Today's Kindergarten looks remarkably different than the play-filled "children's garden" that was envisioned as a transition year between home and school. It has evolved into an academic year considered as a foundation for all future learning.

Entrance Date

• Children age 5 by September 30 may enter kindergarten
• Children age 6 by September 30 must enter kindergarten

Some essential skills for entering Kindergarten are: 

Self Care

• Manage buttons, snaps, zippers, and tying shoes
• Pack up school bag
• Use toilet independently - wash hands
• Put on and take off a coat
• Dress self
• Eat independently
• Know first/last name, address, and telephone #
• Make a decision when given a few choices

Fine Motor Skills

• Display hand dominance - correct pencil grip
• Use scissors neatly and accurately
• Write first name using capital and lower case letters - 'Thomas'

Gross Motor Skills

• Demonstrate midline crossing
• Walk a balance beam or curb
• Run and jump with coordination
• Bounce a ball
• Swing

Social Skills

• Follow multi-step directions - complete simple jobs at home.
• Separate from a parent without getting upset
• Accept minor disappointments or limits without tears
• Cooperate and share with others
• Listen to and follow rules
• Pay attention to adult-directed tasks
• Have group experiences (preschool, church, libraries)
• Function in a group of 25-30 children
• Begin to use self-control 

Speech

• Speak understandably - speech is understood by a non-parent
• Talk in complete sentences of 5-6 words
• Tell/re-tell familiar stories 

Intellectual Skills

• Has often been read to
• Listens to a story without interrupting
• Recognizes name in print
• Knows colors/basic shapes
• Knows rhyming words - nursery rhymes
• Identifies some alphabet letters (upper and lower case)
• Knows the difference between a letter, number, words
• Is able to match sounds to letters
• Is able to count to 10 

Preparing your family for Kindergarten 

• Enjoy reading together
• Play games, dress up and create art projects
• Visit your pediatrician for a wellness check 
• Visit your dentist for teeth cleaning
• Engaged with your child in conversation and singing songs
• Participate in community-sponsored activities with same-aged peers (such as visiting the local library for activities like storytime)