What Your Child Will Learn

In addition to the social and emotional skills your child will develop during the year, here is a short overview of the Kindergarten Curriculum Standards that will be addressed:

English/Language Arts & Literacy

Reading Literature

• Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
• Retell familiar stories
• Identify characters, setting, and major events in a story

Reading Informational Text

• Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear
• Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic

Foundational Skills

• Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print
• Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet
• Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes)
• Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words
• Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding

Writing

• Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces as well as informative/explanatory texts;  write poetry and narrative texts

Language

• Demonstrate command of English grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and usage when writing or speaking

Mathematics

Counting and Cardinality

• Know number names and the counting sequence
• Count to tell the number of objects
• Compare numbers

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

• Understanding addition as putting together and adding to as well as understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from

Measurement and Data

• Describe and compare measurable attributes
• Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category
• Work with money

Geometry

• Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles)
• Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes

Science and Technology/Engineering

• Use investigation and experimentation for problem-solving in science-related topics

History and Social Sciences

• Have a growing understanding of family, community, and other cultures

The following checklist, although not exhaustive, can help to guide you as you prepare your child for school. It’s best to look at the items as goals toward which to aim. They should be accomplished, as much as possible, through everyday routines or enjoyable activities that you’ve planned with your child. If your child needs more time to develop in some areas, don’t worry. Remember that children grow at different rates.

Good Health and Physical Well-Being

□ Eats a balanced diet

□ Gets plenty of rest

□ Uses the bathroom properly

□ Washes own hands

□ Has had all the necessary vaccines

□ Runs, jumps, plays outdoors and does other activities that help develop their large muscles and provides exercise

□ Works puzzles, colors, paints, and does other activities that help develop their small muscles

Social and Emotional Preparation

□ Is learning to explore and try new things

□ Is learning to work well alone and do many self-help tasks for self

□ Has many opportunities to be with other children and to cooperate/share

□ Is curious and motivated to learn

□ Is learning to finish tasks

□ Is learning to use self-control

□ Follows simple directions

□ Helps with family chores

Language and General Knowledge

□ Has many opportunities to talk and listen

□ Is read to/Reads every day

□ Has access to books and other reading materials

□ Has technology use monitored by an adult

□ Is encouraged to ask questions

□ Is encouraged to solve problems

□ Has opportunities to notice similarities and differences

□ Is learning to write own name

□ Is learning to count and play counting games

□ Is learning to identify and name shapes and colors

□ Has opportunities to draw, listen to and make music, and to dance

Adapted from a US Dept. of Education publication http://www.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/preschool/preschool.pdf

Reading with your child is integral to their literacy development and to fostering an appreciation of reading. When selecting texts to read with children, consider selecting texts that have won awards for the text and illustrations. Some accolades given to distinguished children’s literature include The Newbery Medal, The Caldecott Medal, The ALA Notable Books, The Sibert Medal, The Geisel Award, and The Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. The titles listed below are books that are intended to support your child’s transition into Kindergarten. 

Off to Kindergarten by Tony Johnston 

Kindergarten, Here I Come! by Mark Chambers 

Clifford Goes to Kindergarten by Norman Bridwell

Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmitt 

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

Time for School, Mouse! by Laura Joffe Numeroff 

Adventure Annie Goes To Kindergarten by Toni Buzzeo

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing 

I Knew You Could! by Craig Dorfman

One Family by George Shannon

What Does it Mean to be Kind? by Rana DiOrio

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault &  Bill Martin Jr.

The Falmouth Public Libraries are a fantastic resource to support your child’s literacy development.  The Falmouth Public Library issues library cards free of charge. Children under age 12 may apply for a Children’s card with the signature of a parent or guardian in good standing. You can visit any library location to obtain a library card and get information about special events for children.  Click here to learn more about the Falmouth Public Library, as well as their locations and hours of operation.