Kindergarten Readiness Checklist
Are you wondering if your child is ready for kindergarten? As a mom to three boys and a former teacher, I know that it’s common to wonder if your child is ready for kindergarten. It’s such a big milestone and exciting time for your child!
Many parents have asked me these questions…
“How do I know if my child is ready for kindergarten?”
“What does my child need to know before going to kindergarten?”
Parents want a checklist and I totally get that! Today I have made that easier for you with my kindergarten readiness checklist! You can print out the checklist and mark off the skills that your child has already mastered and identify the skills your child still needs to work on!
Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten?
The biggest thing I tell parents is this… preparing your child with academics is not the most important thing. Yes, our society puts a big emphasis on preschool and doing lots of activities to prepare them for school, but honestly, having good character, being respectful, being a good friend, and showing kindness to others are more important than academics.
Even if you think your child may be behind in academics, it’s ok! Teachers know how to meet the needs of their students, so just remember this before you look at my kindergarten readiness checklist.
Free Checklist for Kindergarten Readiness
This list of standards was put together by looking at public school, private school, and homeschool standards. I am a former teacher and through teaching experiences with early childhood education during college, I believe this list is a good way to assess how ready your child is for kindergarten.
You can print this list and check off the skills as they master them. I know this list may seem big, but just working on what you can really benefit your child. I hope this list will be a helpful guide, whether you homeschool or send your child to school. Either way, it is still good to know what your child should know before kindergarten.
Kindergarten Readiness Skills
The checklist is divide into 14 categories.
Alphabet
- recites the alphabet
- identifies uppercase letters
- identifies lowercase letters
- matches uppercase to lowercase letters
Writing
- traces letters and numbers
- writes some letters
- experiments with a variety of writing tools and materials
- writes first name
- draws pictures or scribbles to communicate ideas
- copies simple and complex shapes (line, circle, square)
- initiates the act of writing
Reading Readiness
- listens to read aloud stories
- shoes interest in reading-related activities
- recognizes that pictures or print carry messages
- understands left to right movement of reading
- identifies the front and back of books
- holds book correctly
- retells information from a story
- predicts what will happen next in the story
- sequences 3 pictures to tell a story
- matches rhyming pictures
Listening Skills
- understands directions
- follows 2-step directions
Verbal Skills
- speaks in sentences
- initiates conversations with peers
- uses appropriate volume when speaking
- can express and describe feelings
- participates in conversations during group activities
- answers a variety of questions (yes, no, what, who, what, where)
Math
- sorts by color, shape, and size
- orders several objects based on 1 attribute
- recognizes simple patterns and can duplicate them
- counts to 20
- counts objects with meaning to 10
- recognizes numerals 0-10
- uses one-to-one correspondence while counting
- identifies a circle, square, triangle, and rectangle
- understands directional concepts
- understands comparative words
- identifies colors
Gross Motor Skills
- runs
- skips
- hops
- gallops
- leaps
- jumps
- pedals and steers a tricycle
- climbs a playground ladder
- throws a ball with direction
- catches a thrown ball with arms and body
- bounces a ball
Fine Motor Skills
- stacks 10 one-inch blocks
- buttons
- strings beads
- zips
- snaps
- laces
- grasps pencil correctly
- uses scissors
- uses glue neatly
- completes a simple puzzle
- uses tweezers
- makes a pancake, snake, and ball from play dough
Art
- explores different art materials
- draws lines and shapes
- interprets pictures
Music
- participates in group music experiences
- plays simple instruments
- moves rhythmically to music (dances)
- sings
Drama
- make believes with objects
- takes on pretend roles and uses dramatic play
Self Knowledge
- states age and birthday
- recites first and last name
- knows address
- recites phone number
Health
- brushes teeth
- washes hands
- dresses for the weather
- follows proper bathroom procedures
- able to put shoes and coat on
- distinguishes health vs. non-healthy foods
Social Skills
- plays with others
- takes turns and shares
- cleans up after playing
- participates in group activities
- interacts with familiar adults
- considerate of other people’s feelings
- respects items belonging to others
- listens when others speak
- seeks adult help during conflicts
- uses manners
- follows rules and routines
- expresses self with words
You can get the printable checklist sent to your inbox by filling out the form below.
Remember that every child is unique and their learning and growth may differ slightly from other children the same age. If you do notice your child is unable to do many of the skills listed, you may want to talk to a health professional.
Helping your child develop good character, reading to them, making memories, and spending time with your child is the MOST important thing you can do to prepare them for kindergarten.
I’m always looking for more ways to reach the parents of preschoolers I interact with as a librarian! It’s so helpful to provide different resources and links for different parents. Thank you!
This is a great list. I work as a behavior analyst and many of my clients are children with develomental disabilities between the ages of 4 to 7 and parents are always asking what types of things their kids should be doing or know by a certain age so I can definitely share this with them.
On a personal level, as I was reading through the list, I noticed that my 2 y.o. daughter is already doing many of those things – she’s been attending a center based daycare since she was an infant and the teachers there have been amazing about incorporating a curriculum into everything they do throughout the day. I guess I’m wondering how I can challenge her further, since she still has a few years left before kindergarten, and will she end up being bored when she gets there?? I’ve worked with kids for many years, but as a mom I’m a rookie. What are your thoughts?
That’s amazing that she can do so many things! Such a blessing! I would continue to build on those skills. So if she knows her alphabet letters and sounds, then move on to other pre-reading skills, like the ones in this post: https://teachingmama.org/8-things-to-teach-after-the-alphabet/
You can also work on more math…simple addition and subtraction, 3-D shapes, and story problems. I hope this helped out! <3
Hello, I was wondering if this list is what they learn throughout kindergarten or if they should know most of it before entering so that they can learn new things or build upon this foundation? I guess i’m wondering, for children that already know these things (like an older child who’d be 6 coming in to kinder and missed the birthday cut off for the previous year), would the parents speak to someone in the school about skipping a grade or do you think there’s more to learn in kinder?
This is what preschoolers should learn to be prepared for Kindergarten. You’d have to talk to the school district about skipping a grade. I believe each school has a different policy for this. Best of luck to you!
Awesome checklist, We linked it on our article regarding all things Pre-K. Thanks a lot!
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Great checklist,thank you .
Great list….is this aligned with the Commmon Core Starndards for PreK? Thanks!!
Thanks! No, I did not align this list with the Common Core Standards. This list was compiled from my teaching experience and extensive research.
Visiting from the Sunday Showcase. I’d love for you to share your family-friendly crafts and ideas at Monday Kid Corner at thejennyevolution.com. See you at the party!
Jennifer
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This is a great checklist. I definitely don’t think a preschooler needs to do every one of these things before Kindergarten, but being able to do most of them will be a big help. Thanks for the list!
I agree, Kirstylee! This is just a guideline and I don’t think many preschoolers can master every single one of them before Kindergarten. Just a checklist to see what to work on. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for putting this together. I jumped right in head first homeschooling Seth Kindergarten so no experience with the Pre-K years. Kaila is eager to learn so excited to make that more of a priority than this year was for her.
Oh good! I know that PreK isn’t something you have to do, but I do believe that it’s helpful to work on before starting Kindergarten. That is wonderful that Kaila is eager to learn!! Hope this will help you out. Take care!
Thanks! I have been looking for a list like this. Everyone I talk to just says to keep working on numbers, letters, colors, etc, but I am checklist kind of mama! 🙂
Great! That’s what I love to hear. Hope this is helpful for you!