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Southwest Allen County Schools

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  3. Kindergarten
  4. I Can Demonstrated Skills

I Can Demonstrated Skills

 

 

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

Kindergarten teachers have complied a list of important "I Can" skills/ school readiness skills that can indicate a child's readiness for kindergarten. Although not requirements, the transition to kindergarten will be easier for the child if they are familiar with these concepts.

 

A collage of images showing children engaged in various activities, including washing hands, drawing, and raising their hands in a classroom setting. The text reads "Ready for Kindergarten? "I CAN" Skills."

I can

"I CAN" - Social, Emotional and Self Help Behaviors

  • follow simple rules   
  • pay attention for short periods of time to adult directed tasks 
  • separate from my caregivers without being upset
  • put on my coat and zip it up
  • tie my shoes
  • take turns
  • share with others
  • sit quietly and listen without interrupting
  • follow simple directions
  • use the bathroom by myself (including zipping/buttoning pants)
  • put on my backpack
  • hold a pencil or crayon
  • cut with scissors
  • put things away
  • hang my backpack on a hook
  • wash my hand with soap
  • use a tissue to wipe my nose
  • cough into my elbow
  • stand in line
  • drink from a drinking fountain
  • open any food containers in my lunch
  • raise my hand and wait to be called on

"I CAN" - Academic Skills

  • recognize, name and trace basic shapes
  • count and recognize numbers 1-10, even when out of order
  • count 10 objects pointing to each one as I count
  • say or sing the alphabet
  • recognize the letters of the alphabet, both upper and lowercase
  • identify colors in an 8-ct crayon pack
  • sort items by size, color or shape
  • speak understandably and in complete sentences
  • recognize and write my first name
  • tell if two words rhyme
  • identify some letter sounds
  • recognize some sight words like "go"
  • hold a book and turn the pages
  • look at pictures and then tell stories

Two young girls look through a storage cabinet filled with colorful supplies.

What We Learn in Kindergarten

What We Learn in Kindergarten

 

These standards are based on the COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS, a nationwide initiative to align state standards.

  • Understand features of print: left to right, top to bottom
  • ID the parts of a book
  • Name and write upper and lower case letters and sounds
  • Rhyming words
  • Break words into syllables
  • Isolate beginning, middle and ending sounds
  • Substitute/add sounds in words
  • Long and short vowel sounds
  • Read high frequency words
  • Read emergent level text for purpose and understanding
  • Answer questions about and retell stories
  • ID character, setting, major events in a storyID author and illustrator rolesCompare stories
  • Write personal narratives, opinion pieces and informational report
  • Spell simple words phonetically
  • Write multiple sentences with proper spacing, capitalization, punctuation and meaningful content
  • Recognize appropriate uses for nouns and verbs and use singular and plural correctly
  • Use inflections and affixes correctly (-ed, -ing, un-, pre-, etc...)

The letters A, B, and C in red, green, and blue, respectively, with a slight shadow.

 

 

 

A stack of colorful books, ready for reading.

Six colorful shapes: a green diamond, an orange triangle, a purple oval, a yellow square, a red circle, and a blue rectangle.

The numbers 1, 2, and 3 in blue, yellow, and red, respectively.

A colorful wooden toy with number blocks and stacking rings for learning and play.

  • Count to 100 by ones and tens
  • Count on from a given number
  • Write numbers 0-20
  • Represent a number of objects with a written number and count to answer how many
  • Count one number and one object at a time
  • Understand counting means one more
  • ID if a group of objects is greater than, less than, or equal to another group
  • Compare two written numbers
  • Addition and subtraction word problems within 10
  • Take apart numbers to 10 in more than one way
  • Find the number to make 10 when given a number
  • Add and subtract fluently within 5
  • Put together and take apart numbers up to 19 (i.e. 18=8+10)
  • Understand the concept of tens and ones
  • Describe/compare/contrast measurable features of object
  • Put objects into categories and sort them by count
  • Name shapes no matter the orientation
  • Use terms of position: below, beside etc...
  • ID 2 and 3 dimensional shapes
  • Describe shapes based on corners, vertices, sides…
  • Create and model shapes in environment