Kindergarten is the first step in a child’s formal education, setting the stage for their academic success. Kindergarten students learn social, emotional and cognitive skills that help them thrive.
For example, kindergartners will practice identifying upper and lowercase letters and their sounds, learning to distinguish shapes like circles, squares, and triangles, and observing how numbers relate to objects.
Social and Emotional Development
A healthy social and emotional development is a key predictor of children’s academic success. When kids can follow directions, get along with others and control their emotions in a classroom setting, they can learn more effectively. They’re also less likely to have trouble at school by resorting to unproductive ways of expressing their frustration, such as hitting or throwing things.
Kindergarten teachers help kids understand that everyone has feelings, and they encourage them to use words to express those feelings to show care for other people’s needs and concerns. They also help kids understand that everyone is different and that differences are okay.
Kids also develop their physical and language and literacy skills in kindergarten. For example, kids learn to recognize the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet and match them to their sounds. They also learn to read 30 high-frequency words, such as the and in. They practice these skills during story time, with their friends and on their own.
Cognitive Growth
Children grow cognitively in a remarkable way during early childhood. This amazing stage includes many milestones that set the foundation for future academic success. It encompasses a wide range of mental skills, including attention and perception, memory and language.
Cognitive development in kindergarten includes children learning to categorize objects and mentally arrange them into a sequence, such as tallest to shortest or by color. They also learn to think hypothetically and consider several solutions to a problem.
They can recognize, name and write upper-case letters, and they are able to read about 30 high-frequency words, which are the first to be introduced in kindergarten curriculum. This knowledge is the best predictor of later reading achievement.
They can also perform basic math concepts, such as adding and subtracting small numbers. Children in this age group can also demonstrate the beginning stages of object permanence by playing peekaboo or a jack-in-the-box toy with an object and then watching it disappear (Piaget, 1964). They begin to understand that another’s level of knowledge about an object does not match their own.
Physical Development
As children move through physical development, they develop strength and control over their bodies. They may be able to creep with their hands on the floor or crawl up the stairs, hold markers in their fist and place pegs into holes on a shape board, among other new activities.
Children in kindergarten also learn their letters and numbers and how to compare sizes of objects and groups, a concept known as the magnitude of things. Learning these skills helps them understand their world and gives them the foundation for future math learning, according to Rachel Rubin of LwMwNwOwPLAY!
As a program manager, you can prioritize staff training opportunities and support for physical development to ensure that your entire team is prepared for children’s needs as they grow. Providing a range of age-appropriate resources and training can help your staff better understand the varying stages of physical development so they can anticipate when children will reach certain milestones.
Independence and Self-Assurance
The independence that children gain in kindergarten prepares them for life’s challenges and teaches them to be resourceful. Self-reliance also helps kids and teens build confidence, encouraging them to try new things and persevere through obstacles.
Parents can foster independence in their young children by allowing them to dress and use the bathroom independently, setting out age-appropriate utensils for mealtime, giving them the option to choose a snack from pre-approved options, and offering positive verbal feedback on their efforts. It’s also helpful to offer age-appropriate tools and equipment, like step stools in the kitchen or bathroom.
It’s important to talk to your child’s preschool or pre-K teachers, day care providers and pediatrician to make sure they’re ready for kindergarten. If you’re concerned that your child may not be ready, consider talking to a school administrator about academic redshirting for kindergarten. Then, enroll your child when they’re ready. The program will be better able to meet their learning needs, and your child will be a happier student.