Kindergarten is kids’ first year of school, and a major transition. They have to sit still and follow rules, as well as work on their social skills and self-regulation.
They’ll also learn basic shapes and objects and begin to write. To help improve hand and finger control, encourage them to do activities like molding clay.
Language
During the first year of school, children are encouraged to speak openly with their teachers and peers. This helps children develop the confidence to communicate with others in social settings and supports emotional intelligence.
Language is also instrumental in supporting academic achievement. Children who have strong literacy skills in kindergarten can follow directions, understand what they read and write and better grasp mathematical concepts.
The kindergarten curriculum is designed to foster cognitive, physical and social development through play. Froebel’s kindergarten had a range of objects and activities to encourage children to engage in sculpting, lacing and weaving with clay, paper and string. These occupations stimulate imagination, creativity and ingenuity.
In the United States, kindergarten is the first official year of schooling for kids aged 5 to 6. In the UK, early childhood education is more play-focused and is referred to as nursery schools and reception classes, which form the foundation before students begin primary school in Year 1. Kindergarten is not part of the UK’s educational system.
Math
While much effort is being expended to support literacy, it is clear that much more energy and wide-scale commitment are needed to generate significant progress toward improving children’s mathematics proficiency at the classroom, community, institution, and system-wide levels. [12]
Children demonstrate a natural interest in mathemat- ics and have the potential to develop deep and sustained interactions with mathematical ideas and concepts. Research supports the idea that experiences and intuitive ideas become truly mathematical as children reflect on them, represent them in different ways, and connect them to other ideas.
In kindergarten, children begin to understand place value – how ten becomes eleven when counting blocks or lego bricks and that position makes some numbers bigger than others (eg 21 is larger than 12). They also learn about shapes in their environment, using their imaginations to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional figures and solve simple addition and subtraction problems without using physical objects. Ideally, teachers use a range of experiences and teaching strategies that provide opportunities for students to explore and build on their understanding of these early mathematical concepts.
Social Skills
Along with math tables and word lists, classrooms often display social skills posters that remind children to be kind. Studies show that social skills are just as important for a child’s success in school as academics.
Nurturing a child’s social skills during kindergarten helps them build friendships and develop strong peer relationships. Social skills include active listening, empathy, resolving conflict and sharing. Children can learn and practice these skills by playing with peers their own age and those older and younger than them, such as by interacting at recess or through structured group activities, like board games that encourage teamwork.
Use role-playing to help children practice their social skills by acting out social situations or scenarios that they are likely to encounter in real life, such as asking for something at a restaurant or resolving a disagreement. This helps them understand how their actions affect other people. Social skills research has also shown that self-control, another key aspect of social skill development, is directly linked to school achievement and lifelong success.
Physical Activity
Kids have boundless energy that can be hard to contain. They need to dissipate it through physical activity so they can learn and focus longer periods of time.
Regular physical movement also boosts cognitive development by improving blood flow to the brain, enhancing memory and concentration. Getting kids moving, especially with family activities like walking or cycling to school, taking the stairs instead of an elevator, and having a weekly dance party, can help establish healthy habits.
Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes, and up to several hours each day, of age-appropriate physical activity. This should include moderate to vigorous physical activity that strengthens muscles and bones. This includes a mix of activities like running, playing soccer or basketball, squad swimming and netball, and aerobics. Children should also get plenty of movement through unstructured playtime. This is the best way to increase their physical fitness and encourage them to develop a love for exercise.