10 things your child should know before going to school

[michelletan83898]

It's normal to feel a bit anxious about sending your child off to big school. As a parent, you want to be absolutely certain your little one is fully prepared to adapt to a classroom environment, make new friends and be able to clearly communicate their needs to their teacher whenever they need help.



But when it comes to specific skills and knowledge, many parents are surprised by how much their child is expected to know before kidergarten. Research shows that children who are well‑prepared for their first year of school have a much better chance of settling in and succeeding, giving them a significant head start for later years.



Your child's school should be able to provide you with a list of things they are expected to know. Here are the ten most common things they should know to help them feel confident and ready for their biggest adventure yet.



1. Listen to and follow simple instructions

By the time they start school, most children should be able to listen to and follow two to three part instructions.





2. Communicate their needs

Children should be able to clearly communicate their needs, especially to their teacher.



3. Dress and feed themselves

Children should feel comfortable managing their own clothes (e.g. zippers and buttons). They should also know how to open a juice container and unwrap their own food. It's also at this age that children learn how to tie their shoes, though some won't get the hang of it until around age six.



4. Share toys with others and take turns

A big part of starting school is about getting along well with others, completing a task or project through teamwork and treating others with respect.



5. Understand and retell simple stories

In their first year of school, children should be able to listen to and understand five to ten minute stories. Most will be able to retell simple stories that they have heard, and some may even begin telling original stories.



6. Match and sort objects

Children should be able to match and sort objects by simple attributes, such as shape, color, and function (e.g. food, clothes, things you can cook with).



7. Identify basic patterns, shapes and colors

These foundational skills will help your child develop essential mathematical skills and knowledge.



8. Identify some numbers and understand how numbers are used

By their first year of school, many children will know how to count to at least 30 and tell what number comes before or after a given number to 20.



9. Identify letters, and begin to understand that letters stand for the sounds heard in words

Most children who start school will know the letters in the alphabet, and begin to understand the correlation between sounds and letters. Some children will be able to spell and write the letters in their name. Children should be able to also identify words that rhyme, which is an indicator of phonemic awareness, one of the five components of learning to read.



10. Begin to identify some sight words

Learning to identify and read sight words is crucial for young children to become fluent readers. Most children will be able to master a few sight words at the age of four (e.g. is, it, my, me, no, see, and we) and around 20 sight words by the end of their first year of school.

[xiehui1128]

I couldn't agree more

[motherhood]

I have to agree...and open communication is so important with kids...always good to understand whether they are happy or not..is thru open communication.