kindergarten requirements

MelissaMiso

Anyone know what our kidlettes will need to know before getting into kindergarten?

selockar

I taught kindergarten 6 years ago, so things may have changed. Also, it can depend on the area you live in. The average child started school knowing how to write their first name, count to at least 30, the alphabet and several letter sounds (not all), colors, shapes, and days of the week. 

bellelamb

I highly recommend upk when the time comes my middle is in it now! Kids need to be ready to read going into kindergarten since by 1/2 though they need to be able to read 100 sight words. By the end of upk they will be writing their names, be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet, count to 30, know the days of the week and colors.
But it's a little early to stress about it since we're 3 years off

GromMom

This was a good question, I should work on the days of the week, that's not something I would have thought of.

jil1210

@bellelamb‌ What is upk?

bellelamb

Upk is universal pre-k it's offered though the school district or private but is a regulated program so all kids learn what they need going into kindergarten plus more importantly it teaches them how to be students!!! It teaches schedules and vocab that is the same as school will be, if kids have to learn how to go to school in kindergarten they will have a very hard time learning all they are expected to learn now. But like I said we have three years I wouldn't teach our kids now for kindergarten I'd be more concerned with age appropriate skills now.

jil1210

Thanks! That sounds like a good program to look for.

ELF4321

DH and I were talking about this recently.  It's like UPK has become what Kindergarten used to be when we were kids.  I have several friends who teach K and 1st grade and all have said that the kids who didn't go to Pre-K for a year before Kindergarten are usually behind the other kids and have trouble keeping up in K and 1st grade. 

People around us take it to an extreme, though, as more than half the people I know start sending their kids to private preschool at age 2 (2 half-days) .  I truly don't get it.  I feel like DD will be spending plenty of years in a school setting and she has enough intro to structured environments in our toddler gym and library story times that tend to focus on following rules, etc.  But it seems to be the norm around here and many people act surprised when I say that she isn't starting preschool now.

MelissaMiso

@ELF4321 I've always heard that after the first couple of years, the kids behind tend to catch up anyway. I'm not worried.

The UPK around here is pretty much the year before kindergarten.

bellelamb

Melissa yes they do catch up but I agree going to upk is what kindergarten used to be, and being behind for k and 1st is a hard long struggle for kids! My oldest had a very hard time learning to read so was behind for k & 1st and just on level for 2nd & 3rd and even in 4th had to work much harder than most on ela stuff. I agree with not stressing now about it but sending kids to kindergarten with no other schooling first would be very hard on kids.

RMama2012

ELF4321 said:

DH and I were talking about this recently.  It's like UPK has become what Kindergarten used to be when we were kids.  I have several friends who teach K and 1st grade and all have said that the kids who didn't go to Pre-K for a year before Kindergarten are usually behind the other kids and have trouble keeping up in K and 1st grade. 

People around us take it to an extreme, though, as more than half the people I know start sending their kids to private preschool at age 2 (2 half-days) .  I truly don't get it.  I feel like DD will be spending plenty of years in a school setting and she has enough intro to structured environments in our toddler gym and library story times that tend to focus on following rules, etc.  But it seems to be the norm around here and many people act surprised when I say that she isn't starting preschool now.

There are so many reasons that people start nursery school earlier. 

For me personally as a working mom, my non English speaking MIL watches my son and while I am grateful, I know that she is not reading with him, singling songs, etc etc.   In the winter they get stuck in the house all day.  Those 2 days give me a little comfort knowing he is getting socialization, reading and singing time, and out of the house especially in those winter months.  Its not really about getting him "ahead" or anything.

My SAHM friend did the same as her husband works long hours and she doesn't get a break during the week.  She was spending so much on gynmboree type classes to fill their day that she enrolled her daughter in a nursery school 2x a week.  She finds it hard to entertain her daughter all day without falling back on TV/IPADs.  This way she gets time to herself for errands or just a break and her daughter gets socialization time among other things.