7 Kindergarten-Readiness Skills for Your Child

Is your little one ready for kindergarten? Are you sure? 

As parents, you need to ensure that your child possesses all the essential kindergarten skills required to excel in their kindergarten journey, especially today, where kindergarten has become more challenging and academically rigorous than the kindergarten of your childhood. 

Most parents majorly focus on developing the academic knowledge of their little ones and make them memorize alphabets and numbers, and often overlook the ‘very basic’ skills which will help them adjusting well into the kindergarten. 

After extensive research and interacting with experienced kindergarten teachers, we have gathered 7 kindergarten-readiness skills for your child that will help them kick-start their kindergarten journey with more confidence.
 

Kindergarten Skill #1: Being Able To Recognize Their Name

From teachers to classmates, everyone will interact with your child using their name. That’s why it's imperative they are familiar with their name. A great idea that you can use is to try interacting with them using their name instead of the many nicknames you call them. Help them with the spelling and pronunciation of their name, and make sure they can introduce at least their middle name before stepping foot in the kindergarten. 
 

Kindergarten Skill #2: Frequently Washing Hands

Teach your toddlers the importance and benefits of keeping themselves clean, especially their hands. Germs are everywhere, and children come into contact with germs primarily through their hands. Washing hands multiple times a day will keep them safe against many illnesses like fever and flu. Make sure your little one is washing hands before and after their meals, potty time, and playing. To make it easier for both of you, we suggest you wash hands with them, making them familiar with the practice and teaching them the right way of washing hands with soap or handwash. Children are born imitators. When they see you washing your hands, they will immediately try to copy you and quickly develop this habit. Don’t forget to teach them to dry their hands right after washing. Ask them to use a towel or a dryer. It’s okay if your little one is scared of the noise those loud hand dryers make. Just getting familiar with its function is more than enough for now.
 

Kindergarten Skill #3: Properly Handling Sniffles & Sneezes

With several kids in the same room, there is a likely chance that your little one may catch a sniffly-sneezy bug from their classmates. Your child may be allergic to dust or chalk and start sneezing. Make your child understand always to use tissue paper for sneezing and immediately wash hands right after. You can teach this to your little ones in a fun and interactive way, probably by pretending to have flu and blowing your nose into the tissue. 
 

Kindergarten Skill #4: Becoming Independent & Overcoming Home Sickness

Kindergarten is when children spend a significant amount of their time away from their parents. An excellent way to prepare your little one for this is to encourage them to do their tasks themselves, starting from small things such as drinking water or eating themselves. 

Appreciate them for whatever the small tasks they do. This will give them confidence and encourage them to do their tasks themselves. 
 

Kindergarten Skill #5: Learning Phonetics Along With The Alphabets!

Most parents focus on helping kids memorize alphabets and numbers using poems and overlook the importance of phonetics.

Learning phonics is just as important as knowing the alphabet. An excellent understanding of letter-sound relationships helps kids learn how to read and write. 

Take help from puzzles, alphabetical blocks with sounds, fascinating videos, and mobile apps to help your little one grasp the phonics. 
 

Kindergarten Skill #6: Getting Familiar With ‘Sharing Is Caring’ Ideology!

Kindergarten is also the time when your child will make friends. They will learn how to share, care and play with other kids. Ensure they behave well by scheduling playdates and teaching them to treat the other child as they would like to be treated in return. Teach them to treat and behave with everyone with kindness and respect. 

This way, they get introduced to healthy boundaries early on and will develop social skills too, which are necessary to survive in the upcoming years of their lives. 
 

Kindergarten Skill #1: Understanding The Difference Between Right & Left

Kids find it confusing to differentiate between right and left. 

The easier way to do that is to tell your little one that their right is the dominant hand with which they write. This way, your kid will conveniently and quickly understand the difference between the two. 

If they are left-handed, make an “L” shape using their left hand to help them remember that their dominating hand is the left side. 
 

Looking For a Kindergarten School for Your Little One?

Are you looking for a great kindergarten school for your child? BEAM Schools is the perfect fit your little one.  BEAM schools not only focus on the academic skills of the students but also pay attention to other essential skills and help them in developing a positive view of themselves as a learner and grow into a confident individual. Contact us today at BEAM Schools for more information regarding our kindergarten programs or to book an appointment with our consultants.