield County Public Schools Before school starts: � Make an appointment to visit your child�s new school. You may want to take a walk around the building and walk the route to your child�s new classroom. � During your visit, take pictures of your child in different places around the school. Use these to make your own �book� about going to school. � Take advantage of Kindergarten orientation � this is a great time for your child to meet her new teacher, explore her classroom, and meet new classmates! � Drive your child�s bus route. Look at points of interest along the way. � Go to the library and check out books about starting school. � Get your child used to new faces � arrange play dates with future classmates. � A week or so before school starts, begin waking your child at the time he will need to wake up in order to go to school. This will help you know how much sleep your child will need so that he or she is rested for school. Adjust bedtime accordingly. On the first days of school: � Make sure your child has something to eat in the morning. Hungry children spend more time paying attention to their stomach than to the teacher. � Give your child a picture of your family to keep in his desk. He can look at it whenever he feels lonely. � Give your child a way to remember you � a piece of jewelry, a rock you found together, a �lipstick kiss� on paper, etc. to keep in his book bag or desk. � Go through your child�s book bag each day after school � look for teacher notes, homework, school news. � Celebrate � families should proudly celebrate the first day of Kindergarten as an important passage in a child�s life. If your child doesn�t want to go to school: � Be matter of fact � let your child know that going to school is expected of them. � Don�t give in to pleading � as hard as it is, if you give in to your child�s pleads not to go to school, it will make it that much harder for him to go next time. � Don�t repeatedly tell your children how much you�re going to miss them when they go to school. This will only make it more difficult to separate from you. � Most children are afraid of the unknown � preparing your child beforehand will relieve many of their fears. Parent Jitters: � Try to keep your own anxiety in check. Children can often sense when their parents are upset and can become nervous themselves. � Talk it out � if you are nervous about your child �leaving the nest,� talk with someone you trust� a friend, your parents, a clergy member, or a school employee (teacher, school counselor, school psychologist). Establishing Healthy Routines By Jacquelyn S. Jones, Ed.S., NCSP Parents play a big role in establishing routines because children model what their parents do. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle, your child is likely to follow your example. Consistent daily routines provide security for children. When they know what to expect, anxiety and stress are reduced. Healthy Eating � Provide well-balanced meals and limit caffeine and junk foods. � Always make time for your child to have a good breakfast so he or she will be alert and able to pay attention and learn. Exercise � Try to do some type of physical activity for an hour every day (i.e. walking, bicycling, playing sports, etc.). � Encourage children to accompany you when doing daily chores, such as walking the dog, washing the car, etc. Sleep � Maintain consistent bedtime and morning routines. � Young children need approximately 10 hours of sleep each night. Television and Computer/Internet Usage � Limit the amount of time your child watches television and uses the computer each day. � Monitor the types of programs that your child watches and the websites he or she visits. � Turn off scary or violent television (for example, programs with vicious animals, monsters, natural disasters, stories involving death of a parent, etc.). Young children have a difficult time telling what is fantasy and what is real. Social Skills By Angie Z. Calhoun, Ed.S., NCSP By teaching and practicing the following social skills before the first day of school, your child will have a head start on learning to love kindergarten! � Keep hands and feet to self; stay in his or her own space (not jumping on other children; walking while indoors). � Follow directions the first time they are given without complaint. � Put toys and other things away the way they were found. � Practice whispering indoors. � Your child will need to be able to ask adults for help by raising his or her hand while staying seated. You can practice this during dinner and TV times. � Take turns to talk and play with you or with other children. � Try to get your child into a playgroup before school starts. This can be with neighbors, through a community or church organization, or with family members. � Teach your child about different feelings (happy, sad, mad, scared, lonely, etc.). Tell your child how you are feeling today and ask your child how he or she is feeling today. Do this every day. Do this several times a day. If your child says, �fine� or �bad�, repeat what your child said, but with using feelings words such as happy, sad, mad, scared, and lonely. (�Oh, are you feeling fine and happy today?� or �Bad, huh? Are you feeling mad, sad, or scared when you are feeling bad?�). � Talk up school! Make your child excited about starting kindergarten and all of its new adventures!