Transition to Kindergarten

Manages Feelings

• Identifies feelings
• Starting to control strong emotions in an appropriate manner most of the time (or all) the time
• Starting to look at situations differently or delay gratification

Follows Limits and Expectations

• Understands and follows classroom and school expectations
• Manages classroom rules, routines, and transitions with reminders

Takes Care of Own Needs Appropriately

• Demonstrates confidence in meeting own needs (washing hands, bathroom, dressing, packing/unpacking backpack, etc.)
• Uses and takes care of materials appropriately

Plays Cooperatively

• Uses successful strategies for entering groups
• Interacts with a variety of peers in a positive manner

Balances Needs of Self and Others

• Takes turns and shares
• Starting to initiate the sharing of materials in the classroom and outdoors

Listens to and Understands Directions of Two or More Steps

• Follows directions that relate to familiar objects and experiences
• Starting to follow detailed, instructional, multistep directions

Speaks Clearly to Express Thoughts and Needs

• Is understood by most people; may mispronounce new, long, or unusual words

Engages in Conversations

• Engages in conversations of at least three exchanges
• Stays on topic during conversations

Holds Pencil with Three-Point Finger Grip

• Holds drawing and writing tools by using a three-point finger grip but may hold the instrument too close to one end

Uses Correct Scissors Grip

• Holds scissors correctly
• Cuts along straight lines and starting to cut out simple pictures and shapes, using the other hand to move paper

Demonstrates Traveling and Balancing Skills

• Moves purposefully from place to place with control
• Coordinates movements in play and games (gallop, run, jump, spin, etc.)
• Sustains balance during simple and some complex movements (hop on one foot, balance while walking across sandbox edge, etc.)

Attends and Engages

• Sustains interest in working on age-appropriate tasks
• Starting to ignore most distractions and interruptions
• Makes relevant contributions to class discussions

Persists

• Pursues a variety of appropriately challenging tasks
• Keeps trying and practices an activity multiple times

Thinks About Ways to Solve Problems

• Tries to solve problems in different ways
• Attempts to solve problems independently and asks for help when needed

Recognize and Recalls

• Recalls familiar people, places, objects, and actions from the past (a few months before)
• Starting to tell about experiences in order, provides details, and evaluates the experience

Sort Objects in One or More Ways

• Places objects in two or more groups based on differences in a single characteristic (e.g., color, size, or shape)
• Starting to objects by one characteristic, then regroups them using a different characteristic and indicate the reason

Demonstrates Phonological Awareness

• Demonstrates and understanding of rhyming words
• Starting to decide whether two words rhyme • Claps each syllable in a word
• Verbally blends parts of a word together (puts together foot and ball to say football)

Identifies and Names Upper and Lowercase Letters

• Recognizes and names 10 or more upper and lowercase letters, especially those in own name

Produces the Correct Sounds for Letters

• Starting to produce the sounds of a few letters

Uses Print Concepts and Emergent Reading Skills

• Starting to indicate where to start reading and the direction to follow (reads left to right, top to bottom)
• Shows awareness of various features of print (letters, words, spaces, upper- and lowercase letters, some punctuation)
• Pretends to read, using some of the language from the text, uses pictures to describe action across pages using reading-like intonation

Writes First Name

• Writes all the letters of own name (some of the letters might not be formed or oriented correctly at this age)

Forms Letters with Increasing Accuracy

• Attempts to follow steps to form letters accurately; starts forming the letter from the top (not from bottom-up

Counts to 20, Quantifies, and Connects Numerals with Quantities (0-10)

• Verbally counts to 20 or higher • Counts 10-20 objects accurately
• Tells what number comes next in order by counting (0-10)
• Makes set of 6-10 objects and describes the parts; identifies which part has more, less, or the same (equal)
• Counts all or counts on to find out how many
• Starting to identify numerals to 10 by name and connect each to counted objects

Names basic two-dimensional shapes and some three-dimensional shapes

• Names and describes basic two- and three-dimensional shapes
• Recognizes shapes when they are presented in a new orientation

Engages in Mathematical Practices: Problem Solving, Reasoning Communicating

• Makes sense of problems and perseveres in solving them
• Reasons abstractly and quantitatively
• Constructs viable arguments and critiques the reasoning of others
• Models with mathematics
• Uses appropriate tool strategically
• Attends to precision
• Looks for and makes use of structure
• Looks for and expresses regularity in repeated reasoning

Visit bit.ly/TKMathPractices to learn more about Mathematical Practices for preschool children

Understands skills and concepts related to scientific principles

• Asks questions about the world around them
• Observes and describes the world around them

Weather

• Seasonal changes
• Observing, describing, and recording weather changes

Animals

• Where do animals live?
• What do animals eat?
• What kinds of animals are pets? What are their characteristics?
• How do we care for animals?

Plants

• How can we plan and care for our garden?
• What grows in gardens?
• Who helps gardens grow?
• How do gardens help people and the environment

Understands skills and concepts related to social studies

• Develops basic awareness and appreciation of self and others
• Demonstrates understanding of roles, rights, and responsibilities

Transition to Kindergarten: How can we make school a fun place to learn and play?

• What do we do at school?
• Who works at our school?
• What are our rules? Why do we need to follow them?

Cooperation

• How can we work well with others?
• How do we make and keep friends?

Respecting and Appreciating Ourselves and Others

• What makes me unique and special?
• How are we similar and different