The Ultimate Guide to Being Prepared for Kindergarten: Top 15 Skills on Your Kindergarten Teacher's Wish List

The transition to kindergarten is a big step in a child's life, marking the beginning of their educational journey. It's a time filled with excitement, anticipation, and, let's be honest... a bit of anxiety for both children and their parents. As families navigate this important transition, preparation becomes key to ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for our little learners. So, what skills should you be working on with your child? We polled over 100 Kindergarten teachers with the question:

"If you could make a wish list of skills that your incoming students have already mastered, before Day 1, what would be on your list?"

Read on to discover the Top 15 responses (and download a free guide of ideas for working on these skills!)

Understanding Kindergarten Readiness

First, let's clear up a few things regarding kindergarten readiness.

Kindergarten readiness includes a broad range of skills, from academics to social-emotional to self-help skills. It's not just about knowing the ABCs and 123s. Being prepared for Kindergarten means being ready to engage, interact, and adapt to a structured learning environment (the classroom) and being ready to interact and engage with others (their teacher and classmates). For parents and educators, focusing on developing the whole child is crucial.

Academic Skills

While academic skills are just one piece of the kindergarten readiness puzzle, they're undeniably important. Encourage pre-literacy skills by reading together, playing rhyming games, and exploring letter shapes and sounds. Introduce basic math concepts through everyday activities, like counting objects, recognizing patterns, and understanding simple addition and subtraction with toys or snacks.

Social-Emotional Skills

Social-emotional skills enable children to navigate interactions, express themselves, and manage their feelings. Foster these skills by encouraging playdates, teaching conflict resolution techniques, and modeling positive behavior. Discuss feelings openly, and provide opportunities for children to express themselves through art, play, and conversation.

Self-Help Skills

Another aspect of kindergarten readiness is the ability to perform basic self-care tasks independently. This includes dressing, using the restroom, washing hands, and managing personal belongings. Practice these skills at home, gradually allowing your child more autonomy and praising their efforts to boost confidence.

Results of the Poll

Finally, what you've been waiting for! What were the top 15 responses from Kindergarten teachers? Check out the list below. (You'll notice a mix of academic, social-emotional, and self-help skills!)

How to Work on These Skills

Now that you know the skills Kindergarten teachers believe will set your child up for success, what are some quick and easy tips for working on them?

We've put together a FREE guide with simple but effective tips for working on each of the 15 skills above. To grab your free copy, click the image below! You'll be prompted to enter your email address so that we can send the guide directly to your inbox 📩

Looking for an Extra Boost?

At Up & Away Literacy, part of our mission is to help students' literacy skills LIFT OFF! That's why we created the LIFT OFF! to Literacy: Letters & Sounds program. This program is perfect for busy families who want to give their child a boost with letters and sounds knowledge!

 Program Overview

WHO: Incoming Kindergarteners, current Kindergarteners, students in any grade who are struggling to learn letters & sounds, EL (English Learners) students

WHAT: A fun and engaging online program, created by two reading specialists, and grounded in the Science of Reading.

WHEN: Lessons are on-demand, so choose any time that's convenient for your family's busy schedule!

WHERE: Your child can watch and complete the lessons at home, in the car, on vacation, at the soccer field, etc. 

WHY: To help your child master their letters and sounds, and to give them a strong foundation for learning how to read!

HOW: We mail all of the printed materials to you- all you have to do is get your child set up on a device and click "play"! We teach each letter and sound in a systematic and cumulative way. We are right there on video in every lesson, encouraging and cheering your child on!

A Sneak Peek into the Program

To get a sneak peek inside the LIFT OFF! to Literacy: Letters & Sounds program, click on the link below and watch the short 2 minute video!

LIFT OFF! to Literacy: Letters & Sounds

How to Sign Up Your Child

If you're interested in signing up your child for the LIFT OFF! program, you can enroll them HERE. 

Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing us at: [email protected]

We'd love to see you and your child in the program! 

 --Erin & Kally