What skills do kids actually need for Kindergarten readiness?
Inside: Kindergarten readiness is a big buzzword these days – but what does it mean? What makes a child ready for Kindergarten?
I know why you’re here.
You’re looking for a magical, unicorn type answer to the age-old question: “Is my child ready for Kindergarten?” Or rather “Will my kid be successful in Kindergarten?”
It’s a big deal sending our kids off in the world and we may wonder if we’ve set them up for a good time or if this is going to be total bust.
The truth is: kindergarten readiness isn’t as academic as you might think….
Why we shouldn’t look to academics for the answer
There seems to be a fixation with Kindergarten readiness, but sadly – mostly focusing on getting kids ready with the wrong skills in mind.
We want to make sure our children are set up for success but we often OVER value skills we can quantify and measure (like counting and reading) and UNDER value the truly important skills which are much more abstract (like social skills).
How often, when talking about Kindergarten readiness, do we hear:
The problem with these academic questions is that they don’t tell the full picture of the child.
And most of these academic skills are LOW LEVEL and basic.
We aren’t raising basic kids.
Let’s look at Kindergarten readiness from a new lens
Instead of worrying about basic academic skills, let’s focus on more pressing skills to help your child be successful in Kindergarten and life.
Early childhood is the most critical time for learning life skills and social skills – why are we so focused on whether they can count to 10?
At the end of the day, their development as a person in Kindergarten is much more an indication of their future success than any academics (this has been WIDELY studied and documented).
So let’s hold off on checking basic skill boxes like “knows shapes” as an indication of kindergarten readiness, and instead, make sure your child is learning to do these skills…
The Busy Toddler Kindergarten Readiness “Check List”
FOLLOW A MULTI-STEP DIRECTION
Can your child follow multi-step directions? “Take off your coat, put it in the closet, and join me at the table.”
School is full of multi-step tasks and so is life. Being able to remember a set of instructions – and finish a task fully – is huge. So is being able to take direction from another person.
ASK AN ADULT FOR HELP (that isn’t a relative)
There are lots of adults in school and being able to ask for help, talk to, and listen to them is a big deal.
Problems arise at school and often times outside of the classroom. Your child being comfortable with going up to a volunteer or recess teacher (whom they might only vaguely know) is going to be critical.
Encourage your child to talk to adults.
TRY 2-3 STRATEGIES TO SOLVE A PEER PROBLEM
It’s easy when Mom is around to walk right up to her whenever there’s an issue, have her swoop in with solution ideas, and magically fix it.
But that’s not how school or the real-world works.
Our kids need to have a tool box of ideas for how to solve a problem with a peer BEFORE they need adult intervention.
Have you taught your child to do this? Have you let them solve peer arguments? How do they handle disagreements with friends?
