Kindergarten Skills Development: Month 5

Kindergarten Skills Development

Skills to Practice this Month

• Interact frequently with your child each day. Give your child hugs or pats on the back for encouragement. Explain to your child that in school there are many, many children and adults that he will interact with everyday. Talk to your child about the importance of personal space.

Activities

• Take time each day to interact with your child one-on-one. Ask about her day and have her tell you about something that happened during the day. Make this a special time for closeness between you and your child. Share a favorite book or sing a favorite song. Continue this daily sharing time after your child starts kindergarten to stay connected.

• Encouraging your child gives her confidence that she can accomplish many different tasks. Children who are confident in their ability to learn will be willing to try new things and meet new challenges. Talk to your child about something she is proud of: a project, an accomplishment, a skill or trait. Ask her to think of something that was hard for her to learn or achieve. How did she feel when she was able to accomplish the task?

• Praise your child for a job well done. Be specific and focus on the process rather than the evaluation of a product. "Mary, I like the way you shared your toy with your sister." Have everyone in your family complete this sentence daily. " I am proud of _____ for _____." And "I am proud of myself for _____."

• Talk with your child about sharing. What is appropriate to share with friends at school? (A toy, a book, a story.) What is not appropriate to share? (A comb, a cup or a drink, a straw, a fork.) Create a game by writing names of items on slips of paper and ask if the item is good for sharing. Ask your child why or why not?

Books for Children

• A Hug Goes Around by Laura Krauss Melmed
• How About a Hug? by Nancy L. Carlson
• Good Job, Little Bear by Martin Waddell
• Mine! by Kevin Luthardt
• Annabelle Swift, Kindergartener by Amy Schwartz

Books for Parents

• The Values Book: Teaching 16 Basic Values to Young Children by Pam Schiller and Tamera Bryant

Getting Ready to Read

Skills to Practice this Month

• Interact frequently with your child each day by talking and listening. Talk with your child about what is going on around you. Talk about how things work, feelings, and ideas. When your child talks with you, listen and ask questions.

Health and Wellness

Skills to Practice this Month

• Help your child develop independence in personal hygiene and using the toilet. Upon entering kindergarten, children should be able to care for some of their personal needs and be independent in using the toilet and properly washing their hands and button, zip, or belt their own clothing.

More information available at http://www.getSet4k.org