My daughter brought home the school calendar for the month of April a couple of days ago and I was shocked to see that preschool graduation takes place at the end of the month. Where has the year gone?
Where have the years gone?
My daughter is in first grade this year; however, I remember her preschool years like they were yesterday. Granted, she’s not far removed from the days spent playing with salt dough every day, but time still seems to fly at breakneck speed.
I remember how petrified I was during the summer prior to her entering kindergarten. I worried about her making friends, adjusting to a new schedule, getting along with a new teacher and exceling at developmentally-appropriate activities. I even contacted some of my friends who are teachers to make sure my daughter would be at the head of the class (or at least not lagging academically). One of my pals sent me a prep book that detailed concepts five year olds should know before entering kindergarten. They included:
*Recognizing word sounds, such as words that rhyme and the beginning and ending sounds of words
*Being able to recite the alphabet
*Knowing how to tie shoes and work a zipper
*Grasping pre-reading concepts including logical sequence of events and using pictures to construct meaning
*Knowing the difference between real and pretend
*Being able to say and spell their first and last name
*Practicing good listening skills
*Appropriate recognition and use of numbers
*Recognizing patterns
*Ability to sort objects
*Recognizing basic shapes
*Understanding and following rules
*Identifying body parts
*Understanding and following rules
*Using basic gross and fine motor skills
*Interacting appropriately with peers, family and teachers
If you have a child entering kindergarten in the fall, use the summer months to reinforce the aforementioned concepts. In most cases you can make learning fun by incorporating the skills in every day activities.
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