Kindergarten is typically for children between ages four and six. They should be toilet-trained, able to follow simple instructions and demonstrate motor skills.
A major focus in kindergarten is phonics, where kids learn the sound each letter makes. They also learn to identify uppercase and lowercase letters. They get an introduction to addition and subtraction using math manipulatives.
Socialization
Early socialization is a crucial stage of development. It can help children develop skills that they will use their whole life. It teaches kids how to interact with their peers, set boundaries and develop empathy.
Young children are egocentric by nature and kindergarten or child care is the first place where they will learn to share and be friendly with other kids. Teachers also make an effort to get kids acquainted with each other by seating them together, so they can learn about different personalities.
Socialization is a process that shapes boys and girls’ habits, skills, cognitive abilities, emotions and normative beliefs about how women and men are supposed to behave.
Language
Oral language is the way children communicate with each other. They follow oral directions, carry on conversations and ask questions to get information.
In kindergarten, kids learn how to pronounce the alphabet’s lower and uppercase letters and match them with their unique sounds. They also learn to identify sight words and use word relationships — such as -ing, -ful and -less — to assign meaning to new words.
In addition to developing literacy skills, kindergarten is where kids first start writing. They may draw and write their names, count objects and groups of objects, understand numbers and shapes and use simple addition and subtraction.
Math
As they build upon preschool skills, kindergarten students develop a strong foundation in math. This includes recognizing, writing and counting numbers up to 20. They will also learn about comparing numbers and counting groups of objects.
Counting, sorting and classifying are important math skills. For example, if your child arranges her toys by color or sorts their height in order of shortest to tallest, she is working on these essential kindergarten math activities.
Identifying patterns is another crucial skill. For instance, your child might arrange their stuffed animals into rows or stacks of different sizes. They also learn about shapes like circle, square, triangle and rectangle.
Science
Science lessons for kindergarten help children discover the world around them. They learn about the biographies of scientists and experiment with a variety of materials and objects. Kindergartners explore the Earth/space sciences, physical sciences and life sciences.
During a lesson on snails, for example, a teacher might focus children’s attention on their movement and compare this to the motion of other animals. Such experiences are important but not enough to qualify as scientific inquiry. Children also need a teacher’s guidance and direction to turn their natural curiosity into scientific inquiry. This is known as pedagogical science knowledge. It is necessary for developing reasonable explanations of observations.
Art
Kindergartners are interested in the shapes of objects and lines. Guided art experiences can help them distinguish between dark and light colors, as well as identify basic shapes like squares and circles. They can practice drawing with their fingers, or use a pencil and marker to create line drawings.
Kids at this age also develop a sense of pride in their work. Encourage this by focusing on the process instead of the product.
Kindergarten students have short attention spans and need to be engaged right away. Begin each lesson with a short, exciting hook that will draw them in. For example, reading a story or showing a quick video can engage their attention.
Music
Kindergarten isn’t just about laying the groundwork for academic success, it’s also about building confidence. That’s why we recommend reading books that help children develop self-esteem.
Kindergartners will also play musical games that focus on rhythm and finding a steady beat. They may make their own instruments, such as drums or shakers, out of found objects or materials.
Just like they learn letters, kindergartners will be introduced to basic math concepts. They’ll learn to count, compare the size of groups and objects, and will start to add and subtract small numbers.