Your pre-kindergarten child needs to learn a variety of skills that help him or her succeed in the classroom and in life. Without these skills, your child may struggle with kindergarten class work, fall behind the rest of the class and get a bad start academically.
Prepare your pre-kindergarten child for success when you play with him or her. While interacting, teach seven essential skills.
Solid Oral Language Skills
Children with well-developed oral and vocabulary skills are more likely to succeed at reading. Read to your child every day, and provide opportunities for independent reading.
Listening Skills
In kindergarten, students must concentrate and listen. Your pre-kindergartener begins developing these skills as he or she listens during story time, follows verbal directions for dressing and obey you.
Independence
With training from you and your child’s pre-kindergarten teacher, your child learns how to independently:
- Remove and hang up coats
- Fasten and unfasten snaps, buttons and zippers
- Use the bathroom and wash their hands
- Use a tissue to blow their nose
- Cover their mouth while coughing
- Pour into a cup and eat neatly
- Follow two-step instructions
Social Skills
By playing with family members and peers, pre-kindergarten children learn to:
- Share
- Compromise
- Take turns
- Problem-solve
- Show compassion
Fine Motor Skills
Kindergarten students must master fine motor skills as they use their hands to hold a pencil, color, cut and paste. Use play and craft activities to help your child develop these essential fine motor skills.
Basic Letter and Number Recognition
Preparation for kindergarten involves letter and number recognition. Your pre-kindergarten child can use blocks, books and games while learning to:
- Recognize most letters by sight
- Count to 10
- Identify numbers 1 to 5
- Name shapes and colors
Enthusiasm for Learning
During playtime and when performing daily activities, encourage your pre-kindergarten student to:
- Ask questions
- Persevere through difficult tasks
- Discover new things.
If your child struggles to master these requirements, contact the Louisville Pre-kindergarten tutors at Kotey Tutoring.
Our experienced, compassionate and professional staff members value your child. No matter how active, disinterested or frustrated your child becomes, we can help him or her learn. By mastering essential pre-kindergarten skills, your child succeeds in kindergarten and boosts his or her potential for future success in academics and life.