Question for those with kindergarteners

omurray

I realize this will vary by state and even by district, but I'm still interested in the answers.  In your area, what are children supposed to know prior to entering kindergaten and what does the curriculum include for them to learn during the year?  What are the teacher's goals for what each child should be capable of by the end of the kindergarten year?

shouldbworkin

entering:

how to count to 10

recognize most letters

know some letter sounds

bonus if they know how to rhyme

leaving:

count to 30

recognize all letters upper and lower case

know all letter sounds

beginning reading

DandRAgain

They really didn't have to know much at all.  They wanted them to be able to recognize their name in  writing...with mixed case...they said too many kids would recognize MITCH, but not Mitch because of the lower case letters.  So recognize upper and lower case letters, numbers up to 10, and colors...I don't remember what else...but I remember them emphasizing that the most important thing was that parents were reading to their kids...everything else didn't matter as long as kids were exposed to reading.

And the teacher's goals varied depending on the level the kid was when entering K.  Audrey was already reading at a certain level..so she wanted Audrey to be reading at a certain level beyond that by the end of the year.  Where other kids might not be reading, so she wanted them reading by the end of the year.

shopgirl78

Texas Essential Skills and Knowledge (TEKS) can be found here:

https://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148

It lists and outlines what is supposed to be learned in K:

At the beginning of K: DD knew all her letters, knew many of their sounds, could write her name (all upper case), could count to 30 (at least)

At the end of K:  She could write many, many more words, her name, the date, a complete sentence, etc.  She learned to write lower case  She could count past 1000, she learned to read a month in, learned 100 site words, she used phonics more readily, she can do simple adding. 

 

ghm

Honestly, I feel like Bella is "behind" and she still has a year to start K...she knows more than the things listed as necessary for starting K. Going in, Ethan knows more than the "going out" things being listed. I'm not saying he's advanced, because I really just feel like he's where he should be. I guess maybe I'm wrong about Bella. 

It just seems weird to me that at 5.5, that is all that is expected of them.  

Like I said, I guess I'm wrong.  

Jodi&Joe

They do not have to know anything entering.

Leaving, they should be reading at a level 3 or higher, recognize all of their #'s (up to 30) and letters.  Be able to write their full name (with upper case first letters and lower case for the rest), recite and write their phone # and.....don't remember. 

I will get a refresher in the next two weeks as we have orientation coming up next Monday.  Cam starts on Wednesday! 

shouldbworkin

ghm:

Honestly, I feel like Bella is "behind" and she still has a year to start K...she knows more than the things listed as necessary for starting K. Going in, Ethan knows more than the "going out" things being listed. I'm not saying he's advanced, because I really just feel like he's where he should be. I guess maybe I'm wrong about Bella. 

It just seems weird to me that at 5.5, that is all that is expected of them.  

Like I said, I guess I'm wrong.  

I bet they will be fine.  What I listed is the bare minimum.  There was probably only one child in DS's class that had trouble with that.  DS went into KG knowing all that was needed to leave too.  he still learned plenty and had a great time.  It's a big year of social growth and I appreciate the schools that focus more on that than academics. 

Littlejen22

See, this is starting to make me dread next year b/c DS can count to at least 120, knows almost all his letters and if I spent the summer working on them he would know them all and I know he will by the end of pre-K, he knows his colors, can do basic addition (they do it in Montessori), and can count to 40 in French (also Montessori, luckily DH knows some French from when he was in school in England), counts to 10 in Cantonese, 12 in Spanish and 3 in Mandarin (too much Dora and Kai Lan!)  He wants to take Chinese classes but it is 4 hours on Saturday which is too much for him.  I do not even feel like he is ahead, just this is what he likes to learn.  I am scared that Kindergarten is going to be too easy, I wish I had the $7k to pay for private Kindergarten:(