Kindergarten is a critical and exciting year for children around the age of 5 to grow their social, academic and cognitive skills. Depending on where you live, your child may attend full-day or half-day kindergarten.
In most states, kindergarten is the first year of school. It’s also referred to as children’s garden or preparatory school year.
Social and Emotional Development
In kindergarten, kids need to learn how to communicate their needs and wants to others. This is important for their success in any classroom, but it’s particularly vital in a large group of children. If a child can’t express themselves in a healthy way, they are more likely to experience trouble with their peers and teachers.
The kindergarten concept was developed by Froebel in the late 1800s. He filled his schools with toys, gifts and occupations, which encouraged children to interact with nature, nurture plants and animals, build skills of observation and exploration and develop their imagination and creativity.
Many educators say that a child’s social and emotional development is more important than the ABCs or 1-2-3s. They note that, as a teacher, it’s hard to help students who enter kindergarten knowing their letters and numbers but don’t know how to use the bathroom by themselves. In fact, Education Week recently reported that 44 percent of teachers say their students are entering kindergarten unable to use the restroom on their own.
Language and Literacy Development
Children are absorbing language in utero and then through their early years of life. Reading to them, having conversations and talking about the world around them is a great way to help build their vocabulary. By the time they enter kindergarten, children should have a large repertoire of words to use in their speech and writing.
They experiment with writing and drawing to express their ideas. Their “writing” may look like scribbling to adults, but they know what they are saying when they write. They also begin to recognize and understand the conventions of print, letter and sound recognition, and phonics.
They retell stories they have heard and can answer questions about them. They also re-enact stories and parts of them through their artwork and dramatizations. They are able to identify book titles and authors. They can read their own name and the names of friends and classmates and begin to write simple sentences. They also make predictions based on information they read.
Physical Development
In kindergarten, children continue to refine their gross and fine motor skills. These advancements are important for promoting physical well-being and supporting learning through exploration.
They may enjoy activities that require increased coordination such as hopscotch, jumping, and throwing or catching a ball. Increased fine motor development equips them to use scissors, cut shapes and complete basic puzzles. In addition, their improved balance allows them to climb more challenging play structures and to walk longer distances without stopping.
In the Netherlands, kindergarten is called kleuterschool and it’s a non-compulsory form of education for children aged four to six years. It’s a transitional year before they begin primary school (lagere school). In Canada, junior kindergarten is called prematernelle and it’s attended by four-year-olds; senior kindergarten is also known as jardin d’enfants. In Quebec, kindergarten is integrated into elementary schools. In Germany, kindergarten is called Spillschoul and it’s attended by four- to six-year-olds. In France, kindergarten is called maternelle and senior kindergarten is known as garde d’enfants.
Cognitive Development
In kindergarten, kids are given a daily schedule that helps their brains grow stronger. This routine supports their cognitive development by teaching them to focus and recall information. They also learn to understand and follow directions, including multi-step instructions. This is a skill they will need throughout life.
Children in kindergarten also start to recognize their own feelings and those of others, which is a critical aspect of emotional intelligence. With guidance from teachers, they are taught to solve problems with their peers and express themselves clearly. This is key to academic success and healthy social interactions.
They learn about the world around them and become able to identify objects and shapes, as well as count and sort them by color or size. This is a fundamental part of their math learning, and one that they will use in later grades. They are also in the process of developing their sense of object permanence, which means that if they hide something under a blanket, they can still find it later.