For the parents of kindy kids....

[hipumpkins]

Can you please tell me what your school required Kindy children to know. I am a homeschooler and found a small list that someone else posted in different thread but as I was looking around I see lots of schools require different things.
I am just using them as a jump off place for my DD.
TIA
Valerie

[Momily]

If it's a public school they can't require children to know anything.

However, there are definitely skills that make it easier for kids when they get to Kindergarten. Some of these are universal: how to share and take turns, how to separate without too much trauma, how to make a friend, how to be 100% independent in the bathroom, how to write their first name, how to follow simple directions.

Some very widely from district to district. Our local PreK standards say "the names of at least 10 letters, upper or lower case" and our K programs are designed to accomodate kids with that much knowledge (although they differentiate so they challenge kids who know more too). The next district over (much more affluent) basically expects kids to come in knowing all their letters, numbers, sounds, counting past 50 etc . . . Kids who don't know these things are at a huge disadvantage.

Could you talk to a Kindy teacher in your local school?

[Amydoula]

This definitely varies from school to school, state to state, etc. so talking to the kindergarten teachers in your district is probably the best bet. DS is on his third day of kindy today and they are working on easy words, things like "a", "is", "we", etc. which he personally already knows (he's been reading since last year by his choice) but its a good review and a good way to start the year. The teacher plans to have them all reading by Christmas. I'm in a private school in upstate NY.

[hipumpkins]

Oh I thought schools sent home a list of requirements.
The 2 I saw listed on here were so totally different that is what made me ask.
One list was quite simple including things like, coloring and tying shoes and bathroom skills..more social stuff and another list I saw had more academic stuff lke, Alphabet and reading small words.
so I guess...NM :

[CarrieMF]

Can you please tell me what your school required Kindy children to know.

zip. Though I"m sure they really want them potty trained. When my dd was in K last year I asked the teacher about how to correct the way she holds her pencil(in a fist). This was in Oct at interviews, she laughed & said she was not concerned about that & that she was trying to get some kids to know how to hold ANYTHING. Honestly I was shocked(and saddened for those kids) that some kids didn't know how to hold a pencil in any way.

By the END of K, the actual requirements that they need to move onto Grade 1 are pretty small. They have to know how to count, recognize, print to 10. know the upper & lowercase letters by name & how to print them. Basic shapes by name. Basic social skills.

They do work on other things but that's about all which is required for the end of K here.

[lightheart]

are you askig before entering K or after the school year?

go to your state website and see what they have for their mandated requirements for the grade. I looked at different states also, just to see what they required.

[dancingmama]

here is a link to the kindergarten outcomes for our district. this is what the kids are supposed to be able to do AFTER kindy.

http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/ins.curr_e...k_outcomes.pdf

[hipumpkins]

Oh thanks..AFTER is a much better idea.

that list is awesome!!

[~Megan~]

dd's list was to identify the letters and consanant sounds. That was it. She got 100 but the test said that the average result was 45. I found that really suprising since dd has known the letters and sounds since 3.5 or slightly before.

[Ellien C]

Our school recommends children know their names, their parents names, their address and their phone number. This isn't for academic readiness. They suggest that it gives the child some confidence when leaving home. If I know my name, phone number and address, then if anything happens someone could contact my parents. Obviously this information is all on file but they've suggested that the kid would feel a bit more confident if he could provide that information himeself.