Although the list below is helpful in assessing your child’s skills, it’s not a checklist for success or failure. By knowing our children’s strengths and mastered skills and the opinions of their teachers and pediatricians, we are better equipped to decide when our children should begin school. The list below includes minimum expectations of a typical school:
Separates easily from parent
Interacts well with other children
Takes turns
Shares
Speaks clearly in complete sentences
Says full name
Tells age
Toilet trained
Puts on and removes outerwear with little or no help
Manipulates snaps, buttons, and zippers on clothing
Follows sequenced directions with two or three steps
Listens carefully and obeys the teacher
Listens to a story in a group for 10-15 minutes
Focuses on an activity independently for 10-15 minutes
Works cooperatively in a small group
Functions effectively in a large group
Recognizes and names primary colors
Uses crayons and markers
Writes first name
Uses scissors
Counts most numerals up to 10
Recognizes many letters of the alphabet
The best advice is to take a tour of the schools that your child may attend or go to a kindergarten open house. In addition, talk to parents who have children attending the school. For additional resources about school readiness, please visit Bright Horizons' READY for SCHOOL Web site.
